Witney Conservatives

The aim of this blog is to provide you with updates from David on his constituency days in Witney.

My day began in Chipping Norton to have a Q&A session with the local Probus Club at the Crown and Cushion. I answered many questions over the space of an hour, including about the economy, welfare reform, Barack Obama and the NHS.

I then ploughed my way through snow drifts to Carterton Community College to meet with local headteachers and RAF officials.

Witney was my next stop where I welcomed the new Chief Executive of Oxfordshire PCT, Sonia Mills and was interviewed by Witney Talking News which produces a weekly news tape for the visually impaired. This was followed by my surgery where I discussed, amongst other things, the haulage industry, the A415 and Newbridge, and gravel extraction.

A joint meeting with the Chief Executives of Age Concern Oxfordshire, the Oxfordshire Carers’ Forum and the local Alzheimers Society preceded my next engagement which was to present the Environment Agency’s Community Flood Hero Awards. This was a fantastic event where individuals and groups were recognized and applauded for their hard work and dedication towards flood alleviation and prevention. It was a lively event with a great atmosphere and it was an excellent way to pay tribute to people who have don so much for their communities.

As much of my own constituency is rural, I enjoyed meeting with the Chief Executive and Directors of the Woodland Trust just outside Kidlington on Friday. After a walk through mature woodland, I saw the new planting they have undertaken and discussed with them how we can protect and sustain our threatened woodland and countryside.

I then visited Combe CE Primary School, which was placed joint top of last year’s national primary league tables. Having joined in a class debate about whether Goldilocks was right to enter the house of the three bears and inspected the school vegetable patch, I joined the whole school at Assembly where we celebrated the new school buildings and I announced the winners of my annual Christmas card competition. There were some wonderful drawings and you can look at the top ten by clicking here.

It was over to Witney next to have brunch with the Witney Big Breakfast Club to celebrate their 5^th birthday. For those of you that don’t know, this is a great organisation set up to encourage links between local businesses. I launched it five years ago and I’m so pleased it is still thriving. It was great to chat with so many local entrepreneurs.

We have a new Team Rector in Witney, Revd Toby Wright, who I met after lunch and we had plenty to talk about. I then walked over to the Witney & District Museum who have a special Christmas display on at the moment. I would urge you all to visit – I certainly enjoyed looking at all the Christmases past in Witney and having a go at making sugar mice and peg dolls for my children.

A visit to the company E-Z-Rect followed this where they are producing storage lockers for the fold-up bicycles, Brompton Bikes. This is a truly innovative project and I wish them well with their aspirations to incorporate them into the 2012 Olympic complex.

I then hosted my advice surgery where people came to talk to me about subjects as diverse as allotments in Carterton, the A415 and the political system in Jersey. My last job of the day was to switch on the Witney lights which I very much enjoyed as usual! I also managed to look around most of the stalls, including enjoying some hot chestnuts and buying some Fair Trade produce. Many congratulations to all those who worked so hard to organise such a wonderful evening.

I was joined by a very special guest on my constituency day this week. Her Excellency Madame Fu Ying, Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, came to see exactly what MPs do when in their constituencies.

My day started at Kingham Hill School where the Ambassador and I held a Question & Answer session with Sixth-Formers followed by the opening of two new day houses. Here, the Ambassador very generously offered a fantastic opportunity to one student at Kingham – a year-long scholarship to China. I am sure that many students will be clamouring to take up this wonderful opportunity.

We then travelled the short distance to Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School in Chipping Norton to talk with author and well-known restaurateur, Prue Leith, about the healthy eating the School Food Trust promote at lunchtime and in the classroom. We had a tour of the school and talked to the children about good food and then sampled some of it ourselves which was delicious.

Following this, the Ambassador was taken on a tour of West Oxfordshire which included the Woodstock Museum. I also held my advice surgery in Chipping Norton. Here I met with constituents who wanted to discuss, amongst other things, the postal strike and modernisation of Royal Mail, the future of children’s cardiac services in Oxfordshire, compensation for wounded soldiers and disability sport provision for young people in the area.

Blenheim Palace was next on the agenda where I met up again with the Ambassador to present the Duke of Marlborough and his team with a well-deserved Visit England environmental award. We also had a short tour and planted a young oak tree in the grounds, albeit rather hastily in the rain and gales…

The Ambassador then returned to London as I made my way back to Chipping Norton to hold a “drop-in” meeting for my constituents where some of the issues I discussed were the problems facing new entrepreneurs, climate change, Zimbabwe and Incapacity Benefit.

My final stop was in Chadlington. My local school there is currently fundraising for some new buildings so I made my way to the village church to have a “Conversation with Jane Moore”, author and journalist, who interviewed me in front of about 100 people. Jane questioned me on a whole range of topics, from Europe to Afghanistan, and from my relationship with Samantha to whether I knew what the temperature setting was on the washing machine for delicates - which I fortunately got right!

One of the great things about my constituency days is that I speak with lots of people about issues – both national and local – they are concerned about. I think one of the most important jobs of an MP is to listen to their constituents’ concerns.

I began my day with a surgery in Woodstock where I discussed among other issues our local police force, our local economy and the protection of teachers against malicious complaints.

I then joined the Probus Club of Charlbury as their Guest Speaker where the members and their guests raised concerns which included our local roads, my proposals for all women shortlists, support for older people and stealth taxes.

