Tribute Column for last edition of Chase Post

We live in a time when the reputation of some journalists and newspapers is perhaps only marginally higher than MPs. However, even in the deepest fog beacons stand out. In my opinion the Chase Post under the inspired editorship of Mike Lockley was one such beacon. Its loss will be deeply felt by everyone here in Cannock Chase.

Even when publicity is good, bad and indifferent it is important that people have access to quality local news. The Chase Post has certainly provided this and should be commended for the fair and balanced way it has reported local news and the way it has always supported Cannock Chase and the people who live and work here.

This was true when as a Parliamentary Candidate Mike agreed to my suggestion that the paper organise, host and chair Cannock's first ever parliamentary debate with all the main MP candidates. Readers were able to write in with questions and for the first time local people could question all the candidates in a public forum.

Over 300 people attended on the night and asked questions that mattered to them. Many said in the bar afterwards that they had changed their vote on the basis of listening to the candidates' answers. This is politics at its best, and most real.

Since the election, the paper has been very supportive of my efforts to promote Cannock Chase and help get people back into work. I will be forever grateful for the fantastic support and promotion of my recent Jobs Fayres, which were all about helping and supporting local people get new jobs. We also must not forget the papers own job listings which I know have helped many people back into work.

I was also delighted when Mike gave me the opportunity to contribute a weekly column to the paper so that local people could keep informed about what I am doing for them in Westminster and Cannock Chase. I shall miss writing about my 'Week in Westminster' – not least because I know many readers felt it an original insight into the crazy world of the Westminster Village.

I think I speak for all readers in saying that the Chase Post will be sorely missed, and I for one know that my Saturday mornings will never be quite the same without Mike's 'lighter look at life' which I had the privilege of guest writing last Christmas. My best wishes go to Mike and all his professional staff at this difficult time. You have been an inspiration to us all.

Over the last week I have received a number of emails from constituents expressing their anxiety about the ongoing situation at Stafford Hospital A & E Department.

At the time of writing, Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust Board is due to meet on 10th November to make a decision on whether to authorise a temporary overnight closure (10pm to 8am) of the Accident and Emergency Department in order to deal with staffing shortages.

It is fair to say that the people of Cannock Chase deserve better healthcare than they have received over recent years. I am pleased to see that there have been big improvements at the Trust in the past year with one measure making it the best performing Trust in the West Midlands.

Whilst I accept the staffing problems the Trust have encountered, people here in Cannock Chase have already seen the removal of services from Cannock Hospital in recent years. I believe that closing the Accident and Emergency Department at Stafford Hospital, even for a temporary period, is a step too far and have made clear in an open letter to the Trust that they should delay any decision and instead continue to work together with the Department of Health and other relevant bodies to find an alternative solution.

The safety of local people in Cannock Chase is paramount in my role as your MP and it is my job to ensure that nothing is done to put your safety at risk. However, a closure would mean that some of you would have to make a 20 mile and 45 minute journey in order to find emergency healthcare. Ambulance services would be affected in the same way, more than doubling the time they take to get a person to hospital. A closure, I believe, would only serve to further damage the reputation at the Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust at a time when it should be doing all it can to rebuild trust with the local community.

We owe it to the local community to find a resolution to this problem without closing such a vital service, one that is literally a matter of life or death for my constituents.

Social housing is one of the main issues that local people come to my Help Zone and surgeries to talk to me about.

We all know that there is a chronic shortage of affordable housing in both Cannock Chase and the country as a whole.

One of the reasons for this is because too few houses have been built under governments of all colours, over a number of decades.

But there are a number of other reasons the social housing system is clogged up.

This week I got the opportunity to question the Housing Minister directly about one of these problems.

I find it scandalous that there are currently an estimated 6000 people in the UK living in council houses and paying subsidised rent, despite earning more than £100,000 a year. That's more than four times the average salary of local people here in Cannock Chase.

This strikes me as deeply unfair especially at a time where in Cannock Chase alone last week there were over 2,300 people listed on the Housing register, with 164 of these marked in Band 1 or 1 Plus - which is defined as those people who are either homeless or in the most serious housing need.

In response to my question the Housing Minister said he would take action to address this anomaly. In future he would ensure that people living in subsidised houses with a household income of more than £100,000 are either asked to leave or made to pay full market rate for their properties.

