09/03/2009 by Steve Tierney.

The ‘REAL’ IRA
This weekend the news broke that Sappers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar were shot dead by dissident republicans in Antrim, Northern Ireland. We had all hoped we had seen the end of these sort of horrific attacks by lunatic Irish extremists. It’s been twelve years since members of our armed forces were last subjected to this kind of assault in Northern Ireland. The question on everyone’s lips, of course, is: “Is this an isolated incident orchestrated by some fringe players, or is this the start of renewed hostility?” (Although I accept the actual words on people’s lips might not be as long-winded as that.)

There has been such progress in Northern Ireland that it would be absolutely tragic if things were allowed to deteriorate again. Our government and security forces must tread a delicate line; making sure the perpitrators are caught and properly punished, while not tarring those who want peace with the same brush. We must quickly bring these evil terrorists to justice, while taking great care to protect the optimistic peace which has developed in the troubled region. Let’s play hardball with the men who did this by all means, they deserve the heaviest penalties the court’s have available. But let’s try not to let this derail the region. That’s exact what the terrorists want.

Sorry Is The Hardest Word
My young son was a little naughty the other day and I had to put him in his room for a while to calm down and think about what he’d done. After a while I went in and we had a chat. I explained to him why what he’d done was wrong and I told him it was time to come down and apologise. I explained that this is how ‘good guys’ behaved (he’s four, this is language he ‘gets’) He did so in that earnest way that only young children really can and to be honest my heart melted. When somebody says sorry and means it, it takes a hard heart not to forgive them.

Gordon Brown could take a lesson from my Son. He can’t possibly believe he’s perfect, can he? He must accept that he is, in some part, responsible for our current economic woes. After all, he’s been at the helm in one form or another for over a decade. Now we can argue all day about just how much of it is Labour’s fault and how much of it is a ‘global phenomenon’. At this point, I’m not sure it matters. What does matter is that people all over the country are finding things very tough and are becoming very angry about the state of our nation.

I’m not suggesting that if Gordon Brown says sorry it will magically ‘fix’ everything. Of course it wont. In fact, I’m of the opinion that the current administration do not have the skills to begin the job of getting us out of our national hole. But when you apologise you don’t do it because you think it will ‘fix’ what you did wrong. You do it because its the right thing to do. If Gordon Brown expressed his sincere and genuine regret for his part in the crisis he thinks it will be a weapon that can be used against him by the opposition and the press. And he’s right. But he should still do it because that’s the way ‘good guys’ behave. Didn’t his father tell him that?

Jury Team
A new political party (organisation) was formed this weekend that made the news with some fanfare. Called JuryTeam their website says that they are:
a political movement created with the goal of making politics more accessible, politicians more accountable and political institutions more transparent.
Which is all well and good. Their ‘method’ for achieving this is apparently to avoid the need for political ‘parties’ by supporting independents across the U.K. and getting them elected. Independents are important to our political system, it is the ability for ‘anybody to stand’ that makes democracy what it is. But I’m a little sceptical as to how a group of people who may have diametically-opposed political views can possibly stand under the same ‘banner’. I can see that if a lot of JuryTeam MPs were able to get elected it would force the government in power to properly justify their actions and would hold them to account by circumventing the power of the whips. But on the flip side, doesn’t this mean the elected government will find it difficult to achieve the aims for which they were elected due to the impossible task of trying to convince a bunch of independents who all want completely different things for the country?  It seems like a bit of a ragtag idea to me, but I’m keeping an open mind about it.  Fresh ideas can’t hurt, can they?

Leverington Action Group
Road safety in our villages is something which matters greatly to all of us. Despite hard work on the part of the Conservative council there is always more we can do! That’s why it’s so great to see people united in working for safety and security in our area! In Leverington, a group of concerned homeowners are forming an action group to deal with places that are known as local trouble spots; most particularly Leverington Common. The group will act in a concerted way to represent their concerns to the District and County Councils, the police and to other relevant agencies. Led by Caroline Benincasa, assisted by veteran campaigner Tony Kiddle and my humble self, a group of dedicated villagers will make their case over the coming months to ensure something is done to reduce the problems and potential for injury in local black spots! This is the sort of positive, sensible action that gets things done. I met with the organisers of the new group last Saturday and was very impressed by their knowledge, enthusiasm and dedication. Local Activism is vital for the health and success of our society. Government should be there for a few specific national jobs, everything else is best decided at the most local level.

