Witney Conservatives - Blog

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.