Ellee Seymour

John Gummer’s decision to stand down at the next general election  did not come as a great surprise to me. Our next parliament must modernise and I believe there will be many changes in the way it works in an attempt to start winning back public trust following the expenses’ scandal.

It is time for new blood, and John Gummer leaves after serving Suffolk Coastal for 30 distinguished years.

The story is broken by Graham Dines, excellent political editor of the East Anglian Daily Times. Now a backbencher, the MP – a passionate environmentalist – cites the “disastrous” Copenhagen climate change outcome as his reason.

John Gummer is a former Environment Secretary and chairman of the environment consultancy Sancroft International. He said:

“Telephone conversations with colleagues throughout Europe convinced me that international action is needed now if the calamity of climate change is to be avoided.

“I feel passionately about the subject. This is the danger that most faces us and unless something is done, the world will be in real trouble.

“But if I am to concentrate fully on the environment, I cannot devote the time I would wish to my constituency. I fully intended to serve one more term as MP for Suffolk Coastal, but Copenhagen changed all that.”

I  very much hope he succeeds with his ambitious and hugely challenging new plans. We need more people like John Gummer with strong passions to drive forward the climate change agenda. I fear it is already too late – particularly for those in African countries – who face increased threat of food shortages and drought.

*I found it very interesting reading John Gummer’s early political career on Wikipedia and learning that it was very chequered. He lost at his first two attempts as a parliamentary candidate, and was elected at his third attempt in Lewisham West. He then lost it, and later failed to win it back.  This covered the period between 1969-1974.

It was only in 1979 when he was offered the safe seat of Eye (now Suffolk Coastal) following the retirement of veteran Tory Harwood Harrison that he managed to win and keep his seat in East Anglia.

I hope this gives encouragement to parliamentary candidates who invest so much of their personal life and finances to follow their dream. It can happen, as John Gummer shows, if you keep trying and believing in yourself.

I do have one other thought on this, and it concerns giving more women safe seats to stand in as candidates to increase the numbers of female parliamentarians. It was an opportunity John Gummer had, and more women should have it too so that parliament is more representative of its electorate.

I have been reading evidence given to the Speaker’s Conference, an enquiry into  boosting representation of women and ethnic minorities in the House of Commons. One of the ideas mooted was to give MPs a fixed term of office so that new blood – new female blood – could be given a better chance to step into those safe constituencies.

What are your views on this?

Share on Facebook

This favourite photo sits on my bookcase, memories of a special nativity 13 years ago when my youngest son James was four. He is pictured as a shepherd kneeling in the front row with the striped sheet wrapped round his head.

It was taken during a unique nativity service  in St Laurence’s Church, Wicken, a neighbouring village. I remember the magic of this particular service, with pews crammed full of festive families and smiling children.

The belfry was transformed into a stable, complete with straw and animals; a sheep and a donkey, from memory. One of the newest babies in the village was cast as Jesus, with his parents as Mary and Joseph.

As the children arrived, they were assigned roles and costumes and acted out the story of the nativity totally unrehearsed to carols; there were at least six regal kings, a dozen sweet angels, and maybe two or three shepherds.

This service is held every Christmas Eve and the last time I went two years ago – my sons have sadly outgrown it – the nativity was centered around the front the church, but there was no stable or animals. Perhaps health and safety.

If you  have special nativity memories, do share them.

I wish you all the very best for a happy Christmas with your loved ones and a peaceful, prosperous and healthy New Year.

Share on Facebook

My last Toastmasters’ speech a couple of weeks ago was about the many wonders of walking; my joy of belonging to The Ramblers’ Association and the Ramblers Group in Cambridge.

There were many smiles when I told the audience they could literally walk into love, just like Geoff Jones and Sally in Norfolk did, and other couples that I have met while leaping across a stile. Small surprise then that at the end of the meeting, one of the bachelor members came up to me and asked about joining

The joy of walking across meadowland and buttercup fields, snowbell woods and coastal paths, is unrivalled. No need for lectures from me about its benefits for your health and good companionship, they are fairly obvious.

I still haven’t accomplished my goal of walking 20 miles per day with ease, or pounding the stunning Pembrokeshire coast path, but the fault is mine for spending too many hours glued to the computer instead; I hope to tell a different story this time next year. In fact, one of the main pleasures of walking is of  being unreachable and I always switch my phone off, unless I want to take some pictures.