Posted in Parliament, Recession, Family, Leverington, Credit Crunch, Conservatives | No Comments »

05/03/2009 by Steve Tierney.

A Tax On Oxygen
I’m sitting here reading the news that the Bank Of England has, today, begun its ‘Quantitative Easing’ (Printing Money.) We’ve all known it was coming. I’ve personally dreaded it because its a short-sighted and exceptionally dangerous thing to do. Trying to explain to people who aren’t interested in economics why money-printing is bad news is difficult because its easy to get bogged down in ‘clever’ terminology and mathematics. But everybody instinctively understands that you can’t conjure money from thin air. Not without serious consequences, anyway.  If you could, we all would.

The real truth about Quantitative Easing, as I’ve said before, is that it is a stealth tax. Every pound ‘printed’ devalues every other pound in the world. The more you print, the less the existing pounds are worth. So every time the government ‘invents’ another lot of cash, they are stealing directly from your pockets and from your bank accounts and from your future earnings. If you have UK Pounds stirling there is no way to avoid this stealth tax and since the Bank Of England has expressed their intention to continue printing each month this is an ongoing cumulative tax on us all. No specific one activity is being taxed, you can’t escape it and it’s not targeted at a specific industry or goods. Consequently, the best way to view it is as a tax on the air we breathe. That too would be inescapable and ongoing in the same way. I wonder if the government would get away with it if people made that comparison more often?

Campaign Launch
I’m presently working on the wording and photographs for my forthcoming campaign as County Councillor for the Roman Bank And Peckover Ward.  I’m standing (as you might guess) as a candidate for the Conservatives.  If anybody who reads this blog is interested in volunteering to help with the campaign; deliver leaflets, canvassing and other assistance, I’d gratefully welcome your help!  Give me a call on 07831 616127, or email me on me@stevetierney.org
The areas my ward includes are Wisbech North, Leverington, Gorefield, Newton and Tydd St. Giles, all in Cambridgeshire.

Posted in Gorefield, My Campaign, Wisbech, Leverington, Tydd St. Giles, Newton, Credit Crunch | No Comments »

26/02/2009 by Steve Tierney.

Leverington Common
At the Leverington Parish Council meeting this week I witnessed the power of local politics in action!  A group of concerned villagers brought their case to the parish detailing a local traffic danger spot - Leverington Common.  Passionate, eloquent and impressive, they spoke with a united voice and made a clear and powerful case.  The Parish Council, to their credit, took the worries on board and vowed to work with them to convince the District and County councils of the need for investment in improvements that would help reduce the potential for a serious accident in the area.  I met the group after the meeting and listened to their very valid comments.  There was no doubt in my mind that this was a cause I needed to throw myself into.  As a prospective candidate for the County Council seat I really have no influence right now (you have to win an election first - roll on June 4th and a chance to make a difference!) but I promised them that I would stand right with them in getting something done.  This is another of those situations where the traffic authority wont do the work because there are other locations which need the resources and have a “higher record of accidents”.  While that sounds reasonable from a purely logical point of view, it does seem to suggest that blood must be spilt before work will be done.  Surely, with local folk showing such solidarity of purpose, we should be able to push for preventative safety measures too?  I think so, anyway, and that’s what I’ll be working towards.

National Service
This week, I have been asked to sit on one side of a structured debate panel at the Fens Conservative Future Pizza & Politics evening.  The motion being considered is : “This house would see a return of National Service.”  For anybody who has never been involved in a structured debate before, the point is to give both sides a good airing.  You can be tasked with arguing for a case which doesn’t necessarily reflect your own views (as I have… I’m arguing against, when I can see the value of National Service all too well.)  It’s an interesting chance to bring ideas into the public forum and get all sorts of takes on the argument.  While preparing my three-minute presentation, which is the opposite of my actual view, I found that I was not as open-minded as I had surmised.  All sorts of challenging arguments against are fairly difficult to equate with my own current opinion.  As such, I’ve had to revise my real-life stance from ‘in favour’ to ’sceptical’.  Here, then, is the absolute value of debate for debate’s sake.  Forced to think something through from the other side, and argue against your own personal position, is a genuine learning experience. If you have some time free on Friday night and are in the area, come along to Pizza & Politics.  It’ll be a very interesting evening.

