November 2008 - Newsletter from Margot James

November newsletter
Keeping you up to date with my latest activities in Stourbridge. The latest campaigns, letters to the press and events in and around Stourbridge


November 3rd  2008

Dear Supporter,

I hope the turbulent financial situation and fears of a recession have not hit you too hard personally. My thoughts are with anyone with worries about their home or job. I made myself aware of the problems in our area with a visit last month to our local Citizen’s Advice Bureau in Market Street. Predictably they are going through a very busy time.

Campaigning

• With great sadness I have to report that we were not successful in retaining any of our Post Offices. I had thought that we had a good chance of saving one of the three main ones under threat, but in the event the Post Office, supported by the Government and our own Labour MP, have only allowed one office to remain in the whole of the Black Country. We are now holding our breath for the announcement from the Department of Work and Pensions regarding the future of the Post Office Card Account. If the contract for this service does not stay with the Post Office they will certainly close more branches and probably next year.
   
• I led a petition to improve parking near the station in Oldswinford. Working as a team of five residents, we obtained 150 signatures and the petition will be presented to the next meeting of the Stourbridge Area Committee.
   
• I wrote to the Police following a PACT meeting I attended covering Wollaston and Norton. The main issues were illegal drugs dealing near a primary school, speeding traffic and anti-social behaviour around the Kingsway and Kent Road Park areas.  Residents of this area are long suffering and it is time something was done. Accordingly I have written to the Police Chief and intend to keep on about it until there is a noticeable improvement. Read more
   
• I undertook a street survey of shoppers on Stourbridge High Street to ascertain views on the future of our market and the pedestrianisation of the town centre on Saturdays. Read more I followed this up with a letter to the cabinet members responsible for these issues, Cllr. Angus Adams and Cllr. Malcolm Knowles.
   
• Conservative Party newspapers, including my report from Party Conference were delivered to 40,000 homes during October.
   
• Cllr. Adrian Turner and I distributed a leaflet to 1500 homes in Lye.
   
• We canvassed homes in Cradley Heath and found quite a bit of support which was encouraging.
   

Media

• Excellent piece and picture in the Stourbridge News of the Pedmore Community School cricket appeal. Read more
   
• Stourbridge News coverage and photograph of the Young Enterprise team at Stourbridge College, which I mentor, and their successful start in corporate life. Read more
   

Out and About

• I visited the Brierley Hill Partnership and was very impressed. In some ways of course I wish Stourbridge was getting all this investment, but at least the area provides a huge number of job opportunities for residents in Stourbridge. 
   
• I attended the Talbots Stourbridge Business Breakfast event at Hagley Hall. The speaker didn’t show so there was plenty of time to meet other people and listen to their concerns.
   
• I’ve been meaning to go to Hagley Hall for years, and finally I get there twice in a week. The day after the breakfast event was the Richardson dinner in support of the Territorial Army Centenary. Lord Digby Jones was the speaker and he was excellent. He was clearly relieved at having parted company with the government and I have written to invite him to speak to our business group in Stourbridge.
   
• We had the most wonderful party to celebrate Eid with local Muslim people in Lye. I held the event at the Al Ghausia Mosque who made us all very welcome. I do hope we can see more women at these events in future years. In the meantime I will be pro-active in seeking the views of Muslim women in other ways. Read more
   
• Mary Stevens Hospice and Age Concern are the charities we have decided to support again this Christmas and I held meetings with both organisations to advance planning for a Party and a Christmas card competition.
   
• The Pedmore Technology Community College Cricket Appeal was launched. I got Rachel Heyhoe-Flint, former England Women’s cricket team to come in support and the school laid on an excellent event. Read more
   
• I attended the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Stourbridge Navigation Trust. Read more
   

Finally, in a few days time America will have decided who is to be their next President and leader of the free world. This has been a very exciting Presidential election. Always with an eye to fundraising I enlisted the support of my good friend from Kentucky, Nicole Sochor, who managed to source a framed signature of the man I hope will be the winning candidate on Tuesday next for us to auction at our next fundraising dinner.

Feedback

Please forward this campaign update on to any fellow Conservatives in our area who you think would be interested.

If you would like to help the campaign in Stourbridge then please do contact me: margot@stourbridgeconservatives.com. We are always grateful for support.

Margot