On the Campaign Trail

The first week of the election campaign has gone. It started on Tuesday, attending the David Cameron's campaign launch at County Hall and since then we have been at tube stations, train stations and on the streets to meet local residents.

The next four weeks will be the chance for each politician to put their manifesto to the British people. We do not know what the result will be ...but people will have their say at the ballot box.

This is your opportunity to vote for change. Change the Economy, change Society and change Politics. Your vote matters, now more than ever. Your vote can change the local Member of Parliament and can also change the government of this country.

Photo: with supporters outsideTurnham Green tube station

Chiswick pensioners - not alone at Christmas

On Christmas Day, I went along to the 'Pensioners Alone at Christmas' lunch in Chiswick with Cllr John Todd and Cllr Gerald McGregor.

It was a superb event and wonderfully organised by Pauline Hart. Pauline (who has been doing this for over twenty years) and her team of volunteers collect pensioners in the morning from around the Chiswick area and then give them a fabulous Christmas dinner in the Bridge Street Chiswick Day Care Centre.

The pensioners, who otherwise would have spent the day alone, were thrilled to have a Christmas lunch organised for them and to get together with others to have a fun afternoon.

Congratulations to Pauline and the volunteers for yet again making the day really special for so many.

Photo: Mary and Cllr John Todd with some of the pensioners attending the lunch

A Community Weekend

There was a party atmosphere in Chiswick this weekend with lots of community events, including:

- Bedford Park Festival
- Sutton Court Residents Open Gardens
- St Michael's fundraiser on Elmwood Road
- the Chiswick House Kitchen Garden Open Day.

The sun was shining and there was a great atmposphere at all the events. Lots of work by local people had gone into making them a huge success.

What made these events special, was that they were all community initiatives. Individuals had taken the initiative on a voluntary basis and had made a real commitment to make a difference locally. This was community spirit in action ... and greatly enjoyed by all who participated.

Well done to everyone involved. We need more people like you!

Photo: Mary with Cllr John Todd and Cllr Gerald McGregor at the Bedford Park Festival in Chiswick - Cllr Paul Lynch was there too but lost him in the midst of all the stands! Thanks to Margaret Chadderton for taking the photo.

They have done it again! O% Council Tax Increase

Congatulations to Hounslow Council, who this week agreed to once again freeze its share of the Council Tax. Another zero% tax increase!

Hounslow has now moved from charging the 5th highest council tax in London, to the 11th highest. This is definitely heading in the right direction.

Council Leader Peter Thompson said, "Since council tax was introduced in 1993, the average bill in Hounslow has more than doubled. This has particularly hit residents with low to moderate fixed incomes, such as pensioners, who have struggled to meet continual rises. This year has been particularly difficult for us. Most of what we spend comes from Government and we received the worst settlement for a decade. The below inflation settlement unfairly penalises both the council and local residents. We have had to take some tough decisions about to how spend residents money, and we have made savings by identifying where we can do things differently or more efficiently. We have also increased our investment in services that local people have told us matter to them without dipping into our reserves. We are also putting aside £5 million for essential growth over the year."

Well done to all the Councillors, especially Cllr Peter Thompson and Cllr Gerald McGregor, who have worked tirelessly to deliver a budget that is right for the Borough. Thanks also to the rest of the Councillors who work hard to make sure that locally, residents get the services they need. This has been achieved, whilst still managing to ncrease the efficiency and performance of the Council. No easy task!