John Baron

Conservative Party | Billericay and District

Points of View

Trojan Horses

A strange thing happened on 21st January this year.  As part of a Thames Gateway tour, Keith Hill MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, paid a fleeting visit to the Basildon District.  Apparently, he did not bother stopping and talking with people but just drove through.  This concerns me because he had no opportunity to discuss housing issues with local residents. 

I have always been of the view that the Thames Gateway Initiative is nothing more than a Trojan Horse for more houses and we should be very wary.   This visit would seem to indicate that visiting Ministers are not interested in local people's views. 

We are already having to suffer from centrally imposed house building targets.  It is totally wrong that the Government is forcing Essex County Council to build over 5,000 houses each year for at least the next ten years.  Local people should decide the right level of development, not politicians and civil servants sitting in Whitehall. 

In addition to the issue of local democracy, our infrastructure and public services are already overstretched - we do not have enough police officers, teachers, doctors and nurses, whilst our roads and pavements need further investment.  Building more houses can only add to the pressure.

The Conservative Party have committed themselves to scrapping centrally imposed house building targets.  However, the Thames Gateway Project would result in even more houses being built.

Top-Up Fees

As a result of the Government narrowly winning the Higher Education Bill vote in Parliament, most students will now leave University with huge debts - up to £30,000 according to some independent estimates.

This is completely wrong and is bound to deter some students from going to university.  Certainly judging by the number of letters I have received from many students in the constituency, this policy seems to be universally disliked. 

What is absurd is that top-up fees do not correct university under funding.  Although universities will receive almost £1 billion from students in the form of top-up fees, the costs of the extra student loans and increased maintenance grants promised by the Government would appear to at least equal £1 billion.

Government promises obviously mean very little.  In 1997 Tony Blair promised not to introduce tuition fees - within a year that promise was broken.  In Labour's 2001 manifesto they promised "we will not introduce top-up fees and have legislated to prevent them", and now they are breaking that promise too.

Scottish MPs

When it came to the vote on the Higher Education Bill the Government won by just 5 votes - Scottish Members voted despite the fact that this Bill will not apply in Scotland.

It is totally unjust that Scottish MPs are allowed to vote on English issues in the House of Commons when these issues will not affect Scotland, whilst English MPs have no corresponding say on issues that affect only Scotland and are devolved.

This is why I voted in the recent 'West Lothian' debate in Parliament to stop Scottish MPs from voting on issues affecting England when the same issues have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

I strongly believe in the Union.  However, even some Scottish MPs except this policy is indefensible and abstain from voting on some issues. The answer is that Scottish MPs should be barred from voting on areas of policy which have been devolved to Scotland.  It would be very simple to operate. 

Billericay Festival of Music

Having had a pop at one or two groups so far in this column, I thought I would end on a positive note.  Last Friday, I attended the 'rock rhythm and blues' session and thoroughly enjoyed myself. 

This week long initiative is an excellent way of raising money for local causes and acts as a showcase for local talent - congratulations are due both to the Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower and the Billericay Rotary Club for organising the event.