It now seems that walking could be the new rock’n’roll, and that it’s appeal has won over earth loving rock babes and musicians who are attracted to peace and solace in fresh air and unblemished countryside. A report in the Weekend supplement of yesterday’s Times carried the front page headline, “Walking? It’s the new rock’n’roll.”  Four rockers shared their favourite walks, including former Britpop “wildchild” Pearl Lowe, and Blur’s bass player Alex James, who is also introducing its joys to his four kids under 5. It all sounds very unrock’n’roll to me!

If you find yourself footloose and longing for a good stretch over the festive break, here is a list of 20 winter walks recommended by The Times, including two in East Anglia close to me: one along Snettisham beach in Norfolk which I can recommend, and the other closer to home in Welney, famed for the thousands of swans and migratory birds which seek refuge there each winter.

I often meet friends for a brisk riverside walk during the lunchtime instead of having a catch up chat in the pub. It’s far more invigorating, and costs nothing. If you find yourself in Welney, do let me know and I will try and join you for the magical swan feed.

And if you do have a favourite winter walk, please share it with us.

*The pic on the right shows me with two girlfriends on a short spring walk from Cambridge to the Orchard Tearooms in Grantchester.

Share on Facebook

At a time when fundraising is close to crisis levels for some charities due to the credit crunch, Helen Bearfield- Smith has raised a staggering £1 million in two years in East Anglia for Teenage Cancer Trust.

It means that a new specialist unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge which started this month can open in December 2010 and will treat patients aged 13 to 24 from across East Anglia and beyond.

Helen is an extraordinary woman and I have the pleasure of knowing her. She worked tirelessly on setting up fundraising committees in each of the six counties in East Anglia and also had two major strokes of luck:

• She secured the support of the very well connected and influential Emilie van Cutsem as Honorary President of the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit Fundraising Development Board. Emilie was very active, and not just a name at the top of headed notepaper. She and her husband Hugh are close friend of Prince Charles.
• Helen also had the full backing of the Cambridge News where she previously worked; barely a day went by when you didn’t see Helen and the TCT get a mention.

Helen is also extremely personable and I can see why anyone would find it hard to say “no” to her. I met her one evening at an event for TCT and she she agreed to come to Headway Cambridgeshire to pass on some of her tips, which was much appreciated; she was very generous with her time and advice. I told her she should write a book so many others could learn from her experiences. I still think she should.

Nationally, the Charities Aid Foundation reports that Britains have given £1.3 billlion less to charities this year compared to 2008. I think Helen can name her price in any future fundraising job she seeks, and I am confident she will not be short of offers from head hunters.

Do you know anyone who has topped Helen’s success in the last couple of years?

Pic courtesy of the Cambridge News. Helen is third from the right.

Share on Facebook

I am still waiting for a response to a Freedom of Information request I submitted on 1st November. I had an acknowledgement the following day stating:

“Your request is being handled under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), and you will receive a response by 30^th November 2009. Your request has been passed to the appropriate business unit within the MoJ, and they will write to you with their decision by this date.

“The FOIA does provide a number of exemptions. A qualified exemption requires that before relying on it we must consider the public interest test. If the information you have requested is covered by a qualified exemption(s) under the FOIA, the Department is allowed to take longer than 20 working days to respond. This is because in such circumstances we are required to consider the public interest issues when deciding whether or not to disclose the information requested.

“If more time is needed to consider the public interest issues under a qualified exemption(s), we will write to you and inform you of the revised date you can expect to receive a response to your request.”

I am afraid I cannot reveal the nature of my enquiry as it involves a very prominent, but tragic figure, who I want to write about for a book and whose controversial life was intertwined with many influential people. I accept that the Ministry of Justice might need more time, but I haven’t been given a revised date or updated about my request in any way.

I didn’t hear anything by 30th November, and when I chased this up at the beginning of the month, I was told: “We are still currently dealing with your request and aim to get a reply to you very soon.”

I’ve heard nothing since, and an email I sent to the case worker on Monday asking for an update has been ignored. I’ve just sent another email, but I suspect everyone is having Christmas parties now, or unable to travel to work because of the weather.

I doubt there is much I can do between now and the New Year. What have your experiences been when making a FoI request? What would you advise me to do? Is this kind of delay normal?

Share on Facebook

Margaret Thatcher, 6 December 1990 at the 2nd World Climate Change:

“The threat to our world comes not only from tyrants and their tanks. It can be more insidious though less visible. The danger of global warming is as yet unseen, but real enough for us to make changes and sacrifices, so that we do not live at the expense of future generations.

