The Deal

Let's be honest, it does feel strange to wake up this morning with a Conservative Government in coalition with Liberal Democrats. I've never voted Conservative and I guess the same applies to many of our councillors, activists and supporters.
How did we get to this point?

British politics has changed. The old two party system is broken beyond repair, our society is now too subtle to allow everything to be seen as US - or THEM. This was how Margaret Thatcher saw Britain and I, among others, rejected this vision.
The consequence of this change is that we move into an era of coalitions and this has given our party some difficult choices.
Let's look at the problems thrown up by a possible coalition with Labour:

1. The two parties could not command a majority. They would need the support of nationalist parties who would be able to hold the coalition to ransom and ensure that their individual  countries got the best of every deal. Nothing wrong with that from their point of view but it wouldn't make for a stable government.
2. The Prime Minister would have been an unknown quantity and we would have had a temporary leader over the next 8 weeks or so.
3. The Prime Minister would not have been tested by the debate process.
4. It would be a coalition between the two parties that lost seats in the election
5. Finally, and most important, Labour didn't want it. This became increasingly apparent as talks went on. There were various reasons for this but it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that they know what is needed to heal our economy and would rather not be part of it.

That leaves us with the choice of staying on the sidelines, allowing the formation of a minority Conservative government, or a coalition.

We've chosen a coalition because this gives us the best chance of achieving a substantial part of our manifesto commitments - upon which our Liberal Democrat MP's were elected.

This is going to be the real test. Not how many MP's we have in government, but what we can achieve for the people of Britain. Details will emerge over the next few days and I would just ask everyone to focus on these rather than the personalities.

Lots of challenges and probably tears before bedtime, but it's difficult to see a better way forward.

Result

The result was as follows:

Rory Stewart                        24,071
Peter Thornton                     12,830
Barbara Cannon                     5,834
John Stanyer (UKIPP)              1,259
Chris Davidson (BNP)              1,093

Congratulations to Rory Stewart at being elected as our new MP.

Writing this on Monday morning (after a weekend off!) it's with mixed emotions. Our result was actually quite good in the national context. We increased our share of the vote against a campaign which had visits from both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the opposition. The Conservative campaign was extremely well funded and Rory Stewart had a great deal of press coverage but nevertheless we bucked the national trend.

The really great news was the re-election of Tim Farron after a ferocious campaign to overturn his majority of only 267. His new majority of 12,264 is amazing and is of course a larger majority than the Conservative one in Penrith and The Border.

I'd like to thank all voters who supported us. Your good wishes, personally and by email, have been greatly appreciated. Your votes weren't wasted, they are a springboard for the future!

And now, it's back to being your County Councillor for Kirkby Stephen and District Councillor for Whinfell, two of the best jobs in the world!

Keep in touch

Peter

The Poll of Polls

7am, and the polls are open!

One day free of commentators and opinion polls. One day in which you, the voters, are very firmly in the driving seat.

One day in which you can begin to change politics in our country.

Over to you.

30 hours (or so) to go

Just watched my last edition of Newsnight before the election (won't have time tomorrow night) and am sitting here thinking about the next couple of days.

I'm thinking about conversations over the past few days:

The elderly farmer whose decided to vote Liberal Democrat for the first time in his life. Because he likes our policies, because he wants to back the local man and because he is so impressed with what my colleague Tim Farron has achieved in neighbouring Westmorland.

The charity worker who has seen Liberal Democrats working locally and not just talking about what they are going to do in the future. The person who saw our Councillors on the Penrith litter pick and asked where the other parties were. The Newton Rigg student who marched with us and noticed that the other parties were there for the photographs but didn't march the 2 miles to the college.

Our deliverers, who have hand delivered over 40,000 leaflets and newspapers and who have carried on when we've asked the impossible. They have an inner belief in our cause and have carried on when they felt like putting their feet up and taking the evening off. They have so many stories to tell, and, after the election I'll have time to take them all in.

The lady whose husband was a crew member on our nuclear V force, in the 60's. We shared memories of those times - when I was an air cadet being shown around the Vulcan bombers at RAF Cottesmore and her husband was flying in Victors. She told me about the Cuban crisis and about when her husband had admitted that in the event of a "real" mission none of the crew expected to return. I told her of the time that I sat in on a pilots briefing as they planned which city would be obliterated that night. And I thought of what can happen when it all goes wrong and 1p on income tax becomes totally irrelevant as our world disappears in a atomic cloud.

The young couple in Pooley Bridge who have no hope of buying a house at market value and have no chance of renting anything on a year round tennancy. They were thinking of voting for the first time ever because they recognise that this election is different and that there's a real chance of change in Penrith and The Border.

