Mercedes pen5ion fund

As I drove to County Hall this morning in nose-to-tail traffic, I pulled alongside a large and impressive-looking silver Mercedes, with the number plate “PEN5ION”.

Expensive car, expensive number plate.  But it left me wondering whether the driver was a successful pension broker who could afford a car like that – or whether he had spent his ever dwindling pension on the petrol to drive it?

The Grand Railway Station Tour

I hear on the grapevine that the Rt Hon Lord Andrew Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport is intending to tour the ‘top ten’ UK railway stations in need of refurbishment, to see for himself the conditions faced by commuters and to allocate funding to bring them up to scratch.

This will be quite an undertaking, as he apparently intends to visit them all in one day.

I assume then that he won’t be going by train?

Kent and the Sustainable World

After speaking at the breakfast launch of Kent 2020 Vision yesterday, I had to rush down to Ramsgate to attend a ‘Marine Energy Summit’ organised by Laura Sandys, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for South Thanet.  She had invited an impressive range of industry professionals including the British Wind Energy Association, Checkmate, Eon, Vattenfall, Vestas, GE and a range of others to discuss the potential for Thanet in particular, and Kent generally to benefit from the new sustainable energy industry which will become more crucial as time goes by.

Also in attendance was our own MP from Tunbridge Wells, Greg Clark speaking in his role as Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, who was able to give us an insight into emerging Conservative policy on sustainable energy.

It was an excellent meeting and some useful relationships were forged.  I hope yesterday might be the start of Kent’s bid to be a centre of excellence for new sustainable industries.

2020 Vision Launch at Maidstone Studios

Yesterday was one of those packed days where you don’t even have time to think.  It started at 6.45am at County Hall in Maidstone, where I collected some notes together and headed off to The Maidstone Studios, for the launch of the Kent 2020 Vision, the largest business conference and exhibition in the South East, held at the County Showground in Detling.

Last year’s event was superb – around two and a half kilometres of stand space; nearly four thousand attendees; and appearances by Andrew Neil, Kriss Akabusi, Simon Calder and others.  KCC is one of the event’s funding partners, and I was asked to speak to around 430 business people who had attended the launch event.

It was a pleasure to see so many of Kent’s business community being so optimistic about the county’s future prospects.  As I said, my job is to make sure that Kent County Council does everything it can to support and champion their aims; to fight against Government bureaucracy and make sure that we ‘walk our own talk’ by being a good client in the way we do business – paying our invoices as quickly as possible, using kent companies in our supplier chain whenever and wherever we’re able.

But I was under no illusions – I was simply a warm up act for the main attraction – Lord Digby Jones had come to speak about his experiences, which is why there was a full house.  I had to leave before he spoke, but we managed to get a few moments to talk about what Kent is doing to become a more business-friendly location.

(click this link to see details of last year’s event)

Jedward survive to annoy the nation once again

It’s official – the X Factor is a total farce. Tonight’s results show ended with Lucie and Jedward in the bottom two.

Lucie’s performance of “One Moment in Time” was spirited, whilst John and Edward’s rendition of Robbie Williams’ “Rock DJ” – whilst still wearing last night’s Ghost Busters costumes – resembled a sixth form karaoke night.

Simon Cowell, who for weeks has viciously slated Jedward – had only to give a thumbs down and the agony would have ended. But he chose once again to ‘let the audience decide’, letting any final vestige of credibility slip away. This despite both Cowell and Louis Walsh insisting last night the X Factor was a singing contest!

The lowest number of votes went to Lucie, whom last night the judges pronounced was “destined for the final”.

And Jedward survive to annoy the nation once again.

The freedoms we take for granted

I’ve just returned home from the Remembrance Day service in Pembury village, where I laid a poppy wreath on behalf of Kent County Council.  I arrived at St Peter’s Church very early, and didn’t want to walk in an interrupt the Parish Eucharist, so I waited outside with a Pembury member of the Burma Star veterans.

I won’t embarrass him by giving his name, or even the service he was in.  But for thirty fascinating minutes he told me tales of the bravery of those young men who fought for their country, many of whom left home never to return. The twelve young friends he joined with who within a few short months were just six.  The newly-married wife whose young husband was lost in action, who telephoned every day for news of his whereabouts.

It brought into sharp focus the reasons why we celebrate Remembrance Day, and I was delighted to see so many young people at today’s event.  If they understood more clearly why we wear poppies at this time of year, they’ll learn to cherish the freedoms which these days so many take for granted.

The Bruce-Lockhart Terrace

I went to the County Councils Network executive meeting yesterday in London. I arrived at Local Government House in Smith Square, home of the LGA very early, and went up to the Members’ Lounge on the sixth floor. I often use this hot desking room because it has a roof terrace which looks out over Westminster.