Our ability to come together to stop or limit damage to the world’s environment will be perhaps the greatest test of how far we can act as a world community. No-one should under-estimate the imagination that will be required, nor the scientific effort, nor the unprecedented co-operation we shall have to show. We shall need statesmanship of a rare order. It’s because we know that, that we are here today.“

Nineteen years later…

Newsnight’s Quote of the Day:

Gordon Brown, 17 December 2009:

“I know that for many people the Copenhagen conference seems like a grand talking shop with abstract arguments about issues of little relevance to their daily lives. But decisions we take in the next few days have the potential to be the most momentous for the world in more than half a century.”

Share on Facebook

I’m taking my music loving pa-in-law to an amazing Christmas show tomorrow in a tiny Norfolk hamlet which attracts 130,000 people a year, boosting the local economy by a cool £8 million.

The £2.5 million Christmas Spectacular in Thursford is pure thrilling entertainment in the old-fashioned sense, including the high kicking Tiller girls, and is recognised as being the largest show of its kind in the country, if not Europe. I’ve been told it’s West End meets Broadway.

Roy is still grieving after the loss in September of his beloved land army girl Vera and I am hoping this will cheer him up. I know he will be thinking how much Vera would have loved it, and the appreciative comments they would have shared. We will be joined by my husband and one of Vera’s good friends, a cheerful northern lass.

This show, which started more than 25 years ago, can easily rival any of the top West End productions and pantos, including the appearance of Pamela Anderson in Aladdin in Wimbledon.

Everyone tells me how breathtakingly spectacular this Norfolk show is, that it is a totally thrilling experience. Thursford doesn’t need a Baywatch star to pull in the crowds; it can produce its own special brand of magic.

Share on Facebook

Around 200 eager beavers have applied for the safe Conservative seat of West Suffolk to succeed Richard Spring. I believe they include a recently elected MEP.

Being elected an MEP back in June was a huge privilege, and I do not understand how they can now renege on pledges they made to constituents during what was a very tough election campaign and decide to switch jobs.

The same obviously goes for UKIP’s Nigel Farage who is standing against the Speaker John Bercow. You’ve already been elected into office for five years, doesn’t that count for anything?

Share on Facebook

The price of bananas – the favourite British fruit – is set to fall following an EU trade agreement which has been welcomed by my MEP Robert Sturdy.

Robert, international trade spokesman for European Conservatives and Reformists group, welcomed the EU’s move to end the 15 year banana war with Latin America, but said the money promised to compensate African, Caribbean and Pacific countries must reach their producers.

The EU has given preferential treatment to producers in the ACP, which has led to challenges by Latin American countries at the WTO. However, the EU is expected to initial a deal today that will see its tariffs fall to 114 dollars per tonne by 2016, with an initial cut to 148 dollars. In response, Latin America will drop its WTO challenges.

The EU will also grant ACP producers 200 million Euros of aid to offset the losses caused to them.

Mr Sturdy said:

"Whatever the justification, it was wrong for the EU to give preferential treatment to one set of producers over another. Ending a bitter and long-running dispute with Latin America and the USA is significant because it shows that with a little bit of good will, we can move past protectionism.

"The EU is right to give ACP producers a soft landing. They will need legal certainty that their markets will not dry up and that the assistance being given by the EU reaches the producers and not the large distributors and processors.

"European consumers will see the price of their bananas fall as a result of this decision."

UPDATE 16 December: It’s in The Daily Telegraph today. It’s also in The Financial Times, which describes it as “the longest-running trade dispute of the modern era”, highlighting its significance.

Share on Facebook

Whether it’s next March or May, our Conservative candidates will be more than ready for the 2010 general election.

I recently met up with Elizabeth Truss, our parliamentary candidate for South West Norfolk, who describes the issues important to her and constituents on this video. She talked about the urgent need for improved Broadband connection and roads, as well as the importance of supporting rural services.

Elizabeth is also a very keen cook and appreciates the quality of excellent local produce which she is discovering. Do watch out for her in local shops and supermarkets where she plans to hold surgeries to talk about issues which concern constituents. It’s one way of bringing politics closer to people, which is one of her wishes.

And I was in Yorkshire at the weekend campaigning with Janice Small, who has a fantastic team supporting her bid to win back Batley and Spen for Conservatives. She describes feedback she is picking up on the doorstep, which includes concerns about housing development, education and the impact of last week’s pre-budget report. There is still anger about MPs’ expenses, and all we can do is agree and say we have to move on and modernise our future democracy, that those mistakes will never happen again.

Janice also introduces some of her team, including two students who met in Berlin, and are now doorstepping with her in Batley!

Share on Facebook