Deal Labour Exchange

Some weeks ago, I was having a coffee in the Landmark Centre with Town Councillors Wayne Elliot (Con) and Keith Turner (Lib Dem). A lady on the next door table was saying how hard it was to find jobs and was unhappy that the only JobCentre is in Dover. The trip was expensive and it all took a lot of time as well.

So we thought we should act to help people in and near Deal by setting up a labour exchange. Keith got together everyone at the Landmark (Keith runs it) and Wayne and I got onto the local businesses. We got everyone round a table and all agreed a Labour Exchange would be a good first step and could be set up at the Landmark.

So here we are - it's off the ground and going. Just a board at the moment. But Keith and his team at the Landmark have some really great ideas to get everything online, they plan to ask the Dover JobCentre if they will set up at the Landmark Centre and generally blend this action in with their excellent Jobs Clubs and skills work. They really do fantastic work and it's amazing just how well used the Landmark is by so many community groups.

Now setting up the labour exchange is not political - it was just the right thing to do. And it all goes to show what a great community we have in Deal that everyone has rallied round and just got on with it. And what a great resource we have in the Landmark Centre.

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Port Meeting

This evening I went to the Harbour Board public meeting. The board members set out their view that the only way the town could be regenerated and the Western Docks developed would be through the sell off.  They made a strong case and ran the meeting well. Everyone got to have a say.

Yet the truth is this is all being done right now because the Government is desperate for the £400-500m the sale would bring in. When you are borrowing crazy sums like £200Bn, every little bit helps. The sale of our harbour would pay for one day's worth of national borrowing.

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Conservatives pledge to review Gordon Brown's port sell off

The Dover Express today reports how the Conservatives will review Gordon Brown's plan to sell off our port. Unlike Gordon Brown, the Conservatives will to listen to our community. I'm really delighted to have the support of the Conservative Front Bench and the Shadow Transport Secretary on this matter.

It's important for our community. It's important for the security of our borders. For sure, privatisation is not always a "bad thing" - but where it's a strategic asset like the Urenco Uranium Enrichment company or our nation's borders that, to me, is a different matter.  You wouldn't privatise the army and in the same way things that are important to national security should not be sold off either.

This is why I'm getting up a petition. So our community's voice can be heard. Please do sign it to help my campaign to keep Gordon Brown's hands off our port.

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Gordon Brown confirms port sell off plan

Gordon Brown today confirmed that he plans to sell off the port of Dover.  He told the House of Commons:

"There will be no forced privatisation of Dover under Labour and we will look for new ways of getting in new investment into the port and the community."

This is because it is not a "forced" privatisation but a "voluntary" privatisation.  The difference? One involves telling the port they are to be sold off, the other involves telling the port they are "volunteering" to be sold off.  It's all a question of spin and presentation really.

That is what is happening here.  Under huge pressure from Gordon Brown, the Harbour Board are submitting a "voluntary" privatisation proposal. This will be warmly received by Gordon Brown, the port will then be stuffed into his car boot for sale just as soon as he can.

The reaction of Dover's Labour MP? To attack me for telling you about Gordon Brown's plan. In fact, so weak has the defence of our port by the local Labour MP been that I'm fast coming to the conclusion he doesn't really care whether the port is sold off or not.

But I do care. I oppose this sale. I'm doing all I can to defend our English border. It would be wrong for our port to be sold to the French or anyone else.

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Dame Vera Lynn joins fight against port sell off

Dame Vera Lynn is reported in today's Telegraph as opposing Gordon Brown's plan to sell off our borders.

She is quoted as saying:

"The port should absolutely stay in British hands. It always has been and it should always be. It means so much to the boys who have sailed away from it and come back."

"How could they even think about selling it off? It is not right. Dover is part of England. It simply can't be part of anywhere else."

And . . . as I predicted yesterday, the Government is denying that our port will be sold to the French. Well, they would, wouldn't they? This is, of course, the same Government that promised us a referendum on Europe and that gave us a solemn promise the port would not be sold at the last election. You just can't believe a word they say.

