Maria Caulfield Conservative Candidate for Caerphilly

http://www.caerphillyobserver.co.uk/news/3623/labour-victory-in-caerphilly-islwyn/

A massive thank you and a good result for the Conservatives in Caerphilly

By voting for any other party be it Plaid, UKIP or Lib Dem....This is what you will get.

If you want to get rid of Gordon Brown and Labour  there really is only one choice......your choice!

I visited farms in Caerphilly today and talked to farmers about the difficulties they have. Electronic tagging is a big issue for them as the cost of introducing this is going to make things very tough and really has very little additional benefit for them. I heard how single payments are very important as for many farmers it is the biggest part of their income and the only way farming is viable.

This year as the lambing season is coming to a close the weather has brought additional work as because of the cold weather this year there is not enough grass for the new lambs and they are hoping the cold snap promised for next week does not materialise.

In terms of representation farmers want a louder voice from Westminster speaking up for them in Europe and while I heard how Kay Swinbourne, our Conservative MEP in Wales does a tremendous amount to support our farmers, they still feel that the Labour MP's in this area have let them down as they do not highlight enough how decisions in Europe have such an impact in Wales, compared to other countries, because of the high numbers of  farmers  per head of population compared to most countries and the impact these decisions have on the local economy.

This weekend I have been meeting with local business people across the constituency and from these visits it is clear that there is no strategic vision for business in Caerphilly from the  Plaid led council.  In one part of the constituency there is an excellent example in Tredomen Business Park which is helping small businesses start up and thrive with European funding and yet when I visit small shops in Caerphilly town centre they tell me that the massively high rents they are paying, which are higher than many shops in Cardiff,  means they can not see themselves in business for more than a few months.

How come there is no joined up thinking here...small shops employ local peole too so why can't the excellent work in Tredomen be replicated and available to all small businesses?  Perhaps this goes some way to explaining why the Welsh economy is struggling so much compared to the rest of the UK as both Plaid and Labour are failing to think strategically when it comes to the economy and instead go for quick headline grabbing wins.

I have been out in Caerphilly today campaigning to save the local police station which is under threat from closure. Nick Bourne AM has heard how residents feel that having their nearest police station in Blackwood is unacceptable and I have also spoken to local businesses who are equally worried about the impact this will have. An area such as Caerphilly should have a police station of it's own. Click on the link above to support the campaign

Wales will be the first area in the UK for the digital switchover to take place. From March the analogue signal will be turned off. It is important to check with neighbours, especially the elderly, that they have switched over as TV can be a lifeline for many who are housbound. I will be checking as I am knocking on doors in Caerphilly

I have been out meeting local people in Caerphilly today.

I started the day off by going to the Twyn Community Centre for a coffee morning that was raising money for the Haiti disaster. The morning was a great success and I was really impressed by how much work had gone in to organising it in such a short space of time. I actually bumped in to the local MP who was very surprised to see me.    I then spent time in Bedwas and heard about how concerned residents are in the area about plans to build housing on contaminated land by Plaid led Caerphilly Council.

Me with one of the volunteers at The Rock

After talking all morning I then had to have more  tea and met with volunteers of The Rock coffee shop and saw for myself the wonderful work they do for the area.  

Education is a key priority for Conservatives and we are not just saying that here is what we would do

1) By raising standards, improving discipline, increasing choice, and getting the best people in to teaching, we will make sure that the poorest children get the best education, not the worst.

2) It is time we made our teaching the best. That’s why we’re committed to a comprehensive programme of reform to elevate the status of teaching in our country. We want to make it the noble profession – the career path that attracts the best brains, is well-rewarded and commands the most respect.

3) We will:

· raise the entry requirement for taxpayer-funded primary school teacher training from a C grade in English and    Maths GCSE to a B;

· require graduates to have at least a 2:2 in their degree in order to qualify for state-funded training;

· pay the student loan repayments for top maths and science graduates for as long as they remain teachers;

· expand Teach First and introduce two new programmes – Teach Now and Troops to Teachers – to get experienced, high-quality people into the profession;

· give all headteachers the power to pay good teachers more.

I really welcome David Cameron's announcement that head teachers will be the ones making the decisions on how teachers are paid in their schools and how classes are taught and organised. For too long now targets have driven practice in public service.

As a nurse I know this only too well. I know how managers in the health service push health care professionals to deliver care that meets government targets rather than patients needs. Working under this sort of pressure and the ethical dilemmas it throws up is what got me involved in politics and made me join the Conservative Party.

Conservatives are the only party who listen to those working at grass roots level and respect the experience and skills of professional teachers, doctors, police officers and armed service men and women and are happy to give them the respect and autonomy to do the job they were trained to do rather than Labour's "we know what's best for you" approach.

I have been contacted by concerned residents at the plans by Plaid led Caerphilly Council to turn off street lights in order to help bridge their £25 million budget gap.

Residents are worried about the safety impact of the plans for lights to be either permanently turned off or turned off from 12 midnight to 5.30am every night.

Plaid argue it will help with carbon emissions but we all know it is to cut costs no matter what the costs are in terms of safety to local people.

If they were that interested in carbon emissions there are many other ways light pollution and carbon emissions could be cut in terms of movement or light sensitive equipment or solar panel lighting.

Why aren't Plaid just honest about the state of their council budget and stop fobbing off residents with their environmental concerns which don't add up