And, what about the star of the election - Nick Clegg? Well, we knew him before he was famous!
I remember him standing in our farmyard sharing a mug of tea with local farmers, listening to their concerns. He listened, then he acted, appointing Tim Farron as DEFRA spokesman. Nick launched our Rural Manifesto a few days ago and some of it's content went right back to that conversation in our yard.

The Nick Clegg that you see on television is new to many viewers, but to us he's the same Nick as has been up here on many occasions - the genuine article!

Finally, the conversations with my family as two very different futures lie ahead - to be decided on Thursday - by you, the voter. The plans about how we would organise our lives in order to serve this great constituency. The recognition that our lives may never be the same again and the realisation that Penrith and The Border could experience a fundamental change in it's political landscape, as Westmorland and Lonsdale has in the past 5 years.

We'll know soon enough, and now it's time to get some sleep ready for an early start.

7 Days to go now!

Just 7 days to go until polling day. A whole week before we can all slump in a chair and relax - or more accurately until all of us except one can relax. One of us will be the Parlamentary representative  for the largest constituency in England and will have a huge responsibility.
They will be pitchforked into Westminster and will spend a week or so finding the right doors to open, both literally and figuratively. It will be easy to become absorbed into the glamour of the Westminster machine and to forget the people who sent them there. This is why it's so important to choose someone who is rooted in our area. Someone who cannot disappear into the machine and whose friends, colleagues and family will constantly remind them why they are there.
(Regular readers of this blog will realise that we seem to have lost a day somewhere, don't worry - it's in there somewhere!)

10 days / Sixth formers set the example

Question time today, at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School.
This election started with everyone expecting it to be the cynical election with "difficulties on the doorstep".
It's been anything but, it's become the "Peoples Election" with a real concentration on issues and policies. One of the most encouraging, and challenging, sessions was yesterday with the 6th formers at QUEGS in Penrith. Politicians find that their vision tends to become narrowed by the pressure of needing to the continually elected and we sometimes forget that politics should be about a vision as well as the process. The 6th formers reminded us of that, with a range of perceptive questions.
Later that night I had a late session catching up on emails and quite by co-incidence emailed a reply to a young man who turned out to have been at the afternoons question time. An interesting reminder that although this is the largest constituency in England it's still possible to make these connections.
And to wind down, we caught up on some "telly" watching last weeks edition of "Have I Got News for You". This was a BD edition (Before Debate) and it was like watching something from a couple of years ago, so out of tune were the opinions about the election. Everything really has changed!

And finally......

Here's a last picture from Sunday, just to remind me of why I'm currently working almost 20 hours a day to represent this part of Cumbria.

A Triumph in Pooley Bridge!

Saw this bike in Pooley Bridge. It's the Triumph Rocket 3 and I love it!
I love it because it has a three cylinder engine of over 2 litres. I love it because it has lots of chrome. But most of all I love it because it represents a company that fought back against foreign competition and has carved out a place in the world as a supplier of unique motorcycles.
Our motorcycle industry was all but wiped out by the Japanese motorcycles of the 60's and 70's. Only Triumph survives as a major manufacturer and it survives because of the vision and determination of one man. A property developer called John Bloor who had a vision and quietly developed it into a company capable of producing the Rocket 3 motorcycle.
There are so many fields in which we have given up as manufacturers. I used to run photo processing businesses. When I started in the 70's it was possible to equip a laboratory with British equipment. After the Conservative government of the 80's and 90's, they were all gone and everything had to be sourced from outside the UK - mainly from Japan. Again, it's a legacy you need to remember when it's time to cast your vote.
But back to Triumph, why did it survive and become the success it is today? Two things, a vision for what could be and the supply of enough capital to make it happen. In Triumphs case the capital came from another successful business, but this is not always possible. It comes back to the banks, their role in our recent collapse and the role that they should be playing in the future recovery.

11 days / Pooley Bridge and Ullswater

When we think of Penrith and The Border, it's easy to forget that it includes part of the Lake District and Ullswater, one of the finest of the lakes. Today we visited the Pooley Bridge farmers market. I know many of the stallholders, being a member of Made In Cumbria. They vary from very small businesses, essentially selling home baking, to small businesses with well developed products and exquisite packaging. I had a fascinating conversation with Jenny who has two hives of bees and is ambitious for more. Jenny's problem is finding land which is near enough to a good supply of flowers. I'm sure she'll succeed.
Jenny's challenge is the high price of land, which bears little relationship to the income that can be generated from it. She could rent land but beekeeping is a long term project and she'd be faced with the possibility of spending years planting wildflowers with no real security of tenure.

