Today, I attended a stimulating fringe debate on the importance of engineering to the future British economy. In particular, it was argued by the well-informed panel that Britain needed to develop a dynamic, high-end engineering sector to compete on the global stage for business. Britain has a long and rich history of engineering excellence, the former Racal firm in Bracknell being just one example locally of that past pre-eminence. Undeniably, over the last decade, the British economy has come to rely too heavily upon the financial services sector. The challenge for British governments over the next decade is to provide the economic environment to allow that imbalance to be addressed. Clearly, it is not the role of government to decide which industrial sector to support and financial services will undoubtedly remain important. It is, however, clear in my mind that the field of high-end engineering is one area in which Britain has a proud history of success and hence should hope to strengthen its global position once more. I see no reason why a new Racal cannot be created in Bracknell in the future.

Recently, I was contacted by a local blogger who runs the ‘Bracknell blog’. He sent me a series of questions about my bid to be the Conservative candidate for the Bracknell constituency at the next General election. You can view my answers here. If you have any other questions about my campaign please do not hesitate to contact me by email.

To feel safe in both one’s home and one’s community are legitimate expectations of every person who lives in East Berkshire. That sense of security is primarily provided by the performance of Thames Valley police. I’ve spoken to serving members of the force and they have all confirmed the need for an in-coming Conservative government to release the policemen and women from the burdensome bureaucracy and ‘New Labour’ target culture, and get them back on to the streets of Berkshire to do their jobs properly. A future Conservative government has promised to do this. Furthermore, I would see my local role if elected as a future MP for Bracknell constituency to lobby hard at Westminster for a fairer ‘share of the pie’ for the Thames Valley police force. Securing more visible police on the beat in towns like Crowthorne and villages like Finchampstead would be key goals for me during my term of office.

This afternoon I was out in Bracknell helping campaign in the Hanworth by election. This gave me the chance to meet with people on their doorsteps. I was also able to discuss local issues such as parking and housing with hard working Conservative Councillors. I know that one of the key determinants of good health is good housing and I would want to contribute as much as possible to help Bracknell’s high performing Borough Council get the right levels of funding in the future for its affordable housing commitments.