Westminster Week
Posted by Kitty Ussher, MP for Burnley, at 13:58, Fri 23 November 2007:
Dear Friend,
Last Friday I chaired a large public meeting in Padiham town hall organised by the local co-operative movement. I had agreed to do it because I am a strong supporter of the co-operative sector, whether its their retail arm or the wider mutual movement. I think it has an important role to play in our economy and goes to show that it is possible to make money while also being conscious of wider social and environmental goals.
The purpose of this meeting was to bring together members of the public with local community leaders and authorities to start a dialogue about priorities for the area, in the context of the co-op itself making available some funding (I hope!) for specific community projects. We had the police, the current mayor of Padiham and the government-funded regeneration organisation. Padiham Life, represented on the top platform along with a representative from the co-operative shop as well, and in the audience we had Borough councillor and former mayor, Andy Tatchell, as well as a number of other town councillors and local activists. So between us we probably had the right people to solve most local issues.
There were around a hundred people there and two main points to emerge were around anti-social behaviour and the local environment. People felt quite strongly that more should be done to reduce local crime levels and also that the standard of litter cleaning and recycling could be improved. There were also specific issues raised on prospects for the linear park on the old railway line in Padiham and a good conversation towards the end on the prospects for greater youth activities, whether funded by the co-operatives or others, in the area. I think all of us on the platform went away with a list of things we needed to get sorted out, so in that sense it was certainly a productive evening.
The following day, after my usual Saturday surgery, I went down to the Christmas fair at St Peter’s Church in the town centre. I enjoy this event, not least because it’s a good opportunity to stock up on second hand books and toys (and some excellent home-made treacle toffee) and to get in the festive spirit along the way. I’ll be taking some maternity leave early in the new year and have high hopes of catching up with some trashy reading before the baby arrives – lets hope it doesn’t come early!
I then went down to London a little earlier than normal to prepare for my first ever debate on a government Bill as a minister. The legislation in question was a little technical bill that sought to ratify the European Union agreement on its seven-year budget that was agreed in December 2005. Although the bill is only two clauses long (many others run to hundreds of clauses) it was certainly contentious with the anti-European forces in parliament attempting to use the opportunity to raise all sorts of wider issues. It was my job to respond to the debate on behalf of the government, which in practice meant I had to sit there for six hours listening to what people said, intervening where necessary during the course of the debate and then attempt to wrap things up at a quarter to ten at night when everyone is feeling a little bit raucous and up for a fight. It was slightly nerve-racking but we got there in the end and I have to say I feel much better having got it out of the way!
The European theme continues this week as I have to travel to Brussels on Thursday this week to fight for British interests around the European table when the priorities for next year’s European budgets are being agreed. It’s a fantastic experience and very interesting to see how different countries work to achieve their aims. The approach of this government is to engage with our European partners constructively and early in the process in an attempt to maximise our own national interest, as compared to the Conservative approach which seems to be far more about splendid isolation, that will just mean we cant achieve things that would actually be good for Britain.
All very interesting but I’ll be looking forward to coming back to Burnley when its all over.
Kind Regards,
Kitty Ussher MP
6 ways to contact Kitty Ussher MP
Write to: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA or 2 Victoria Street, Burnley BB11 1DD
Phone: 01282 450840
Fax: 01282 839623
By email: ussherk@parliament.uk
Web: www.kittyussher.com
In person: Come to the office or next surgeries are Friday 7th December - 3.30pm - 5.00pm Padiham Town Hall, Padiham and Saturday 8th December - 10.00am - 12.00am Byerden House Social Club, 191 Colne Road, Burnley
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