 Whilst in Pooley Bridge we met a young couple, both with steady and essential local employment. Their joint earnings qualified them for a mortgage of around £100,000. Anyone who knows the area will appreciate that there is absolutely no chance of buying anything for this amount.
I then saw the headline in the picture above. (The Clegg story is a piece of nonsense about the Elgin marbles) The sub heading says "Latest figures reveal good news across UK" Good news for who exactly?
Certainly not good news for the young couple in Pooley Bridge. Is it good news for the retired community who are now richer on paper and whose estate will be that much larger when they pass on?
Or is it good news for those who need to borrow against their homes, which you may remember is partly what got us all into the mess that the world economy is currently in.
We then went around some of the villages in the area where we say little clusters of former council houses - all sold off into the private sector and all now well out of reach of the local workers who they were built to house. And why were they sold off? Because Margaret Thatcher wanted to create Conservative voters.
It was these publicly owned houses that formerly stabilised the market in these places. Without the anchor that they provided, we have witnessed the price rises that have put even the small basic homes well out of reach. Remember this legacy when you decide which way to vote at this election.

12 days / Penrith, Brampton, Longtown and Penrith.

Began the day in Penrith, helping out at the Penrith litter pick. Encountered a slightly bizarre situation when the Conservative Leader of Eden District Council refused to let me use one of their litter grabbers because I was wearing my party rosette! Fortunately I was able to use my hands (!) and we filled the best part of a bag from the bus station area. Good job that several Lib Dems turned up as I didn't spot a single councillor from the other parties.
Then on to Brampton's Energy Fair. A fascinating event with a series of vendors all providing information on micro generation systems. Much to think about, can I really do without my oil tank - costing ever more at each refill. Yes I can, according to the brochures I have carried home.

Manifesto

Our website now has a link to the Liberal Democrat manifesto. It's very readable and will lead readers to the section to answer your queries as to our policies and intentions. Please continue to email me about local issues and I'll try to respond as soon as possible.

A very interesting conversation

"Will you be voting at this election"?
"I don't normally vote, but I will be this time"

The expectation was that this election would have a low turnout as a result of disillusionment after the expenses scandal. The reality seems to be that the voting public are engaged in a way that they haven't been for a number of years. What will this do to the result? No-one knows, and it's just one more factor to allow for in this incredibly fascinating election.

13 days / Questions, and Answers

Lots of emails coming in at the moment. Some from lobbying groups, some from national organisations and some personal emails from people living in Penrith and The Border. It's these latter ones that take priority, but they all need an answer. It really could be a full time job just dealing with these and I'm looking for ways of making it possible to streamline things at this end. I've decided to beef up our website with a few extra features in order to answer some of the many questions coming in. I'm doing that this evening, so come back to the website tomorrow and see what you think.

17 days/ Morland

A wonderful day today! Hazel and I went round a long list of lovely villages including Morland.
It really is one of the most charming places in the whole of Cumbria. I may be biased as our family legend says that we used to own a mill there! Certainly I felt the tug of history as I looked down at the mill stream on this most beautiful afternoon.

18 days/Campaigning in Longtown

Campaigning in Longtown yesterday it was plain to see that the debate really had changed perceptions. Voters are energized by the prospect of an alternative to the other two tired old party's. 'Dave' did not impress and the voters of Longtown struggle to see what the Conservatives have to offer. 

It's clear that we are now seen as a real threat. Watch out as both the other parties turn their fire onto the Liberal Democrats! I am looking forward to this coming week. On Tuesday we launch our rural manifesto at Kirkby Stephen Auction Mart. This will establish that the Liberal Democrats are the party of the countryside.

19 Days / Lib Dems lead in Polls

There are some headlines that we have waited a long time to write. Lib Dems Lead in Polls - that's one that the other two parties didn't think they'd see in this election.

LIB DEMS LEAD IN POLLS

I think we'll have it again!

So, what happened? The size of the swing isn't going to surprise anyone whose been on the doorstep in this election. There's a huge tranche of undecided voters out there. What's going to surprise the other parties is that the undecided haven't just trotted meekly back into the fold. The big two spend an enormous amount of time polishing messages and talking to add agencies about  presentation and sometimes you'll hear them taking about selling politics as if it were a bar of soap. But the reality is that the public are not stupid and at last they have had the opportunity to compare the products on the same shelf.

Three weeks is a long time in politics and who knows what will happen next. But the game has changed - perhaps for ever.

20 Days/ The Rural Manifesto

I 

In Milnthorpe this morning to be with Tim Farron for the launch of the farming section of our Rural Manifesto.

