tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33079448870940171522010-01-06T02:37:23.151ZAnne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-76319793504274041882009-10-31T21:48:00.007Z2009-10-31T22:37:42.500Z

It has been an action packed summer but now the nights are drawing in and autumn is with us. The leaves are turning colour and falling. While in this third quarter other countries are out of recession, we are still in recession. While the decline is slowing, we have experienced one of the longest and deepest recessions on record. I have been visiting a number of local businesses following my

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-1123775926788655092009-08-10T11:50:00.007Z2009-08-10T15:24:35.418Z

While June was glorious, July has been a complete washout - and even August is now predicted as another wet month. But the English are always good at carrying on regardless - as so many of us have done at countless fetes and flower shows. But we have had some fun! I thoroughly enjoyed presenting the prizes with Cllr Dennis Smith and drawing the raffle at the Ipplepen Flower Show - some first

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-69725326018577417262009-06-29T16:02:00.008Z2009-06-30T11:41:43.924Z

June was not a month for relaxing - despite the glorious sunshine! Since the election we have been out delivering and canvassing most days. Last Saturday we were 13 strong out all day in Newton Abbot. Many of you should now have received "People Talk" and those of you who read the Mid Devon Advertiser will have seen my new fortnightly column on page two. Any feedback on what you would like to see

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-7498449337838290192009-06-26T13:12:00.002Z2009-06-26T13:15:26.799Z

It has been drawn to my attention that there was an error on my last Blog entry in relation to the designation of the party allegiance of Colin Authers in my report of the county election results. I have corrected the error and apologise unreservedly to Mr Authers.

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-46161802604730575132009-06-08T09:46:00.010Z2009-06-26T12:33:13.389Z

The voters have spoken quite convincingly! Devon was a landslide in favour of the Conservative Party - and locally there was a strong vote for change. Across the country as a whole the Conservative vote share was 15 percentage points higher than Labour - a 9% swing. Of the seven Devon county council seats in the Newton Abbot constituency, as it will be at the next General Election, we now hold

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-83725226444869212182009-05-31T21:31:00.013Z2009-05-31T22:55:39.626Z

Next month on 4th June the country will be asked to vote in local county council elections and European elections. Will these elections predict the outcome of the general election? The current expose on parliamentary expenses and MPs' conduct has had a profound effect on voters. Quite rightly they are angry. Some MPs seem to have forgotten the small print which says expenditure has to be

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-11683095535871079642009-04-06T16:06:00.009Z2009-04-06T17:49:57.416Z

Spring is here, the daffodils have come...and almost gone and Easter will soon be upon us. Does Gordon Brown have an Easter Bunny to pull out of the hat? I think he hoped the G20 would produce a bit of a bounce by supporting his demand for further fiscal stimulus....but no such commitment was forthcoming from his European chums. Where is the real support for local families and businesses to

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-68593750994935835902009-01-26T21:13:00.007Z2009-01-27T17:03:51.303Z

Last year we saw the economy shrinking. This year we are in recession - and this is no ordinary recession. In Newton Abbot, Teignmouth and Dawlish shops are closing and small businesses are folding. The unemployment rate in Newton Abbot has doubled. We need a change of government to give the country the confidence it needs for a recovery. The money being pumped into the economy just isn't making

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-15279006114701577992008-11-03T11:13:00.003Z2008-11-03T12:05:31.219Z

With the rain and the frost, in every walk of life comes more activity. I have been busy launching a Social Action Campaign to keep the place clean and tidy. Along with a number of volunteers we cleaned up the playing fields in Starcross which was very much appreciated by the Parish Council and local residents. Andrew Mitchell MP was there to launch my campaign. It was good to be able to make

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-89860258407253130762008-10-21T12:47:00.002Z2008-10-21T13:52:29.575Z

While the Conservative Party - along with the rest of us - wait for the real consequences of what Gordon Brown and Tony Blair have between them done to the country to be not just visible but understood, the country moves further and further into a deep recession. The Conservative Party is the government in waiting. The sooner we have an election, the better off we will be.Labour may be looking

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-16729012148775626922008-08-21T07:17:00.006Z2008-08-21T09:14:00.710Z

Too much going on...and no time to write about it! Apologies to regular readers. The summer is always a busy time but this one has been exceptional. Not least because of the increasing activity of the various organizations with which I am involved. The Senior Council is now fully established and up and running. The Newton Abbot area branch of which I am secretary has been the most active in

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-27406413904632962452008-05-23T20:51:00.002Z2008-05-23T21:54:31.706Z

May 2008 will go down in the history books as a very special month. Local election results to die for and Boris elected as Mayor of London. And as if that was not enough, Crewe falling to the Conservatives by a landslide majority - a first in 30 years. I have had so many telephone calls of congratulations and sheer relief that things are changing. We have two years to go until the next

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-25436204412263585692008-03-24T16:34:00.002Z2008-03-24T18:19:41.254Z

