The Queen’s Speech – the election starts here

Today I attended the Regeneration and Transport Board of the Local Government Association in Westminster. The roads around the LGA in Smith Square were eerily quiet, as most were closed for the State Opening of Parliament.

And as we discussed the opportunities and challenges for local goverment presented by national Government policies, at 11.55 we watched the Royal Pennant slide down its flagpole at Westminster.

Inside, the Queen presented what for many was seen as quite a political speech which drew demarcation lines between Labour and Conservative. No less than thirteen new Bills as well as two new drafts in her seven minute oration.

It makes me wonder why just months from a General Election, the Government of the day is allowed to create such a burden of bureacracy with all the associated costs in time and taxpayer’s cash, to produce legislation which a new Government may, depending on its politics, then spend time and money to reverse.

Wouldn’t it be more sensible to hold a Constitutional moratorium on any new legislation in the last year of a full five year Parliamentary cycle?

Edward Woodward – an actor of talent and depth

I was surprised to hear today the news that actor Edward Woodward has died aged seventy nine.  Along with thousands of others, I sat glued to my TV screen in the late sixties and early seventies watching the series “Callan”.  A consummate professional, Woodward played a different yet no less compelling character again on the big screen, taking the title role in the movie “Breaker Morant”.  For me though, one of his finest roles was that of the Scottish policeman in “The Wicker Man”  - the final sequence where villagers set the giant wicker structure on fire with Woodward inside will stay with me forever.

Married to actress Michele Dotrice (perhaps best known for her role as Frank Spencer’s long-suffering wife in the BBC sitcom “Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em”, Woodward was a respected and accomplished classical actor also, trained at RADA and having performed on Broadway and at the National Theatre.  But my all-time favourite had to be US TV series “The Equaliser”, which in the autumn of his career gave Woodward the fortune which seemed to have eluded him previously.

I am genuinely saddened by this news – Edward Woodward was an actor of talent and depth and we have few enough of those nowadays.

(to see BBC online coverage of this story click this link)

The Newcastle Metro – a lesson in life

I travelled up to Durham last night to attend this year’s annual conference of the County Councils Network. It was a bitty journey. I flew from Heathrow to Newcastle, as surprisingly this was way cheaper than travelling by train.

From the airport I took the Metro to Newcastle railway station, then a train to Durham. But on the Metro two young men made me think.

They spent most of the journey – twelve stops – jumping from seat to seat, wrestling with each other, swearing loudly and making lewd remarks to any female on her own. Their Mohican crop haircuts were I assume intended to be scary, and they reinforced this persona by tearing up and throwing newspapers around the carriage.

But something in their eyes made them look like bored, frightened little boys. When a number of people boarded at Jesmond, their comments were muted, their acrobatics restricted.

For those of us on the train, they were a temporary inconvenience in a long and tiring journey. But what struck me was that for those young men, it’s their life. Why can’t we find a way to give them self respect, to give them a sense of their place in society, to show them that society is actually more fulfilling if you take your place in it?

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.