Christmas Newsletter Dear Supporter With the festive season upon us I will keep my campaign news brief for this month. Although I attended and enjoyed many Christmas fairs, parties and events around the town the highlight of my month was not a traditional Christmas event per se but it very much embodied the spirit of Christmas. And that was the Bewal International Hospital fundraising dinner at Pedmore Technology College. The Bewal Appeal, established by Russells Hall Hospital consultant Mr Rehman in memory of his late father, has almost completed the building of a hospital in Pakistan and now the fundraising is geared towards equipping the hospital to provide health care to thousands of people who at the moment have very little if any access to basic medical services that we take for granted here in the UK. The dinner brought together people from different schools, age groups, political parties, religions and ethnic groups. We heard great success stories from ex students of the school, saw a wonderful fashion show and dance performed by pupils currently at the school. I was delighted to see Tom Ruff who did a work experience with me earlier in the year acting as host for the evenings entertainment. And the food was superb too, provided by my favourite local chef, Cradley based Javed Waziri of Shadikhana. Everyone had a wonderful evening and more than two thousand pounds was raised towards the hospital appeal. We were reminded of how fortunate we are to have the NHS in this country and how we have a duty to help those who have so much less, be they at home or abroad. Out and about - Mike Wood and I visited the Gibbs Road Shelter for homeless people. Accommodation is provided for 80 people and I was struck by how young most of the residents were. The Lye Shelter is the main such centre for homeless people in the borough of Dudley and it is very well run. The managers we met were passionate about their work and plans to improve the centre. Upbeat though they were it is a particularly sad time of year for people without somewhere to call home and a family around them.
- Lots of work with young people and centres of learning this month:
-  I attended my first meeting as a governor of the London School of Economics Read more
- I had an update with the excellent head of the department for children with special needs at Redhill School where I am governor with responsibility for this area. The requirement for every single child to have their own learning plan is fine in principle but in practice it creates far too much administrative burden.
- Met with the new chair of the Stourbridge College Governors and the principal of the College. Our College is fundamental to improving skills in the area so it is good to be a part of their plans for the future which are exciting despite the appalling mismanagement of this sector by the government.
- I visited the What? Centre in Coventry Street which provides counselling services and other services to young people who need help either to overcome problems or to take up opportunities.
- I caught up with the principal of King Edward’s Sixth form College. We discussed her plans to continue to deliver the excellent education students get at King Ed’s with fewer resources.
 I got together with Chris Kelly and Graeme Brown, our parliamentary candidates in Dudley South and Dudley North and we collected money for the troops in Afghanistan at Merry Hill. In the end we raised over £1000.00.
- I met with the President of the Royal College of Surgeons more of which (mostly bad I’m afraid) in the New Year.
Media
- My article and our advertisement on unemployment and getting people back to work were published in the Stourbridge News. Read more
- I was quoted in a Sunday Times article on the recognition of marriage in the tax system and our policies for single parents as well as two parent families. The Times
- The Times published my letter complaining about the BBC’s treatment of the barbaric proposal by the Ugandan government to execute HIV positive gay men. Uganda, a wonderful country I visited as part of the International Women’s Day celebrations earlier this year, has an increasingly authoritarian government. Sad as it used to be lauded as an African success story. The Times Letters
Campaigning - There was no let up to our campaigning during December although we did finish on the 16th. We have almost finished distribution of our newspaper, it has now reached two thirds of homes across the constituency and the remainder will receive it early in the New Year.
- We had very good attendance on our campaigning Saturdays this month – thank you to all who came out and all who stuffed the last tranche of business surveys.
- We made a record number of calls to constituents for whom we have telephone numbers.
- My thanks to Cllr Mike Attwood and his wife Liz who laid on a most enjoyable fundraising drinks party for our campaign. And to journalist Matthew Parris who was our guest speaker at another fundraising event earlier in the month.
End of the year
And next week we start a new decade. When we get back after the Christmas break we will be entering the final quarter of the campaign to replace this tired and hopeless government; with a Conservative Government full of promise for the future but steadfast in its conviction to take the hard decisions necessary for the long road back to recovery. Meanwhile I wish everyone a very happy Christmas and new year. I am very pleased to be spending my Christmas with Jay, hosting four generations of my family aged between 22 months and 84 years. For me that is my ideal Christmas and I hope that your Christmas will be just as you wish it to be too. Best wishes
Margot James
www.margotjames.com
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