PPC Hustings speech

Speech by Andrew Simpson delivered to Lib Dem members on Sat 13th May 2006

I want to cover three areas with you this evening to hopefully demonstrate why I should not only be your candidate at the next election but your next MP.

Firstly what happened last time…

Just to remind you of the result which saw our vote increase by 6.7% (a 40% increase in the number of people who voted for us) - in effect 3,000 votes came from Labour to us. The Tories just treaded water (a mere 0.4% rise in their vote).

Now this is no mean feet - it being one of the best results for us in the East Midlands and with 24.5% vote share we were higher than the national vote for the Lib Dems which was 22.1%.

It was a hard won result based on a heavy campaign that delivered more leaflets, in more places, did more canvassing and contacted more voters than ever before.

It is also due to our steady growth in Northampton with more Councillors now than either Labour or Tory combined in the Northampton North constituency

We topped the poll in the County Council elections in Northampton North and if everybody who voted for us at the Local Election/County Election - voted for us in the General Election I would already be your MP.

On a local level we are the Leaders.

Labour clearly saw us as the main threat and Sally Keeble used every opportunity to have a go, in particular accused us of being soft on crime and soft on anti social behaviour

Since I mention Sally Keeble I should also mention that she is one on Tony Blair's most loyal MP's having voted with the Government over 99.4% of the time (to be exact).

She strongly supported the war in Iraq, has given unqualified support for ID cards, supported Foundation Hospitals, Student Top-up fees, the draconian anti-terrorist laws and she recently voted for the reduction in parliamentary scrutiny

It is a sad reflection on both her and the politics she represents when you get residents saying to you that they contacted her for help and 'all she was interested in was a photo opportunity.' (note about Abington Chemists)

I am beginning to think that all she is really interested in is keeping her job !

Perhaps she feels threatened ?

Now looking at national position…

I am wondering whether Sally Keeble will move from a Blairite to a Brownite when Tony finally quits. That of course assumes that Gordon Brown will be his successor. When starting to write this speech last weekend I was wondering what else might have changed by the end of the week - a week certainly is a long time in politics!

Tony Blair boasted that he would "harry, hassle and hound" criminals from the country. We now know instead of chasing them out his government was setting them loose allowing 1,023 foreign prisoners to be free and,…. as we have found out… free to re-offend.

Well that's 1,023 reasons why both Sally Keeble and Labour can no longer accuse the Lib Dems of being soft on crime !

In contrast to letting people out of jail the Home Secretary kept 10 foreign nationals locked in Belmarsh prison for 3 1/2 years without charge.

Not only has this Government be complicit with America in the disgrace that is Guantanamo Bay but it has acted equally badly with foreign nationals in our own country.

And Charles Clarke presided over all of this with the 'full confidence' of Tony Blair. John Hutton (who has remained as Work & Pensions Minister) said just a few days before the recent reshuffle - "Charles has got the absolute full support of not just of the prime minister, but of every member of the cabinet. "He is doing a brilliant job as home secretary, and he is on the public's side trying to sort this problem out."

Charles Clarke himself said that the Home Office was 'seriously dysfunctional' - sorry - he was in charge ?? You bet it is seriously dysfunctional because …

It is also in a financial mess with the National Audit Office refusing to sign off last years accounts because they are £3 million in the red…

And then the latest is the tragic murder of Naomi Bryant which has exposed the probation service for making…and I quote 'substantial mistakes and misjudgements'

Makes you wonder why Charles Clarke survived so long doesn't it ?

But don't worry …..Gordon Brown has already said he wants to bring Charles Clarke back into the cabinet saying he's 'too good to be out of government'.

I hope that's a great comfort to you…..

So much for Gordon Brown's talk of renewal - it will just be more of the same.

I know we Lib Dems oppose ID cards for good reasons in protecting civil liberties but another would be not allowing the Home Office to introduce them - on their past record it is surely a fiasco waiting to happen.