Living in Longsleddale, and having a smallholding, I know that the life of a hill farmer is a hard one. Many farmers work well over 100 hours a week and some actually work three times the normal week of 37 hours. They never complain about this, it really is a way of life. The problem comes when they find that they are not getting a fair price for their produce and that they are expected to spend hours on unproductive paperwork. I'm just in the middle of a battle with the Rural Payments Agency who are turning what should be a simple job into a long saga. The fact is that an average single payment claim costs almost £2,000 to administer. That's money that could be in the farmers pocket - which is where it's supposed to be. Instead it's being used to employ a small army of administrators (who I've always found to be polite, helpful and efficient) to administer a hopelessly complicated system of subsidy.

The real beneficiaries of British hill farming are the supermarkets who have a supply of high quality British food at less than the true cost of production.

The Rural Manifesto seeks to simplify and streamline the Single Payment system and also to regulate the supermarkets power to control the prices paid to farmers.

21 days/ Hesket Newmarket Brewery

Being a parliamentary candidate gives one great privileges and opportunities. This includes visiting local breweries. Hesket NewMarket Brewery has a very special place in my heart. I helped organise Tim Farron's 2005 campaign in Westmorland and Lonsdale and we celebrated Tim's victory with two barrels of their excellent beer. If we win this one we might have to order an extra barrel!     

  

23 days/ an evening in Alston

Late afternoon and evening was spent in the unique Cumbrian mountain village of Alston. The biggest issue here is transport. If you look at the sign on the picture you'll see that Alston relates to the north east as well as Cumbria. Alston is quite simply a long way away from anywhere else which gives it a unique character and means that issues of rural isolation, important in the rest of Cumbria, are even more relevant to this town. It was difficult to deliver our newspaper in Alston as everyone was so friendly and wanted to chat! We were even invited into a cafe, fed and watered, and not allowed to pay! Question Time was both interesting and challenging with a good selection of questions relevant to life in Alston. All in all, this is somewhere I could happily have spent the last three weeks and will certainly return after the election, hopefully as MP.

    




 
 

24 days/ A sunny day in Penrith

Lovely sunny day today. We spent most of it canvassing and delivering around Penrith whilst hearing rumours of other candidates in Kirkby Stephen! Whilst on our travels we saw this beautiful 1940s Harley Davidson which we simply have to share with you. I am now off to Kirkby Stephen for Question Time, with Churches Together.   

25 days/Big Breakfast

Sunday morning, started the day at Long Marton with a Big Breakfast in aid of the village hall. It's just a shame we can't go back to the "cafe" everyday. 

It's a great village hall, being restored by local people. Every village needs a church, a hall and a pub. Long Marton has all three and long may it continue!   

26days/ Orton Farmers Market number 99

Today was Orton's 99th farmers market. I spoke to Steve Dunning and asked if I could have an invite to the festivities at next months 100th market. Steve agreed that it was appropriate for either or both the MP and County Councillor to attend so that seems to have it covered!
There was an event in the church at which I spent some time looking at an exhibit about a hostel in Uganda. I found this fascinating especially when I learned that Orton has links with the hostel and raises a significant amount of money in its support. I was in Uganda a few years ago and found it a country full of both hope and sadness. Some would ask why we are helping the homeless in Africa whilst we have homeless in Penrith and I know that many voters believe that this kind of charity belongs at home. I have to disagree.
Perhaps it's because I grew up in St Thomas's Church in Kendal, a church whose vicar - the Revd Herbert Clayton - was a former missionary from Uganda. He had retired by the time I started to attend Sunday School but two of his daughters were faithful members of the church and I was aware of the links to Uganda.
After Orton, we went to Bampton Church which was hosting an exhibition of local arts and crafts. I think I expected hand knitted jumpers and a "farm in a biscuit tin lid" but we found some superb work by local artists and craftsmen. I commented that none of it would have been out of place in Harrod's!
I had an interesting conversation with a lady who had strong views on Europe (this happens quite a lot!) and then discovered that her daughter was the renowned novelist Sarah Hall. I have her first book "Haweswater" - one of the best books I have ever read and probably the best novel ever written about this area, an admittedly small field. I shall re read it as a way of winding down from each days campaigning.
All in all, an inspiring and a humbling day. It would be an incredible privilege to represent these people and to attempt to rebuild the trust between our communities and their politicians.

27 days/ Sad news

Sad news today as we learn that Jim Buchanan has died. Jim was the Conservative leader of Cumbria County Council until he stepped down just a week or so ago upon learning that he had cancer.
Clearly we had different viewpoints and we used to clash in the Council chamber. Most councillors look upon themselves as colleagues whatever the party and Jim and I would always make a point of chatting afterwards. Politics is always easier if you look after the relationships between parties and I know that the House of Commons runs on the same lines.
But in the end, Jim's family have lost someone very dear to them and my thoughts are with them today.

