I have been asked by the Social Market Foundation think tank to write a preview article for their newsletter on the Conservative Party conference. You can read this article below and see the whole newletter on the Social Market Foundation's website - http://www.smf.co.uk/assets/files/Conference%20newsletter%202009%20FINAL.pdf Looking ahead to the Conservative Party Conference – Manchester 2009 Whatever happens […]
Last week the French government announced that it would clear the ‘Calais Jungle’ which is a shanty town encampment created by refugees and asylum seekers trying who are waiting to get a passage across the channel to the UK. Since the closure of the camp at Sangatte a few years ago there has been a […]
Next weekend, the 3rd and 4th October, the Step Short project will be organising a programme of talks, walks, and events all marking the role Folkestone played during the First World War. These activities will be based around the University Centre and Quarterhouse in Folkestone and you can find out more details on the Go […]
It looks like summer ended last Saturday and it was certainly a day that everyone seemed to be enjoying at the Hawkinge Fun Day. The event was well supported by everyone in the community and was a great showcase for local groups from the Allotment Society to the Scouts and Guides. It is also a […]
I’ve always been a great fan of rail travel so I was particularly pleased on Monday morning when Folkestone became a part of the High Speed rail revolution, with the start of the first of the preview services being run by Southeastern trains. The full service will start in December, but for the next few […]
Like most parents with young children, our bank holiday weekend was full of some good quality family time. It’s been good as well over the summer to see local attractions from the amusements and beach at Dymchurch to the Coastal Park in Folkestone full of people enjoying themselves. We all know that young children can […]
This year we have seen a record A level results for schools in Kent, and my congratulations go to everyone involved; teachers, students and of course those supporting friends and family members who often find the whole process more nerve-wracking than the people actually taking the exams. Today it will be the turn of GCSE […]
The next time you stand on the Leas looking across at France, here is a disturbing fact you can keep in mind. In the French economy it takes about three working hours to generate £100 of income whereas here at home it takes us about three and a half hours. So across a typical working […]
I believe that Remembrance Day, 11th November should become a public holiday, as a living memorial to the sacrifice through death of millions of service men and women, from the trenches of the First World War, to our troops currently fighting in Helmand province in Afghanistan. This would be a particularly significant time to […]
One of the biggest issues we face is this recession is the pressure on local businesses which are the backbone of our economy. They provide jobs, training and skills for people of all ages, and businesses on the high street, village centre and local parade help bring the community together. Yet from the closure of […]