I am looking forward to the longer evenings...and some better weather! Walking the dogs every morning is a very muddy and slippery affair. The day of the storms which saw Teignmouth flooded was quite exceptional. I walked around Newton Abbot to see just how high the river would rise that morning and was staggered. Flood defenses must become more of a priority for the council - things are

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-40513132924047470062008-02-10T10:08:00.000Z2008-02-10T20:04:48.654Z

The daffodils are coming through and Spring seems to be well on the way - for most of us. For Gordon Brown it must seem like perpetual winter. The economy goes from bad to worse and rising prices and the credit crunch are hitting us all. Food and energy prices keep going up but with no knock on benefit for farmers. And the spotlight has for some time been on the woeful shortcomings of politicians

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-25835180534630394502007-12-26T17:23:00.000Z2007-12-26T19:10:21.415Z

It's Boxing Day - not exactly "deep and crisp and even" but rather warm and damp with beautiful winter sunshine. And that was just what was needed for the traditional Boxing Day dip by the pier in Teignmouth. I sponsored rather than "dipped" but it was great spectator sport and a great way of raising money for the RNLI. On then to Shaldon for the annual three-legged race - or should we say "

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-2469705285539326912007-11-29T11:15:00.000Z2007-11-29T13:02:23.092Z

November is a time to remember. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is a time to remember what so many others have done for so many of us. I was very moved to see so many with me at the three Remembrance Day services I attended in Newton Abbot, Dawlish and Shaldon. I laid a wreath with great pride. Perhaps best of all was the sight of so many young people and young families. We

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-5441723151878804452007-10-16T07:41:00.000Z2007-10-16T08:16:12.772Z

Not for a long time has politics been so much in the eye of the media, nor has it been so volatile. Ming Campbell's decision to resign as leader of the Liberal Democrats last night was yet another momentous change which will no doubt send the polls into flat spin again with Nick Clegg the front runner to succeed him. This will leave Brown even more exposed as the old man of politics...and these

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-63238029456597750302007-09-30T20:25:00.000Z2007-09-30T21:48:42.804Z

Well it looks like it just might happen. Gordon Brown has kept us on our toes for weeks and now he may be hoist with his own petard. He needs to call an election this coming week - or call it all off and live with the roller coaster of a recession which seems to be fast approaching. And this time Gordon cannot blame anyone else.And if he goes to the country he will find that 11 point lead

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-41798999864542857922007-09-09T18:06:00.000Z2007-09-09T19:10:28.186Z

If there were ever any doubt, I think it is now clear that the Brown "bubble" has burst. The papers today are full of the news of our financial woes - something for which Gordon can blame no-one else. If you have a mortgage, as I do, the financial burden is getting more and more painful. Even though there seems to be a move to reduce our forces in Iraq and an outside chance that Gordon may

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-67919601259258822212007-09-02T11:21:00.000Z2007-09-02T13:05:31.026Z

Prison officers on strike, nurses walking out of a mental health hospital - are we in for a winter of discontent? Those working in public services feel unloved and unappreciated. Given how much money has been pumped into public services this is surprising. Too much money has been spent on target setting and the administration required to measure compliance - what we need is money redirected

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-73454919232338288132007-08-27T09:30:00.000Z2007-08-27T12:17:26.655Z

Well my last blog created a great deal of interest! The bypass is a critical issue - and clearly not so much of a done deal as its advocates would have us believe if an item on my blog can undo "cross-party" support for it - or so the Herald Express would have us believe. The Herald Express has long been an advocate for the bypass and the coverage is therefore by no means surprising. But no, I

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-29720405848173804222007-08-15T12:48:00.000Z2007-08-15T15:33:55.179Z

So we had the floods - now we have foot and mouth. Thankfully not in the West country but the very fact that there has been a new outbreak has seriously impacted our local farmers, butchers, market traders and others. Walking through the market in Newton Abbot and speaking to local farmers, the picture is bleak. One farmer who specialises in sausages told me he had just two days left before he

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-59919954618299293072007-07-30T13:43:00.000Z2007-07-30T14:43:00.111Z

The sycophantic and uncritical British Press claim Brown's first month in office has been a real baptism of fire - really? Where is the fire. Two unsuccessful terrorist attacks and a lot of heavy rain. My sympathies are with those affected by serious flood damage - but surely they should be asking why when as Chancellor Gordon could have prevented much of the damage by freeing up money to

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-26658161856297274462007-07-16T19:29:00.000Z2007-07-16T20:33:25.478Z

Anyone who has moved house in the last year will I hope sympathise and relate to my over long silence! They say it is one of the most stressful things to do - and that is before the battle with the various utilities, BT etc. Last time I moved it took three months before broadband was up and running - so a couple of weeks is pretty good! So much for the improvements in communication the hi-tec

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-32196286495589708192007-06-24T13:37:00.000Z2007-06-24T14:33:26.879Z

Garden grabbing - a good or a bad? In my view an entirely undesirable development following the Labour Government's decision to class gardens as Brownfield development sites. And we have seen the consequences. In Teignmouth we have seen the loss of many of our lovely Edwardian and Victorian villas, picked off by developers who look for large houses with substantial gardens which are not in a

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com1