28 Days/ Langtoon Auction Mart

Longtown (or Langtoon if you're local) auction mart is one of the busiest in Cumbria, although much of its trade comes from over the border in Scotland. Auction marts are fascinating places and you can always have a good craic with the locals. They are the meeting place for the local farming community and the nearest thing we have to a far eastern bazaar.
They also have great cafes !
All the farmers tell the same story. Rising costs whilst the price paid for their produce is kept low by the power of the supermarkets. I used to sell sheep at Kendal mart and I can remember times when there were just 2 buyers there, representing large supermarket chains. We need to sort this one out and my colleague Tim Farron (Lib Dem DEFRA spokesman) is looking at proposals to tackle the issue.
Talking to farmers at the mart, I got the impression that they no longer see the Tory party as the party that understands farming. Tim has done a great job in Westmorland and Lib Dems are becoming recognised as the country party whilst the Labservatives are increasingly seen as representing the Islington set.

29 Days to Election Day

29 days to election day - I'm starting with a picture of my family - just to remind me who they are! I'm not going to be spending much time here at home as the bookings pour in and every minute gets taken with appointments.
We have just put our newspaper to bed, it's being printed tonight and we'll start delivering on Friday.
Great time canvassing last night, I met an 86 year old lady who has seen it all. And finally she's come to the conclusion that Labour and the Tories have come to the end of the road and she's going to vote Liberal - just like her parents used to.

Ready for the off!

Well that's it then! The election is on May 6th - Official!

It's funny but I recognise the feeling I'm getting, it's a little like starting a race on the Isle of Man TT course. Picture shows my classic 350cc Ducati just about to set of on a 4 lap race (about 150 miles) I think I averaged about 84mph on this one.

Your heart is beating at a high rate and you're aware that not everyone finishes the race. Some break down and some unfortunately crash. You think of all the things that you meant to do before the off and didn't quite manage to get round to.

And then the flag drops and your whole world is a blur for the next hour and a half.

At the end, it's time to collapse by the beer tent and then go and get the results to see where you finished.

Bit like an election really!

All aboard for the Election!

I've just spent the last 2 days helping at the Kirkby Stephen/Brough Classic Vehicle Rally. It's a fantastic event organised by classic vehicle enthusiasts led by Will Hamer of Cumbria Classic Coaches. Will and his family own 6 classic buses which are used on both scheduled services and private hire.
The sight, sound and even the smell of these vehicles brings back so many memories that I have spent the whole weekend wrapped up in the past!
But now to the future, and all eyes are on Gordon to watch his movements on Tuesday. I'm just preparing a publication for print and am hovering over the May 6th date - ready to change it if necessary!

Do you remember the books of Alf Wight?

No? Then how about James Herriot - Alf's pen name. There can be few people over 40 who don't remember either the books or the tv series. James had a habit of stopping his car and taking time out to pause and look at his working environment. James was an "offcomer" to Yorkshire and like many such visitors he appreciated the Dales in a different way to the locals. He would see majesty where the farmer would sometimes see difficulty. He would see beauty where they would see problems.

Those of us who were born here do appreciate the wonderful setting in which we live, but perhaps we should take more time to stop the car and take a while to look at our heritage.

This was a Saturday morning a week or so ago, on the way to Appleby to present our Newton Rigg petition. It's probably the last Winter picture of this blog - I can feel Spring in the air and I'm looking out of my window expecting the first lambs very shortly.

Angel Lane Chippie

Visiting local chip shops is a  necessary part of the campaign! We had a very nice chip buttie and pot of tea in the upstairs cafe.

The picture shows Dan Harding with his award for being named the "Young Fish Fryer of the Year". My family had fish and chip shops on both my mother and fathers side so I think I have a little bit of chip fat in the blood and can only admire Dan for his achievement. Just writing this is making me hungry, I can feel another visit coming on!

Appleby

Great day in Appleby on Saturday. Wonderful support for the petition which now has over 2000 signatures!
Spent the day with Andy Connell a local history teacher who has written several booklets about the history of Liberalism in the area. We were talking about Leif Jones who was elected in 1906 with a majority of 3. Fascinating stories and the day flew by. We then did some canvassing, again with a very positive response.

Launching the Petition!

Well! What a great day! We expected support for the petition but it really was overwhelming. Almost everyone who stopped in the streets of Penrith had a tale to tell about their or their families involvement with Newton Rigg. We're now heading towards 500 signatures in just a couple of days.
We were so busy that we forgot to take a photograph, this one is taken later in the day at Brougham Hall and is of our helpers.
Latest news is that the University are considering selling the farms at Newton Rigg. This really would be a backward step and would be a further disconnection from it's heritage. Please take time to read the comments below the petition form. Go back and read the latest ones, even if you've already signed, there's some very perceptive views being expressed.

