Ellee Seymour

I’m giving Janice Small a plug in her bid to win the Calder Valley selection. I know it means the world to her. We met when we both worked as regional press officers during the 2005 general election and her driving passion and commitment to the Conservative Party is second to none.

On the same subject, Tory Radio has the latest insights from Deputy Chairman John Maples on candidate selection.

Welcome to Janice’s political platform, I’ve added a pic of a four leaf clover to mark St Patrick’s Day and bring her extra luck:

Following my successful interviews for the Calder Valley Parliamentary seat, I am now through to the Open Primary which will be held in Elland on 27th March.

I am a fan of Open Primaries as it demonstrates our willingness to engage with local people, rather than just our local activists to select a candidate who is reflective of the wider community’s views.  However, this does leave ‘outsiders’ such as me who do not live in the constituency without the necessary friends and relations to pack the meeting at a disadvantage.  Now, I can hear some of you reaching for your keyboards to say that only local candidates should be considered.  But what we have to remember is that we have to choose the candidate that is right for the job, has the gravitas and commitment to be a Member of Parliament and who, by promising to become local, becomes part of the community.  Being local means living in the constituency, using the local services, the NHS, the schools, helping local voluntary groups, fighting for the things that matter to people and acting as if you are the MP from day one.   I will make that commitment.

I will fight as if I am the MP from day one, engaging with local people, businesses, farmers, the public sector, voluntary groups and campaigning hard to the day of the General Election.  I will engage with the local and national media, I am a professional campaigner - that’s what I do for a living.  I know which doors to knock on and which doors to knock down, whatever government is in power to get results.

What matters to the people of Calder Valley?  It’s not so different from the rest of Britain - a thirty per cent increase in the NHS but only a 5% increase in operations, one of the worst areas for tooth decay in 5-year olds and male life expectancy is below the national average (local Labour MP asks more Parliamentary questions on cross-gender issues and female genital mutilation than she does on the health of the youngsters and men in her constituency).

Education - most schools are below the national average - that’s not good enough for our children.  

 Immigration - a sensible approach to closing our porous borders and assessing what industry really needs and tackling the long term unemployed and NEETs to learn the skills necessary from cleaning our hospitals to building our houses and only then do we look outside for economic immigrants.

Europe - a referendum on federalisation.

Crime - youth nuisance and anti-social behaviour is blighting our towns and villages by feral teenagers whose parents have lost control, violent crime is rising - more police on our streets and less politically correct policing is the answer. 

Family - support for families who have for whatever reason lost control of their children.  Telling families that it is unacceptable to have 12 year olds roaming the streets at 11pm; telling lone parents that it is unacceptable to have babies without two parents and the income to support them; telling teenagers that they have to get jobs - whatever that job may be, to support themselves and that it is unacceptable for people to claim benefits, to rely on the State to support them, unless there is real need.  Sanctions in place to ensure these policies are carried through.

This has to stop.  In the 1980s it took a Conservative government to mend a broken economy, today it is a Conservative government that will mend a broken society.

I hope my no-nonsense, pragmatic approach is what Calder Valley wants and look forward to the Open Primary.   

Guest blogger today is Jeremy Jacobs writing about his cathartic trek in the Maasai foothills to boost funds for the breast cancer campaign following the tragic young death of his sister Jackie.

How have you marked the death of someone close? My family bought a wooden bench in memory of my father and added a plaque with his name. It is in the grounds of Walsingham shrine in Norfolk where he found much comfort, especially towards the end of his life.

I sponsored Jeremy’s trek with a cash donation and also posted him some of my son’s football strips to hand out to local schoolchildren, hope they liked the Tottenham Hotspurs and Manchester United shirts.

