I've been away with my children for half-term, which was a lovely break from the 24/7 political world. Mind you, earthquakes in NZ and Gadaffi chaos in Libya makes it through on the Italian radios as well as on UK media, so we were not completely cut off from the continuing dramatic events taking place at the moment.
Whilst working my way through all those e-mails I had not looked at for a week, one had me sit up in my chair and think "would that really work?". So tell me what you think of this suggestion from a frustrated, middle-aged UK taxpayer.
Our suggestion for fixing Britain's economy.
Instead of giving billions of pounds to banks that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:
There are about 10 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them £1 million each severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:
1) They MUST retire. Ten million job openings - Unemployment fixed
2) They MUST buy a new British car. Ten million cars ordered - Car Industry fixed
3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage. Housing Crisis fixed
4) They MUST send their kids to school/college/university. Crime rate fixed
5) They MUST buy £100 WORTH of alcohol/tobacco a week. There's your money back in duty & tax
6) Instead of stuffing around with the carbon emissions trading scheme that makes us pay for the major polluters, tell the greedy so and so's to reduce their pollution emissions by 75% within 5 years or we shut them down. It can't get any easier than that!
Yours sincerely,
The Taxpayer.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Conservative Political Spokesman for North Northumberland, talks about her daily life as a political campaigner, mum and self employed businesswoman.
Monday, 28 February 2011
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
NO2AV campaigning
Where has the last month gone? It seems like only a few days ago that we were in Oldham campaigning with Kashif Ali. Since then my time seemsto have been taken up with a variety of campaigning issues, alongside professional client work for tax matters.. The dreaded 31st january deadline for paying our taxes to the Treasury. Is it any less painful to hand over hard earned money to the taxman now that he is a Conservative? Not really!
Beadnell Harbour:
The Beadnell issue of the long term future of fhe Harbour is rumbling on. I have been meeting with more residents who have concerns about the risks to the harbour of a planning application in process right now. It is heartening to see Big Society attitudes alive and kicking in our small community on the coast. For anyone who says they dont understand David Cameron's Big Society, come to northumberland and see the community spirit which IS the heart of the way DC wants to see our country work. Less central government, more local responsibility and practical leadership on the ground.
NO2AV Campaign:
I'm working with the national No2AV campaign as the north east regional co-ordinator (www.no2av.org). We have just a few weeks to get information out to the voters who will be responaible for potentially altering our electoral system for ever on 5th May. We have thousands of leaflets to get out across Durham, Northumberland, Newcastle, Sunderland and Teesside.
I believe that voting YES would lead to weaker governments which are led by minority parties acting as kingmakers. Coalitions make decisions based on smoked filled room meetings, not on the manifestos they fought on as individual parties. It is the voter who loses out most with this system.
Amble Braid:
I have been approached by residents from Amble who have concerns about the impact of the proposed supermarket plans on the village. It is too easy to avoid getting involved with local matters because someone will throw at me "you've taken sides". That is never the case, but I will always be there to listen to the concerns of any group of residents and help them to be heard by those whose role it is to make decisions on local matters. No-one should feel left out in the cold and without a voice.
Broadband for all?
The prospect of broadband becoming available to every household is a little bit closer. BDUK, the government's new body charged with ensuring that every household in Britain should have access to at least 2mB is now in existence. I have been in discussions with potential providers, consultants and many local rural communities about how this might actually roll out for Northumberland. I am hoping to meet with the new staff brought in to our County Council who are charged with putting out tenders for the work which will be needed.
I want to ensure that we get a cost-effective plan which ensures every rural community gets its broadband. We must not allow the urban areas to skew the data and pretend that almost everywhere by population is adequate. Each and every household is entitled to broadband and we must keep up the pressure until we get it.
Local constituency problems continue to cross my desk. No two issues are the same, but many are related to housing stock or lack thereof. Families struggling to find larger housing, elderly wanting to move to smaller and more urban base for access to services. The casework continues.
Beadnell Harbour:
The Beadnell issue of the long term future of fhe Harbour is rumbling on. I have been meeting with more residents who have concerns about the risks to the harbour of a planning application in process right now. It is heartening to see Big Society attitudes alive and kicking in our small community on the coast. For anyone who says they dont understand David Cameron's Big Society, come to northumberland and see the community spirit which IS the heart of the way DC wants to see our country work. Less central government, more local responsibility and practical leadership on the ground.
NO2AV Campaign:
I'm working with the national No2AV campaign as the north east regional co-ordinator (www.no2av.org). We have just a few weeks to get information out to the voters who will be responaible for potentially altering our electoral system for ever on 5th May. We have thousands of leaflets to get out across Durham, Northumberland, Newcastle, Sunderland and Teesside.
I believe that voting YES would lead to weaker governments which are led by minority parties acting as kingmakers. Coalitions make decisions based on smoked filled room meetings, not on the manifestos they fought on as individual parties. It is the voter who loses out most with this system.
Amble Braid:
I have been approached by residents from Amble who have concerns about the impact of the proposed supermarket plans on the village. It is too easy to avoid getting involved with local matters because someone will throw at me "you've taken sides". That is never the case, but I will always be there to listen to the concerns of any group of residents and help them to be heard by those whose role it is to make decisions on local matters. No-one should feel left out in the cold and without a voice.
Broadband for all?
The prospect of broadband becoming available to every household is a little bit closer. BDUK, the government's new body charged with ensuring that every household in Britain should have access to at least 2mB is now in existence. I have been in discussions with potential providers, consultants and many local rural communities about how this might actually roll out for Northumberland. I am hoping to meet with the new staff brought in to our County Council who are charged with putting out tenders for the work which will be needed.
I want to ensure that we get a cost-effective plan which ensures every rural community gets its broadband. We must not allow the urban areas to skew the data and pretend that almost everywhere by population is adequate. Each and every household is entitled to broadband and we must keep up the pressure until we get it.
Local constituency problems continue to cross my desk. No two issues are the same, but many are related to housing stock or lack thereof. Families struggling to find larger housing, elderly wanting to move to smaller and more urban base for access to services. The casework continues.
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