Newton Rigg

Today, we are launching our Petition to Save Newton Rigg. We really must make sure that this unique campus is not either downgraded or closed. There is so much there that is special and unique.

More on this later, but for now - please sign our online petition to be found here Petition

Canvassing in Lazonby

There's a downside to canvassing in Penrith and The Border. We keep falling in love with little villages, such as Lazonby, Brampton, Longtown, Wigton, Langwathby, Hesket Newmarket, Winton, Crosby Garrett, Kirkby Stephen - the list goes on and on! There's literally dozens and dozens of beautiful little places where one day long in the future we could see ourselves retiring to - a little cottage with roses around the door and a border collie by the fire! Choices, choices!

"The Factory"

Innovia Films is one of those companies that is not known by name to most people although all of us are aware of their products. If you live in Wigton then you will certainly know of Innovia and there's a very good chance that you or a family member is employed at "The Factory". I found it incredibly heartening to be in a town that was built on prosperity from actually making a real product. I grew up in Kendal, which had a similar relationship with K Shoes and IBIS (Laundry machine manufacturer) Both industries gone now.

Incidentally, if you travel the world and come across polymer based banknotes then the base material was probably manufactured in Wigton.

Innovia uses large quantities of energy and water, both of which have increased in price in recent years. Cumbria is being asked to accept one or more nuclear power stations and we should be driving a hard bargain for this, including a measure of support for such companies as Innovia.

R&D is an essential part of a fast moving industry and the picture shows the R&D department - the production facility is nearby.

I began my working career as an apprentice at British Aircraft Corporation and later spent a year working for IBIS. There's a special satisfaction in "making things" and in seeing a modern factory providing employment in Penrith and The Border.

Luigis

There is a downside to not being on the traditional tourist route. It can prove difficult to find a cup of tea!

On a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon, with fingers icy from delivering leaflet, the sign offering CHIPS - Served All Day - was like an oasis in the desert. And they were first class chips too. If a town was to be judged by its chipshop then Luigis would put Wigton at the top of the list!

Wigton

Wigton is right on the edge of the Constituency but it would be a mistake to neglect it! Wigton is out of the way and largely ignored by the traditional tourists who come to Cumbria for Catbells and Wordsworth. It's all the better for it, in my view, and remains one of the most genuine towns in all of Cumbria. The picture shows the Highmoor Tower, which all visitors will notice. Basically, a folly, it was built at the end of the 19th Century. It was once owned by the great uncle of John Studholme, pictured above. John is helping with our campaign and is proving invaluable. The only downside is that he seems to know everyone in Wigton which makes progress a little slow!

Brampton shops

Isn't this a fabulous shop! Tell me you can't close your eyes and smell the fruit?
It's called Fruits and Root and is typical of the shops in these small towns. But, as an ex retailer myself, I know of the problems faced by local shops. Ever increasing costs threaten to drive them off our streets, which would be a tragedy. My earlier posts tell of our holiday to the USA, a time which was much enjoyed by Hazel and I. The USA is a great place with all kinds of delights, but they have very few town centres to rival ours here in the UK - and especially in the Borders. Let's not kid ourselves that they are invulnerable, they can be destroyed in a way that is more effective than anything achieved in the past by marauding bands of Border Reivers. What can we do? Well, a reduction in ridiculously high business rates would be a good place to start!

Brampton Coffee Morning

Spent most of Saturday in Brampton. The constituency has a number of towns like Brampton, just the right size to avoid the large chains (clones) and big supermarkets, yet big enough to have almost everything that you want. It's a delightful place, full of friendly people and busy shoppers. We had a coffee morning at the Moot Hall and met a number of supporters and passers by. After this, we went resident surveying and had a very positive response. I get a good feeling about Brampton!

Ravenstonedale cont.

Here's a Summer picture taken at the opening of the Ravenstonedale playground. I love these events and have never lost my childish pleasure of the games of chance and skill that are always present. I do love to win, but a Councillor is expected to hold this in check! No danger here, I seem to remember that I left this stall empty handed!
The Parish Council meeting discussed the proposed extension of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. There'd been a question on this at the Cumbria County Council meeting. The Conservative leader firmly declared himself to be against it. Monday's meeting of Orton Parish Council had taken the opposite view. A vote was taken of a substantial number of residents who were all in favour of the scheme and I was interested as to what the view would be from Ravenstonedale. About 30 residents attended and echoed the view of Orton with just one person opting for the status quo i.e. no extension. Can it be that The Conservative/Labour executive of Cumbria County Council is about to once again misjudge the feeling of their residents? I'll go to some more meetings and take soundings after which it may be time to begin talking to Cabinet members.

