Articles written by David

I am pleased that at long last the Trades Union Congress is beginning to provide some leadership against the mad and unfair cuts being imposed by the Coalition. Clearly we don't know how bad it will become because we have yet to get the Comprehensive Spending Review that will be released later in October. However from the cuts that are already happening it is clear that all apart from the very rich are in for a very tough time.

As ballot papers arrive on members' doorsteps I have to say that I have been pleased at the comradely way in which the debate has been conducted. Sadly you will not have read and heard about this as at times there has been a virtual news black-out such is the way in which the debate has progressed.

The outbursts by former General Sir Richard Dannatt are both untimely as well as unseemly. Like politicians there is a need for a time of reflection before rushing into print.

The decision by Stroud District Council Planning Executive Sub Committee to give consent to a motorway service area at Brookthorpe dredges the bottom of the barrel in terms of its competence and ethical standards – quite simply there is no need for an MSA at this point on the M5 and yet again the Tories on Stroud District Council have at best bottled it when it comes to protecting the countryside.

The harshness of the Budget whilst anticipated nevertheless shocked in terms of its severity and its blatant attacks on the poor and the vulnerable. Of course we were only looking at the revenue implications of the Coalition’s plans and the real impact of public spending cuts have yet to be spelt out.

At the pre-election hustings for Parliamentary candidates held at Dursley URC each candidate was asked in turn how committed they were to keeping Vale of Berkeley College open. There was unanimity in support for the College. However we now know how honest an answer that was in the case of the new MP.

There is much in the media about tax and pensions policy. I cannot let this go unchallenged. I am afraid that it is totally disingenuous to pretend that tax policy was responsible for the decline in private sector pensions.

Many of my friends feel that I am going from the frying pan into the fire. However the opportunity to become non-executive Chairman of Forest Green Rovers was a challenge I could not turn down. My love for the club is widely acknowledged but probably less well known is the way in which I have tried to help over the years both in terms of advice and support given.

The new Coalition Government was set to revolutionise UK politics and yet one of the first acts by the majority partner was to try to neutralise the power of its backbenchers. David Cameron achieved this by changing the electoral arrangements for its 1922 Committee.

I did something last Saturday which I had not managed to do for the last 20 years. I went for a one-day walk with my wife which we had not planned and even better it did not matter what time we arrived back home. The simple fact is that for the last 13 years as MP for the Stroud Constituency, and the previous 7 when I was a candidate, virtually every hour was accounted for and even though of course I could take some time off it would mean that I would come back and have to work late on unanswered post, emails or phone calls.