The trouble I think is that we have government by and for tabloid headlines - Ministers not only making the headlines but reacting to them. So one clanger is followed by a knee jerk reaction and more legislation.

More than ever before we Lib Dems need to be the defenders of liberty and freedom and making sure that the power of the state is rolled back.

Lib Dems are not soft on crime and anti-social behaviour when we looking for the real long term solutions not for tabloid headlines.

And what of the Tories ?

Well David Cameron is…. What is he ?? Answers on a postcard please….

For all his claim of changing we must l remind people that it was David Cameron who wrote the Tories last manifesto and such disgraceful slogans "'It's time to put a limit on immigration' pandered to prejudice and people's fears.

Are you thinking what we're thinking ? … What is he really thinking ?

We mus tn't though underestimate the Tories - I saw what they can do when they took 4 seats from the Lib Dems in Milton Keynes at the Local Elections by spinning and lying to get support.

My fear is that people are sleepwalking to support them from Labour.

You can see the whole pattern repeating itself..

So what about Me ?

Well you have Sally Keeble who is of course an unswerving Blairite, and then you have Dave and the Cameroons (sounds like a biscuit?).

That leaves you and me as …Mingers … well thankfully no - I read this week that Ming supporters are now called the Mingites…how do you feel about that ?

Anyway I wasn't a Ming Campbell supporter in the Leadership election but one thing I think was right about his campaign was when he talked about the need for a return to values in politics.

Ming said "Tony Blair has squeezed values out of politics. Under New Labour, politics has become managerial and not inspirational."

I think people are becoming consumers of politics rather than participants. Rather than taking responsibility they leave it up to the Government, and then they blame politicians when it goes wrong. People do not have to take responsibility for their lives as New Labour takes responsibility for them. Law after law is passed and our liberty is becoming shackled.

And why be a politician these days ? According to a recent mori poll - 87% of people do not trust politicians to tell the truth - even more distrust politicians than estate agents !

And at the General Election just 21.6% of the voting population voted Labour so further highlighting the crisis in our democracy.

This is something I want to tackle - I believe that we must re-connect and engage with people in our community.

I have four simple approaches to being a prospective MP for Northampton:

1. To promote the town and its people by being its champion - that means standing up for it when required but also seeking funding and other opportunities that will improve people lives here

2. Tackling the unaccountable public bodies that are making people feel they have no say in how their town is run such as (e.g. WNDC, PCT's, Police force)

3. Putting People first not photo opportunities - providing the best possible service to people who ask their MP for help - responding quickly and using all resources at my disposal to tackle their problem

4. Reporting back - providing an annual report to all constituents on what I have done and inviting feedback on this.

To me a sign of success in being able to achieve all this would not only be greater support for our party but also greater involvement of people in the political process. So more people voting, more residents groups and pressure groups working in the community, a town that is proud of itself and with people having a say in the services they get from public bodies.

For me personally I would just want people to say of me 'he is a good constituency MP'

Our great strength is that we are the party of localism - building on the grass roots issues through community politics. Our Focus newsletters are their not just there to sell our message but to get people engaged with their community, to see what is happening around them, to give them the power to change their situation and to demonstrate to them that somebody cares.

To prove to them that not all politicians are the same.

I do believe we can find another 3,294 (to be exact) Labour voters to vote Lib Dem by the time of the next election - hopefully some Conservatives too. We need to do that by demonstrating we are the alternative to Labour and we are better than either of the other two parties.

Northampton turned to New Labour like the rest of the Country in 1997 - like the rest of the Country people are left disappointed and disenchanted with politics.

I aim to rebuild that trust and show people that it can be different and how electing a Lib Dem MP will not only put Northampton on the map but will be a breath of fresh air in the valueless politics we have at the moment.

I can't do this on my own though - so only vote for me if you are prepared to work with me to make it happen - in a sense we all here have a heavy responsibility to Northampton….to bring about change.

I hope you will support me to do that.