Opening the new National Farmers’ Union office in Witney was next on the agenda. After cutting the ribbon I then had an invaluable opportunity to discuss local farming maters with local members. Farming and rural life is a big part of West Oxfordshire: we have some of the most beautiful countryside in England but need to recognise that a healthy farming industry is essential for its future.

Following this, several home educator parents came to see me at my office in Witney and discuss their serious concerns about potential changes to home education regulations. I am deeply committed to respecting individual choice and there are many reasons, some very personal, which may incline families to opt for home education. Then I had to dash across the road to visit Base 33 and film an interview for Songs of Praise which will come from Witney and be broadcast on BBC1 on Sunday 13 November.

A car ride up to Chipping Norton was next as I met with the local Amnesty International Group to talk about Afghanistan, asylum seekers, the Middle East and the Human Rights Act. As always their meetings were thought provoking and very interesting.

Then it was off to Broadwell to meet with Parish Chairmen in the Alvescot and Filkins area where they raised with me issues of their local concerns over a glass of wine.

Finally, my day ended by speaking on the importance of rural churches in the community at a fundraiser for my local church in Spelsbury. It was a great evening, successfully raised funds (over 30k!) and, I hope, was enjoyed by one and all.

An advice surgery in Charlbury was where I began my constituency day this week. Here, I talked with constituents about various issues affecting them which included how the recession is affecting our local businesses, healthcare and proper wheelchair provision for children nationwide.

After lunch I headed to the Woodstock Literary Festival. About 200 people attended St Mary Magdalene Church, Woodstock, to see me in conversation with Professor Vernon Bogdanor, my former tutor at Brasenose College, Oxford. During this informal interview I was asked about which books had inspired me politically. I mentioned a couple of political books that have particularly influenced me that were actually written by Labour supporters – one is 1984 and all the writings of George Orwell. I was also asked questions by members of the audience which gave me the opportunity to talk about the scale of the political challenge that we face.

BBC Oxford was my next destination where a phone in was set up so that I could take pressing questions from listeners across Oxfordshire.

I spent the day in West Oxfordshire on constituency engagements and what a jam packed and enjoyable day it was. One of the things I love most about being an MP is the variety of different things I do and the people I meet on a constituency day.

After Eynsham I headed to Shipton-under-Wychwood to see the new facilities at the flour miller FWP Matthews. Here my baking expertise were further improved as the resident baker taught me how to roll out a French baguette from dough using the delicious flour milled at FWP Matthews. I also met with people from the National Association of British and Irish Millers and we discussed the issues flour millers face in trying to provide us with high quality and efficiently produced food.

Next stop was Long Hanborough where approximately 300 people from small and medium sized business (SMEs) had gathered to have a networking lunch. I spoke to them about the vitally important role SMEs have to play in getting our economy back on track and sustaining it. Events like this play such an important part in my job as I get to hear the many views of people who have small businesses and who are, essentially, the experts.

In Standlake I paid a visit to J S Fraser Ltd, a family business which specialises in Outside Broadcasting, motor sport and commercial vehicles. Here I met with the work force and saw for myself the great work that they do. Next stop was back to Witney to visit another local business, Everyman Legal Ltd, which is about to embark on a national expansion and has the ambition of putting legal services back on to the country's high streets.

In Witney, one of my regular advice surgeries was next on the agenda. Here, constituents came to talk to me about a range of issues from healthcare and education to the vexed and difficult issue of "donor conception" and whether people who donate sperm to fertility clinics should have the right to anonymity. Then I headed further into the town centre to the Methodist Church to open West Oxfordshire St John's Ambulance new unit.

The last stop of the day was to the Witney Supper Club where I got to meet a whole host of different people and talk to them about the political situation and the size of the challenge we face in terms of the UK budget deficit.

On Saturday morning I joined several "riders and striders" at St Nicholas's Church at Chadlington, collected my sponsor form, stuck on my badge and then set off. I visited the tiny yet beautiful church at Shorthampton, five churches and then went on to Spelsbury before getting back home. This national annual event raises money for the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust which helps with grants to repair and restore the churches of Oxfordshire.

Days spent in my constituency are always my favourite and 3rd July was no exception. An early start paved the way for a long but interesting Friday.

I first of all met about 30 local farmers at an arable farm near Swinbrook. As so many people in West Oxfordshire know, our countryside is having a pretty tough time of it at the moment and I am keen to help in anyway I can (see my party's new Rural Action campaign). However, it is the local aspect that really matters and we discussed many aspects of farming including Bovine TB, the plight of honey bees, and the serious problems they face today in term of honest food labelling.

Next stop was to the Methodist Church in Burford where I held one of my regular advice surgeries and I consider it as one of my most important jobs as an MP. People with so many difficult problems come for help, advice or just to talk and I try my best to give the personal help they deserve. Then in a delightful garden, I met many local constituents for an informal lunch in Burford at a Conservative Party branch reception.

After Burford I headed to Witney to open the new Witney Resource Centre - a health and wellbeing centre for older people and young people with learning disabilities or mental health needs. Here I met with the clients and staff as we took a tour around this invaluable new centre. It is places like this that are priceless assets to our community.

In Carterton I held an informal "drop in" meeting at the new Community Centre where I spoke with more local constituents about various local, pressing issues that are affecting us in West Oxfordshire. These included concerns about our roads, the provision of cycle paths and public transport.

The last stop of the day was to Banbury where I opened the new extension of Katherine House Hospice. Katherine House in Banbury is regularly used by residents of West Oxfordshire and I wanted to show my great appreciation for all the hard work they do for us by thanking the staff in person.