This is Jeremy’s story:

Just a few days ago, a close friend of mine said: “Jeremy, you’ve had a bit of a spiritual experience haven’t you”? She was, of course, referring to my recent charity trek, on behalf of Breast Cancer Campaign,  to the Foothills of the Maasia in Northern Tanzania. I don’t know whether or not it was a spiritual experience – and in any case, the meaning of the term “spiritual” varies depending on whom you are speaking to. But I will state this; the thrill of walking 70 miles in temperatures approaching 90 degrees over six days and on difficult terrain was certainly an achievement to be proud of. Those months of preparation paid off!

Now I’ve been back a couple if weeks, the cerebral enormity of what I and my fellow trekkers achieved is starting to sink in. The ten of us all had something in common - either losing someone close in tragic circumstances or with a strong sense of social responsibility. And in nearly all cases, both. I think it was that “sixth sense” that kept us together and ensured that all who participated came through without incident, unnecessary physical pain or nagging self-doubt.

The charitable leitmotif, as you would expect, dominated conversations amongst the participants and some of our Tanzanian guides. Sharing experiences with complete strangers about ones personal life, close family members, faith and politics had an atavistic feel about it, it reminded me of school-days and holidays at summer camps.

The amazing surroundings also made for a surreal few days. Every waking moment seemed to be filled with some new phenomenon, from the “Milton Keynes” style elephants outside Nairobi airport, to the magnificently named “Superb Starlings”, a brightly coloured version of that bird. Then there would be the confrontation, verbally, of female circumcision followed by a description of termite hills, a Maasai boma and who would be first into the field shower back at camp.

Wildlife featured heavily. Giraffes, ostriches and a nasty looking bull elephant took pride of place on the first full day. A deceased caracal (a type of wild cat) was the subject of much discussion over the campfire that night. Soon, a puff adder would be incinerated in full view of the gang. “Just as well” said one of the crew. “They’re responsible for 25,000 deaths in Africa each year”.

We all guffawed and stared at the heavens which resembled a crisp new “Milky Way” chocolate bar wrapper with a low crescent moon completing the scene. Baboons; wildebeest, zebras; elands, Thomson gazelles; egrets, and lilac-breasted rollers were all viewed along with the vast numbers of goats and cattle belonging to the Maasai farmers. The most voluminous animal seemed to be the African donkey. At times, it was like trying to battle your way through an over-crowded beach at Margate or Blackpool!

Food and drink were plentiful and we were well looked after by our Maasai guides and crew. The latter all employed by the Tanzania Travel Company who in turn were under instructions to look after us by the overall trip organisers, Charity Challenge from North London. The camp sites were erected and dismantled each day in military-style efficiency. However, there was a moment when one of the party fell down a poorly constructed field toilet. The screams would have been heard for miles. Sorry Laura!

Earlier that day, a local school was visited. The classrooms reminded me of a scene from a Dickensian novel. You know, six to a desk and share the pencil. The following morning after nearly 2 hours of trekking, school-children could still be seen walking to that particular educational establishment which by that time was some 10 kms in the distance behind us. A black-backed jackal and a newly-born goat caused sensations that day but nothing could have prepared us for the entertainment that lay ahead. Firstly, there was the awesome “sunken crater”, followed by traditional Maasai “jumper” dancing, then play-time. Picture the scene - two jeeps, a variety of passengers in each, pitch black outside - its hunt the wildlife time. This involved the switching off and on of headlights until bands of wildebeest and zebras realised what was going on. They ran in all directions for their lives! After 30 minutes of animal baiting we headed home. Or at least tried to. Night-time in the middle of nowhere with no “SatNav” meant an hour of frustration ensued.

Twelve miles were covered in the heat on the last trekking day before another school was visited. Entertainment that night included a Maasai version of “show me the way to go home”. The Ngorongoro Crater with its lions, cheetahs, hippos, flamingoes and hyenas was visited on the last day. Now that was something very special and I would recommend you pay it a visit.

http://breastcancercampaign.blogspot.com

http://corporatepresenter.blogspot.com

http://www.justgiving.com/jeremycj

You can see more of his pics at the top of the page.