More importantly, I was pleased that the Minster made clear in his response that every penny of the money raised by this "Pay to Stay" scheme will go toward building more affordable housing for the most vulnerable people in our society.

Whist I accept that this alone will not solve our housing crisis, it is only right that our Government acts to deal with this small, but significant social injustice.

As a backbench MP, one of the ways you can raise an issue in the House is applying for an Adjournment Debate. An adjournment debate is simply a way in the Commons of having a general debate without requiring the House to vote.

It is a very powerful way of raising an issue because the debate is held in the Chamber, after the main business of the day has finished. There is a half-hour adjournment debate at the end of each day's sitting. MPs must apply to the Speakers Office and subject matters are varied. MPs are selected by ballot.

This week, I was lucky enough to be selected for an adjournment debate at 7pm on Wednesday. My topic was "Funding from the public purse of trade union officials."

It may surprise readers to know that there were 2,493 full time equivalent public sector employees working for trade unions at the taxpayers' expense in 2009-10.

More than £68 million of public money (taxpayers money to you and me) is spent a year on paying for public sector workers to carry out trade union jobs.

What I don't understand is why the tax payer is paying their salaries, and not the Unions, from their subs.

After all, if the unions can afford to pay 38 of their leaders six-figure salaries (Bob Crow, head of the RMT, now earns £145,000) and donate £13 million to the Labour Party last year, why is the taxpayer subsidising their activities across the public sector?

This of course comes at a time when national strikes over public sector cuts are looming. So the unions planning those strikes are effectively being bankrolled by the taxpayer.

Few would take issue with the unions working on behalf of their members in government departments and other public bodies - in their own time, or with union funding. But why are the public subsidising it?

My adjournment debate was an excellent opportunity to call for the end to this practice.

Last week we saw Parliament drag itself into the 21st Century when MPs rejected an amendment that would have banned us from accessing email, the internet and social media sites such as Twitter on our mobile devices in the Chamber. Parliament also used the opportunity to formally adopt a motion to allow the use of some silent electronic devices in the chamber which had previously only been tolerated informally (e.g. iPads)

For many people, their mobile devices are invaluable, enabling them to communicate instantly with friends and family. The same is true for MPs. Our Blackberrys and iPhones enable us to deal with constituency correspondence and respond to the people we represent in a timely and professional fashion.

Some colleagues had argued that by allowing the use of hand held electronic devices in the Chamber, we would somehow be bringing it into "disrepute". Whilst I fully recognise and appreciate the traditions of the House of Commons, I do not believe that banning the use of such devices is realistic in this digital age. Indeed, up until last week, the UK was one of only two countries in Europe who had banned MPs from tweeting during proceedings.

At present, MPs can use their phones in the Chamber, to text and check email. But technology moves on a pace – and how could the Sergeant at Arms discern whether an MP was checking an email or BBC News or Facebook, whilst a debate was in progress? When does a larger iPhone become and iPad? Is a HTC Evo or a Palm Pilot a phone or a PC?

Given the pace of technological change, far better that we adapt and adopt – whilst at all times respecting the Chamber for what it is, the debating cockpit of the nation. So whilst MPs can use their new devices, they cannot do it in a "disruptive" way, or use them to read speeches from. For me, this struck a sensible compromise between tradition and modernity.

Parliament returned this week after the traditional Party Conference season. There has been much debate as to whether such events are still necessary, but I for one welcome the opportunity three weeks away from Westminster brings to spend more time in the constituency.

My main focus during this recent recess was to organise and host Cannock Chase's first ever Jobs Fayres - one in Cannock, and one in Rugeley. Over 600 local people attended and over 360 CVs were handed out – which was great considering these were the first of their kind in the constituency.

When organising them, I felt that if we could help just one person find employment, then all the work would be worthwhile. So you can imagine my delight when Bluebird Care got in touch last week saying that they have already employed people as a direct result of meeting them at the Jobs Fayres – and are going on to interview even more. I hope this is just the beginning and that many more companies will follow suit.

In the last couple of weeks I have also had the privilege of visiting Cannock Chase High and the new Staffordshire University Academy, the latter of which will shortly be receiving £9.7 million of Government investment for improvements. Both schools should be very proud of what they have achieved over the last few years and I firmly believe that with the new freedoms that come with academy status, they will continue to go from strength to strength.

