Witney Conservatives

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.