Parliament At It’s Finest
The death of David Cameron’s son this week was a terrible tragedy.  I cannot express the sympathy I feel in words.  Parliament’s response, from all sides, was a fine example of decency and honour.  Even Gordon Brown, for whom I generally have nothing but disdain, sounded earnest and sincere.  In a moment of deep sadness parliament did us proud with their compassion.

Posted in Parliament, Conservative Future, Leverington | No Comments »

23/10/2008 by Steve Tierney.

County Council Meeting
This week has been crazy busy! On Tuesday I had the pleasure to attend a full County Council meeting at Shire Hall in Cambridge. Cllr Simon King kindly took me along as a guest so I could familiarise myself with the layout and proceedings. Another prospective Conservative councillor Helen Critchell was there also “learning the ropes” so at least I wasn’t totally bereft of company! I’m confident Helen will be successful next year as she exudes intelligence and charm which I am certain will garner the support she deserves.

It was an interesting day and I have to say in all honesty I was ‘champing at the bit’ to get stuck into the debate when I heard the Lib Dems challenging some of the great work our Conservative councillors are doing. As people who know me are aware, I’m not unfamiliar with debate and I certainly never shy away from it! (Quite the opposite!)

It was all I could do to sit quietly in the public gallery, wishing I could challenge some of the comments made by those on the opposite bench.

My personal high point of the day was when the issue of the National Identity Card was raised, with a view to the council making clear they are opposed to this government policy in all its forms. This was a Lib Dem proposal that was roundly supported by the Conservatives (with some amendments that were cause for debate). In this area the Conservatives and the Lib Dems are in agreement. Even one of the four Labour councillors agreed with us! If you, like me, feel that the National Identity Card is an expensive, unnecessary and dangerous piece of government legislation then you should join the NO2ID Campaign. Let’s put a stop to this nonsense before it goes too far!

Leverington Parish Council Meeting
On Tuesday night I (pretty much) went straight from Shire Hall to the Leverington Parish Council meeting, pausing only for quick refreshment at The Six Ringers pub (an excellent friendly establishment that I heartily recommend!) The Parish Council has kindly allowed me to sit in on their meeting to get a feel for local matters. The meeting was informative and entertaining. I was impressed by the councillor’s obvious passion for their village and the hard work they undertake. Of particular note is the children’s playground they have created and are steadily improving through regular ‘working parties’. I hope to take my son there soon so we can enjoy the fruits of their labour and maybe snap a few pictures for this website so any readers can see how great this is! Of course, I offered any help and support they might need and I hope they will take me up on that! Once again, I am struck by the sheer quality of the parish Councils in this area! If I win the county election next year it will be an absolute privelige to work with them. Now some might cynically say that’s “lip service”, but those who know me would know that I’m a straight-speaker and I’m not afraid to call a shovel a shovel*. If you live in one of these Parishes you should know how well-served you are by these dedicated folk.
*Please excuse the inexcusable political correctness there.

CPF Meeting
Wednesday night I usually attend the FensCF meeting, but this week FensCF kindly shared their space and time with the Conservative Policy Forum. This is an opportunity for Conservatives to articulate their ideas and debate with other members over key policy issues. The results and conclusions are then sorted and submitted to Central Office for consideration in future national policy direction. The CPF meeting was extremely well attended (full, in fact.) There was much interesting debate on energy (traditional and renewable), climate change, waste, food security and, inevitably, the consequences of the current economic circumstances on those matters. Although everybody contributed intelligently, some speakers who seemed particularly well-informed on pertinent matters included; Robert Sears, Duncan Boughton and Ben Crowther. I personally found the meeting both enlightening and useful and all who attended seemed to agree. Congratulations are due to Lucy Heighton who chaired a successful meeting with her usual flair.

Posted in Cambs. County Council, Leverington, Conservatives | No Comments »