I completed my time in the constituency last week by hosting a very useful meeting with key stakeholders on the main issues affecting the Chase Line rail service, which I know is vital to many of my constituents. Among issues discussed included the proposed timetable changes by London Midland as well as potential future plans for electrification and line speed upgrades. It is vital that we have regular, fast services from Rugeley to Birmingham.

The atmosphere in the House this week has been surreal – unlike anything else I have experienced since becoming an MP.

The publication of the initial plans outlining the constituency boundaries for the next General Election has affected over three-quarters of sitting MPs.

As a result of the Parliamentary Voting and Constituencies Act, which recently passed through Parliament, the number of MPs at the next election will be reduced from 650 to 600, with each constituency required to have no fewer than 72,810 constituents. This will reduce the cost of Parliament by over £12 million a year and equal up the size of constituencies.

Some seats will disappear, and others divided out to neighbouring constituencies.

The independence of the Boundary Commission is shown by the fact that even the big beasts from across the political divide, such as George Osborne and Hilary Benn, have not been immune from change. The proposals have affected all three parties, with winners and losers on both sides of the House, representing seats right across the county.

So it was with great trepidation and excitement, reminiscent of queuing for exam results, that I left my office to go and collect the package containing the proposals for the West Midlands. The West Midlands is now to have 54 constituencies instead of the current 59.

I joined the back of the queue of MPs and staff snaking around Portcullis House, watching everyone come out with the A3 envelopes before manically tapping away on their phones communicating the results to others.

As it turned out, Cannock Chase was one of the seats that remained completely unchanged, as it already met the required quota given by the Boundary Commission to England.

This is democracy in action, and you can have your say by visiting the Boundary Commission website at www.consultation.boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk

Parliament has returned for two weeks, so arriving in Westminster after a summer in Cannock was a bit like going back to school for the first time after the summer holidays. I fought off the desire to buy a new pencil case, however part of me still had that same excitement – the old school building alive with the hustle and bustle of friends and colleagues again, a new term, new challenges and opportunities.

There are some serious issues being debated in this short fortnight; Libya, abortion, NHS reforms, terrorism. The abortion proposal in particular has generated a lot of media attention, although at the time of writing it is still not clear whether Mr Speaker will even call Nadine Dorries amendment to the Health and Social Care Bill – such are the ways of Westminster. My own view is that anything that reduces the abortion rate, which last year amounted to more than 200,000 terminations in England and Wales, should be seriously considered and debated.

Back in the constituency, I am still working hard with the team to organise our areas first ever Jobs Fayres – my attempt to put employers with jobs and local people together. The Cannock Jobs Fayre will be held on Friday 23rd September at the Cannock Campus of South Staffordshire College (The Green, Cannock, Staffs, WS11 1UE) and will be open to all local people (for free) from 10am-4pm.

The Rugeley Jobs Fayre will be held one week later on Friday 30th September at the Rugeley Rose Theatre, Taylors Lane, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 2AA and will also be open to all local people for free from 10am-4pm.

Employers who have already confirmed include Amazon, Tesco, The Army, NHS, Natwest, Finning CAT, Staffordshire Police and JCB. If you are looking for work, or know someone who is, then please do come along – this could be your opportunity to get that dream job!

The last couple of weeks have been dominated by the shocking allegations of wide spread phone hacking at the News of the World. This whole episode has shown Parliament at its best. Following Westminster's outrage, News Corp withdrew their bid for BSkyB. As we politicians represent the views of the public who elect us, I feel it is crucial that MPs can still influence such decisions. This was a victory for the people who decided that such a takeover in this situation would be wrong.

What happened at the News of the World was not only appalling and disgraceful but illegal. The very idea of a murder or terrorism victim having their voicemails listened to, and then deleted, giving their concerned families false hope that they were still alive, is simply disgusting. That is why I am pleased that the Prime Minister has announced plans for an Independent and Judge-led public inquiry into these matters.

I believe there are three principal issues which must be addressed by this inquiry. Firstly, the original police investigation and why it didn't go far enough. Secondly, the acceptance of cash payments by police officers from journalists in exchange for details of arrests and investigations. Thirdly, the relationship between politicians and the media.

David Cameron was right to say that leaders of all parties have been too close to the press and politicians must be transparent in their actions. For this reason, I am delighted to note that all meetings between Ministers and newspaper and other media proprietors, senior editors and executives will now be recorded.