Ravenstonedale Parish Council

Just about to go to Ravenstonedale Parish Council meeting. This is a super Parish Council, very self confident and self reliant. Earlier this year I attended the opening of their playground project in which they had transformed a waste piece of ground into a beautiful play area. Parish Councils like this are the bedrock of our local communities and I'm looking forward to the evening.

No apology to Cumbria!

Today was the Cumbria County Council "Full Council" meeting. All 84 Councillors come together to discuss and decide (Well that's the theory) The agenda didn't have anything about the recent problems with snow, ice and gritting and the Liberal Democrat group proposed a motion to introduce this subject. We proposed that the Council offer an apology for the problems of the last few weeks, whilst making it clear that this was no reflection on the dedication and hard work of our staff. Local Councillor Tom Clare made a very reasonable speech in which he asked that we look at the issue of grit bins, and why they were not all filled. He also wanted us to look at the possibility of greater co-operation with Parish and Town Councils. Trevor Allison then asked that we clarify the position regarding the liability of Town Councils who clear their pavements. We'd deliberately decided to make a low key presentation in the hope that we could avoid political shenanigans and reach an agreement, which we fully expected.
Unfortunately ------the Conservative/Labour administration voted to cut short the debate in favour of having lunch (!) and voted down the motion to apologise. An opportunity lost, in which we could have united to make things better for the people of Cumbria. All in all, it wasn't a very edifying morning and not a very impressive display of "democracy" at work.

Back to work!

Well, it's a week later and the break seems a long way away. Email meant that I was able to keep up with many issues whilst in the US, however we still returned to a small mountain of work. Much of it would seem trivial compared to the big political issues occupying the media, but if it's your house that can't get broadband, your street that's impassable because of uncleared snow or you that misses the bus and has to kick your heels for three hours with a small child in tow (because someone has omitted to put up an up to date timetable) then these issue become very important and you turn to your local Councillor for help. It's a part of the job that I do enjoy, especially when I can get a result. I do like to get to the heart of the problem and identify the fault in the system that has led to the problem. Which leads me to the next post.................

FDR

Almost time to come home, and time for one last visit - to the home and presidential library of Franklin D Roosevelt. What a fascinating day! I could have spent twice as long looking around the Library and then another week researching FDR's life. One fact especially remains with me: A little known assasination attempt a few days before his inauguration.  Chicago's mayor, with whom FDR was shaking hands, was killed. One is left to speculate about the possible consquences upon the history of the 20th Century..............?

Parallels between 1933 and 2009 are very marked. The economy was shot and the banks were in crisis. A crisis which deepened between FDR's election and his innaugeration. Barack Obama must have spent many an hour studying the programme of FDR and it's as interesting to see the things that Obama is NOT doing as to look at the ways in which he is following in the footsteps of his predecessor.

Picture shows the tourist photo of Kathryn , our daughter together with Nicole and parents in law.

Health and Safety

Much talk in the Uk about health and safety, especially in regard to the clearing of snow of pavements. Here's a sport that would seem to make few concessions to the H&S lobby! Bull riding is just as you imagine it. It's basic, it's brutal and it's dangerous - oh, and the bull always wins! No-one stays on the bull. The aim is to stay on for 8 seconds and then to be bucked off as gracefully as possible. It was quite amazing to see this take place in Madison Square Gardens as New York City filled with men wearing stetsons, ladies in high boots and gleaming pick up trucks.  We felt that it would go down very well at Penrith Show!

A Town Afloat

The carrier is huge! Statistics blur into a sea of numbers but one stayed with me. The crew consisted of a total of 3,248 men. That's more than the adult population of Kirkby Stephen, Tebay and Brough combined! The Intrepid served in the second world war, in Vietnam and during the US space programme it was a recovery ship for two of the Gemini missions. My Uncle served on the Implacable, a slightly smaller British carrier built at the same time. It was moving to look at the second world war section and to realise that this is how he had served.

When Politics Fails

Spent a fascinating day aboard the USS Intrepid, which is moored in New York City. The picture shows a nuclear cruise missile aboard the submarine  "Growler". This was a cold war deterrent from the late 50's - designed to be used when politics has failed and the world as we know it is about to end forever. It was a stark reminder that politics is not just about providing the basic services such as clearing the snow. Ultimately it will be our politicians who determine whether our planet will exit the 21st century as an inhabitable world. I fouind it a chilling sight to see this missile aimed at the heart of New York, knowing that it would have been capable of destroying everything that we could see.

The Town of Fishkill

I took the opportunity to have a look at some of the snow clearing equipment here in the town of Fishkill. It's a small town of about 30,000 people, town meaning the equivalent of a district in the UK. The town has 200 miles of road which it keeps clear throughout the winter. It's an easier job than in the UK as the roads are straight and logically laid out. A far cry from the back roads of Penrith and The Border.