However, yesterday was quite special, as I noticed a new stainless steel placque just beside the door to the roof garden. It seems they’ve recently named it “The Bruce-Lockhart Terrace”.

So, standing out on the roof terrace enjoying a crisp, sunny November morning alone on the deck, I began thinking about Sandy and his legacy to local government. For those of us who were lucky enough to work with him, and better still to serve on his Cabinet, we have our own personal legacy. Whenever I’m faced with a difficult decision, whether it’s political or operational, all I need do is close my eyes and think “what would Sandy have done?”.

It’s rare to meetg, let along work with, such a special person. If it were up to me, I’d have named the whole building after him.

Another day, another £39,200,000,000

Did you feel it yesterday? The gentle slide of a Government hand into your wallet to extricate more of your cash to prop up the banks?  Chancellor Darling once again decided to hand over thirty three and a half billion to Royal Bank of Scotland, and a trifling five point seven billion to Lloyds.  ”We are creating a strong and vibrant financial services sector for the future” he said.  It must be true then, even though it seems like utter madness to give yet more of taxpayers cash to a sector which hasn’t yet recovered from its last crisis Incidentally, yesterday’s cash gift was actually bigger than the original brown envelope last year, so the problem does rather appear to be getting worse, not better).

He also seemed elated by the news that – so soon after the Great British Public gift-wrapped so much of their hard-earned cash to the banks, RBS and Lloyds were now selling off hundreds of their branches.  According to the BBC, RBS will sell of over three hundred branches, whilst Lloyds will dispose of around six hundred.

And why? Enter European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who has decided that there’s just too much of a monopoly bubbling away in the High Street.  Fortunately Zurich, Generali and Allianz are waiting in the wings to buy the branches – all good solid British names there – and Chancellor Darling admits he’d like to see “perhaps three new entrants to the High Street”.  That’s all good news then.

Oh – and you’ll doubtless be overjoyed to hear that board members from both RBS and Lloyds have agreed to ‘defer any bonus payments’ due to them until 2012.

Perhaps we should have a whip round for their Christmas dinner?

The 2009 Thames Gateway Forum – an altogether smaller affair

I travelled up to the O2 Arena today, to attend the Thames Gateway Forum 2009.  In previous years the event ran across two days, with local authorities, regeneration experts and construction companies from all over the Thames Gateway region of North Kent, South Essex and East London.  Last year there were seemingly hundreds of trade stands and breakout sessions, and hundreds of attendees.

What a difference a year makes! This year’s event was shortened to one day only, with a networking reception last night.  The venue, the IndigO2 – is a smaller space than the Arena itself, and there were a much smaller number of both stands and attendees present.

Nevertheless, it was useful to go along.  I listened with interest to both Joe Montgomery from DCLG and Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency giving their view of developments in the Thames Gateway.  Also on the agenda was Sir Terry Farrell who has been asked by Sir Bob to ‘refresh the Gateway vision’. Sir Terry is always worth listening to, and his own particular take on the project was fascinating.

It was also an excellent opportunity to meet with colleagues from outside Kent, as well as those I see almost weekly, but never seem to have the chance to just sit and chat with over coffee.  Today spawned several good ideas from those chats, any of which could be timely and effective projects.

The Great Grammar Debate

You might have seen the front page story in Kent on Sunday today (“Backlash at KCC Leader’s School Plan”, Nov 1) in which Paul Carter outlines his intention to ask Government for Kent to be allowed to move surplus selective school places from East to West Kent.  His comments have elicited anger and indignation from high school head teachers.  But the idea is certainly not new; this year 5,113 children passed the Kent Test, but there were only 4,458 selective places available.

As County Councillors, we are regularly asked by parents to represent parents at admissions appeal hearings.  It seems to me fundamentally wrong that we instil in our children a work ethic which induces them to work hard in their lessons, to pass the eleven plus test on the basis that success will ensure their place at a grammar school, only for them to be let down by a system which is unable to guarantee enough places anyway.  Every year we have to deal with parents confused by the bureaucracy and complexity of a system which, thanks to Government interference, removes Kent’s ability to manage our own capacity.

The arguments for and against selective education come up every year, with impassioned arguments from both sides.  Personally – and as an ex-Grammar school pupil myself – I will defend a system of choice between selective and non-selective education to my last breath.  I recall the nonsensical manner in which the Labour government in the early seventies tried to make all schools into comprehensives.  It was futile then, as it would be futile now.

But the difference now, it seems to me, is the need to raise the standards and achievements in all our schools.  One in two young people will, over the next few decades go into jobs which don’t even exist today.  Our job is to ensure a close fit with businesses and employers to ensure that young people receive an education – whether academic or vocational or somewhere in between – which is as relevant to their future employment and as appropriate to their unique talents as possible.

Because even the brightest child will still find their future less bright if their skills aren’t relevant to the workplace.