Crispin Blunt

Conservative Party | Reigate

New Year message

Happy New Year. We can say with some conviction that 2002 will be better than 2001!

We are beginning to see the tide turn. On 15th January the Guardian of all papers said this about us in its' leader column:

“Now just when the Labour Government is struggling to be believable on health, transport and the Lords, look at what is happening. Right on cue, there are signs of reviving Tory effectiveness…The Tories are now suddenly worth watching.”

For the first time since I have been in Parliament the media is starting to pay attention to what we say. The feeling that the work we are doing is starting to be effective is palpable.

We are holding the Government to account for their failure to deliver, notably in the health service, the erosion of morale in the teaching profession, the collapse of our railways, and the failure to address the increase in violent crime and disorder.

We are rethinking our approach, our policies and our language to find the right way to apply our Conservative principles in the 21st century. The process has begun of renewing public confidence in our principles, our policies and our party.

This May there will be a significant test for all of us in the Association when will we be defending nine Conservative seats in the Local Elections and hoping to win a further three I pledge my full support to this endeavour and hope that all members will do like wise.

Despite every central government funding formula being twisted against us the County and Borough remain in sound fiscal shape, whilst the national government continue to squander the results of 18 years economic revitalisation. Conservatives locally continue to show the merits of a Conservative administration in action. A good example was the cooperation of all representatives and organisations coordinated by the Borough council helping defeat the proposal for an incinerator at Redhill.

The longer Labour is in power the less we need to make the case against them on what they might do - the evidence of what they have done or not done is all around them. We need to convince the electorate of our merits. To that end the Conservative approach will now be more thoughtful, less confrontational and more constructive. That approach will help convince a sceptical electorate that our party is once again ready for government.

This year will be an extremely important year for our Party and we will I believe make significant progress. We must do all that we can to capitalise on this progress in Reigate and Banstead and I have pledged my support to help the Association increase its Membership over the next year and I am asking for your help in this endeavour.

Please find enclosed a nomination card which should be returned to me at 18 Warwick Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1BU. Please nominate friends, neighbours, acquaintances and colleagues who I can approach to join our Association, as a small incentive to you all we will draw one of the cards and the winner will receive a Bottle of House of Commons Champagne.