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Port of Dover to go French?

Reports at the weekend and today indicate that the French port of Calais wants to buy Dover in Gordon Brown's car boot sale. Clearly this would be unacceptable. I expect it to be denied - but the key point remains, which is once it's gone it's gone.

The Port of Dover should remain owned by the nation. It's not right for the English border to be sold off.

Thanks to the hundreds who responded to the online survey. The result was the 95% thought that Labour had broken their promise not to sell off the port. 90% were opposed to the port being sold off. Clear majorities thought that the port pensioners should be protected and there should be a timetable to develop the Western Docks. People were most passionate on the regeneration fund for Dover, however.

I deeply appreciate the many responses, which have been of great help to me in understanding what people think. The survey is still open, so do have your say.

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Port of Dover privatisation - what do you think?

A whole slew of official documents have been published in recent weeks progressing the Government's decision to privatise the Port of Dover.

Before Christmas, the Government published a report inidicating that our Port is on the block - see page 73 onwards. Last Monday, the Transport Minister gave a written statement to Parliament to move things forward. Then the Dover Harbour Board published it's draft Harbour Revision Order and privatisation Scheme. So this matter is moving forward at some speed. It is clear Gordon Brown cannot move things forward fast enough.

I have been against the privatisation of our port. I worry about our border security. My worry is this could be so far advanced by the election, it will be impossible to stop. So if this goes ahead regardless of local opinion, we need to ask ourselves as a community how we get the best deal. We need a Plan B. So I've launched an online survey to gauge views and opinions on what the Government is doing and the things we need.

Please do take the survey - it's confidential. Simply click here and have your say - please also feel free to make wider comments.

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Let it snow, let it snow!

Wow! What an amazing time with all this snow. I'm including a whole load of snowy pictures I've taken in the last few days.

Yet there is a more serious point here too.  This weather was well forecast, yet the M20 got closed and the M2 as well.  It was a total shambles. This was before the port got closed and the Eurotunnel chaos. Why do we have a repeat of this every year? Surely there must be a way to manage this annual event better?

And the weather closing the port as well as the unreliable Eurostar service (people really should take the ferry!) causing chaos down the M20 underlined the need for a lorry park on the M20. The total chaos in Dover town underlined the need to dual the A2. We were again reminded of the need to get lorries out of the centre of Dover . . . !

On Saturday, we went canvassing in deep snow (we are either very enthusiastic . . . or very mad!) with Julian Brazier MP:

And here's the view from my home towards the Royal Hotel and some other random pics of the Deal seafront.

It was a real Winter wonderland as these views from the pier show:

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Shadow Home Secretary visits Dover Port

Today, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling MP visited the port of Dover. He toured the docks to see how our borders are policed and heard about the Government's plans to privatise Dover's port.

I explained my concerns to Chris about the need for more border security and the deep concerns I feel about Labour's privatisation plans. We also discussed regeneration, the need for more jobs and money locally, our ideas to boost tourism as well as the need to make our streets safer.  

Chris Grayling MP issued a statement saying:

"Our manifesto for seaside towns sets out a range of ways in which we will seek to boost towns like Dover. We need to stimulate small business and in particular the tourist trade - and to give those towns greater control over their own affairs. But Dover will benefit in particular from our plans for tough border controls and action against antisocial behaviour."

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Door knocking in Shepherdswell

Today, our team went door knocking in Shepherdswell.  We heard deeply felt concerns about Labour's plans to close Dover's Buckland Hospital. People told us they really want to see a proper hospital back, as the Conservatives plan, not the little polyclinic the Government seek to palm us off with. They are sad Buckland will be closed - so many were born there or have had children there themselves. They feel what has happened is shameful.

And residents were deeply shocked that Labour now plan to sell off our Port. They saw it as a betrayal yes - but were also very worried about the security of our borders and what this change will mean for the mainstay of our local economy. More locally, a number mentioned the bus services and said they wanted to see a better service. I am taking this up with the District Council, to see what can be done.

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