And Ed Miliband was right to raise the issue of the size of the Murdoch Empire, and whether it is too big and powerful. However, when 70% of people get their news from the TV, and 73% of those people watch BBC News, perhaps the power and size of the BBC needs to be investigated as much as Sky.

Most people think that arranging meetings is a cinch – you pick up the telephone and there it is, done. If only it were that easy. Most official bodies have gatekeepers and firewalls that computer security experts could only dream of. Let's take, for example, the Panel looking into the future of our forests.

You can imagine that when the panel announced they were not planning to visit Cannock Chase in its latest round of visits, I was not best pleased, to say the least. My team immediately sprung into action and got in touch with the Panel. After several emails, voicemail messages and meeting requests, we finally, after a series of negotiations, were able to arrange a meeting in Westminster with the Deputy Head of the Secretariat. I am pleased to finally get the opportunity to represent the views of local people on the future of our great forest. During the meeting I will certainly be urging the Panel to look again at adding the Chase to its list of visits so that they can experience its beauty first hand.

On a different note, last Monday I attended the 'Every Disabled Child Matters: Breaking down barriers, making work pay for families of disabled children' reception hosted by my coalition colleague, Stephen Lloyd MP. In partnership with Family Fund, EDCM have produced an excellent report which examines some of the difficulties facing parents of disabled children trying to get into work. The report found that despite almost all parents of disabled children wanting a career, only a third are in employment.

During the reception we heard from a mother of a disabled child describing some of the challenges she faces juggling work and looking after her disabled son. One particular remark she made that resonated with the group was that "disability needs flexibility". I am sure that is a sentiment every parent would endorse whatever their own position might be.

"Surreal" is the best way to describe my Week in Westminster last week.

It all started when I met up with Staffordshire County Councillor Pat Corfield and Tourism Minister John Penrose MP to discuss and promote "Staffordshire Hoard on Tour" which began at the Shire Hall Gallery in Stafford on Saturday.

How can anyone forget the news in 2009 of the extraordinary hoard found by a metal detectorist on arable land in Hammerwich Parish, just a few miles from the Cathedral city of Lichfield. It was later recovered by archaeologists from Staffordshire County Council and Birmingham Archaeology. Following an intense campaign, enough money was raised to keep the hoard in the West Midlands Region providing a great boost for the local economy - and putting Staffordshire firmly on the map, not just in the UK but around the world.

Accompanying Councillor Corfield down to Westminster was a very friendly but scary looking Anglo-Saxon Warrior whose entry into the Parliamentary estate could best be described as problematic. The security guards on duty were somewhat surprised when, on enquiring if he had any sharp objects, he drew out a replica metre long sword!

He was also wearing full warrior uniform, including scabbard, tunic and helmet, and at over 6 ft tall it is fair to say he stood out from the usual crowd of politicians and tourists.

Later in the week I was delighted to welcome a group of students from Fair Oak Business and Enterprise College in Rugeley who had come down to Westminster in preparation for their study of AS level Government and Politics in September. Whilst they did not bring any swords, their questioning was very sharp and I was impressed by how motivated and enthusiastic they were. However, I was a little surprised that nearly all of them wanted to become lawyers – I think I'd rather they became Anglo-Saxon Warriors!

There is nothing more nerve-racking than seeing the Speaker look towards you during Prime Minister's Questions, indicating you are about to be called.

You can only try to hold your excitement in, go over your question in your mind and when the moment comes, just hope all the words come out in the right order!

Usually, in order to get the opportunity to ask the Prime Minister or Government Ministers a question, MPs have to put their names into a ballot. Names are then drawn at random, determining who may ask the questions and in what order.

However, having put my name forward in every ballot for Prime Minister's Questions since last May, and never being selected, I was beginning to think my time would never come. However, there is always the chance of 'catching the speaker's eye' and asking a question at random.

So I have started bobbing up and down purposefully at PMQs hoping that Mr Speaker can ignore me no longer. In fact, so successful has been my new approach, I have now got called to question the Prime Minister twice in four weeks!

Last week I asked David Cameron about welfare reform, which I know from speaking to local people is an area they want this Government to address. I was therefore delighted to get an assurance from the Prime Minister therefore that the Government would re-double its efforts to reform our welfare system, currently costing £190 billion per year (Defence is just £35 billion). Whilst we should always support those who genuinely need help, people who can work, should work. And the money saved can go to those truly in need. People should never be abandoned to a life on benefits and work should always pay. A job is about more than money; it's about self esteem, personal pride and meeting new people too.

Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart. That's why last week was a very special Week in Westminster – because it was the week I got engaged.

My long term girlfriend, Helen Boyle, thought she was coming in to the House on Tuesday evening to celebrate her 32nd birthday. I had managed down her expectations, telling her that there was a late vote on and I couldn't leave until 11pm. 'We can have some supper in the canteen' I told her, not exactly to great delight!

However, I had other plans, and after greeting her with flowers and presents on what was a beautifully sunny warm day, I told her I had a special surprise – a trip to the roof of the Palace of Westminster.

After climbing a little known spiral staircase, we scaled the dizzy heights out onto the roof – and enjoyed wonderful views across the capital's magnificent skyline, including Westminster Bridge and the London Eye. I then pulled out a bottle of champagne and two glasses, which I had carefully hidden amid the neo-gothic spires.

Having taken in both the view and a few sips of fizzy Dutch courage, I went down on one knee and popped the question. After a few giggles and, dear reader, it must be said a few tears from your MP, she said 'yes' – at which point Big Ben chimed 6.45pm.

It was a very special moment for us both. We spent an hour chatting and calling family and friends, before going out for a rather better meal than she was expecting.

The wedding is already being planned for next summer – in Helen's home village in Herefordshire. I am looking forward to that day immensely, if not exactly all the planning and preparation which friends tell me goes into it!

Thanks to everyone who has sent in such kind emails and messages. We are truly grateful to you all.

Westminster resumed last week, but not before I had the joy of attending the Rugeley Charter Fair for the second year running. It was difficult judging all the floats on show because the quality was so high and the costumes so varied – from Admiral Nelson and the Red Arrows to Dad's Army and Colonel Mustard!

It was wonderful to see such commitment to good causes from local people, and the turnout was incredible – even bigger than last year. It was also inspiring hearing stories from local people who were raising money for so many worthwhile causes.

One such story that springs to mind was that of a young lady who had got together with a few of her friends to wash cars for MacMillan Cancer Research after her father had recently been diagnosed with the disease. Rather than get down about such news, instead she got her friends together and set about raising funds to help combat the disease. That is the way these problems will be tackled – by positive people with a 'can-do' attitude. She is a tribute to our area and an inspiration to all young people.

So I pay tribute to everyone involved in the organisation of the Charter Fair and to all those who took part. It shows the very best of Cannock Chase and makes me immensely proud to be the local MP.

Upon returning to Westminster I had the privilege of meeting with a local constituent who had come down as part of the 'Tea time for Change' event organised by charities such as Oxfam and Action Aid.

The national lobby called on the government to increase efforts to combat global poverty. Rather like those in the Charter Fair raising money for people less fortunate than ourselves, I am proud to be part of a government that has put tackling poverty at the heart of its thinking. Despite the difficult economic situation we find ourselves in, we should never balance the books on the backs of the poor.

Israel may seem far removed from us here, but the Holy Land has been at the root of many of the major conflicts that this country has fought over the last 40 years. As such, it has touched families in Cannock Chase and across Staffordshire. My trip to Israel last week (privately funded at no cost to the taxpayer) was designed to help me and other MPs understand the tensions and difficulties that stand in the path of peace.

During our five day trip we went on a northern border tour, seeing the border between Israel and Lebanon, the Golan Heights and Syria, as well as Kerem Shalom, the aid crossing point to the troubled Gaza region. We visited the town of Sderot, which has been the target of Hamas rocket attacks, and even held real rockets which had landed in the back yard of the local police station.

Later in the week we met with Knesset members (the equivalent of MPs) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Palestinian Businessmen and politicians, and even had dinner with the British Ambassador in Tel Aviv. Finally we got to visit the old City of Jerusalem, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the famous 'Wailing Wall', at the foot of the Temple Mount.

Most movingly of all we visited Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial museum, which was an emotional and heartrending experience seeing the exhibits and hearing the stories of the Jews during the Second World War.

Seeing such ancient sites, which have been a destination for pilgrims and prayer for centuries, as well as understanding the modern political challenges stemming from the 1948 and 1967 wars, often led me to have more questions than answers. But it reminded me of the deep history of this troubled region, and how important it is for our generation of politicians to try and end the fighting through a "Two State" solution.