View From the House
Posted by Lee Scott, MP for Ilford North, at 13:29, Wed 20 October 2010:
As I write this article I have just returned from the successful Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. I found it to be a very enjoyable experience to be attending the gathering as a member of parliament for a governing party. It means that that you are discussing policies and plans that you have a real opportunity to enact and not the schemes of a relatively powerless opposition.
What I found particularly refreshing was the honesty and integrity of the ministerial speeches. There was a clear recognition of the severe difficulties facing our nation and the bold statements that hard choices will need to be made. This is a very clear break from the habit of the former New Labour government for who spin and deception seemed to be their political holy grail. The aim of our conference was not good media headlines but honest and open debate with a commitment to tell it like it is. The coalition government inherited from Labour a shattered economy, huge national debt, damaged public services and our communities plagued by social problems. These challenges will take time to fix and will require difficult decisions. Recognising this Conservatives and Liberal Democrats put aside their political differences to work together in the national interest. A first rate example of this is the very close cooperation between the Chancellor George Osborne and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander on the spending review.
Conference also gives an MP the opportunity to meet semi informally with interest groups, charities and industries. I met with Bombardier, the international transport group, who told me of their intention to make a further significant investment in Redbridge that will generate hundreds of new jobs directly and will support many more. I welcome the announcement that High Speed 2 has been approved. This will provide very fast train links to the midlands. In addition there are to be new trains for the cross channel route which opens up the potential of fast services to Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. This opens up real alternatives for travellers so they avoid air and road journeys.
Lee Scott MP
This article originally appeared in the Ilford Recorder
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