Snow!

Well, the last couple of weeks seem to have been dominated by snow! I've spent a lot of time sorting out issues at home, caused by the UK's seeming inability to cope with anything more than a light flurry. In the end, it was an exceptional few weeks however the problems started right at the beginning of the "weather" and we really have to do better than this. The picture shows a typical scene here in New York, where it also snows, but everything doesn't grind to a halt.

We're spending a few days with our daughter in upstate New York. New Year was spent in Fort Edward, about halfway between New York City and Montreal. Here's a local snowplough clearing the road in front of the house. They're pretty efficient at snow clearing here, which you would expect as the counryside is snowcovered for about 4 months of the year. I've made some enquiries about how it's done. There are 5 seperate tiers of snow clearing here, State, County, District and Town. All have their own routes and responsibilities. In addition, there is a small army of 4 wheel drive vehicles, and tractors, with private snowploughs on the front. These will clear drives and private lanes for a small fee. It's all very interesting and I'm sure it will be useful information when the inquest is held as to why Cumbria have had such problems over the past few weeks.

Happy New Year to All!

A Happy New Year to all readers, especially those from other parties. This is a time of year when we traditionally put away all division and concentrate upon those things that unite us. I have made many friends "across the floor" and I know that we will still be friends after the election. God bless to you all.

I'm looking forward to the campaign, when we can all put forward our ideas to take our country into the next decade of this century, but for now I'm content to spend the next few days looking back over a momentous 10 years which has brought so much change to our world.

Morrison's Fire

It's become traditional to praise the emergency services, but the Morrison's fire again demonstrated their professionalism, along with store staff, as the building was evacuated without injury. As a businessman, I've sometimes complained about strict fire regulations but a fire like this does bring home the importance of being able to evacuate a building quickly. Sometimes we complain about red tape and regulations, however it's all too easy to forget the benefits that it sometimes brings. As ever, it's a question of balance.

Cumbria Photo

Here's one of those shops! I've known the staff at Cumbria Photo for a long time as I used to be in the same line of business. Their shop was always known as one of the stars of the Kodak Express network and has survived when many other high street labs have shut down. They prosper because they look after their customers. There's no magic about it, whether you're in politics or photography the customer (or voter) is king.

Penrith

Penrith is a great place to shop. It's full of little corners and unexpected delights. The New Squares Project (of which more later) is a problem but at least it's not a very visible problem to the casual shopper. The Morrisons fire has had an effect on trade with most shopkeepers feeling that it has resulted in trade being taken away from Penrith. As ever, parking is the big problem. I'm left wondering whether Westminster actually knows about the issues in towns like Penrith, or whether the elite are so ensconsed in their ivory towers that they just don't see what is happening under their noses. But Penrith is surviving a lot better than many, due largely to the quality and variety of its shops..

More Dexters

Couldn't resist a picture of a couple of this years calves! These two are females and will hopefully be sold for breeding. Available after Christmas to anyone with suitable facilities..................!

Dexters

Vince's wife, Rachel, keeps Dexter cattle in the New Forest. Here are my Dexters along with "Chunky Boy", a visiting bull. Dexters are a traditional breed and are hardy enough to winter outside. I normally feed them with large bales of sileage but the picture shows them having a couple of small bales. The big bales are all in a big stack and my tractor isn't big enough to safely shake them free. I've got a neighbour coming round with his large Ford tractor to dislodge some. That's the great thing about farming in this area, everyone helps everyone out.

Dinner with Vince

I was selected in the afternoon, then attended a dinner with Vince Cable and Rachel in the evening. It was inspiring to hear Vince tell us a little about his life in politics and his thoughts about the banking crisis,

Vince is an economist in another life, but has the knack of putting things very simply for the non economists. i.e. If you borrow money, you eventually have to pay it back. Sounds simple? Many very "clever" people convinced us that it wasn't so, for a number of years, until the house of cards came tumbling down.

The picture shows Vince and I studying the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald which featured yet another twist in the Penrith New Squares story.

The Campaign begins!

I'm delighted that the Penrith and Border Liberal Democrats have chosen me to be the next prospective MP for our area. It's a huge responsibility and we now have a maximum of just under six months (probably five) to polling day. That's lots of work, but I love the intensity of an election campaign. I love meeting people in our constituency. Now let's work it out, there are just under 70,000 voters to meet in (say) 150 days - so - if I can meet about 460 people a day then that's the job done!
And there's the problem - how do you get the message out to that many people?
Which is why a blog like this can be so very useful. Please pass the link to your friends and contact list, and don't forget the "Donate" button!