Gordon gloom could spell end for Keen

...this is the headline in The Hounslow Chronicle this week...


Channel 4 News' survey of voters in 60 marginal Labour constituencies found there was a swing of 12% in favour of the Conservatives. The YouGov poll, which did not include seats where Labour's main opposition is the Liberal Democrats, found only 1% of those questioned said they rated the Prime Minister's performance as excellent. A further 59% believe Mr Brown's performance to be poor, bad or dreadful.

Here, we need a 4% swing - so about 3600 additional votes, taking into account some small boundary changes. However, a week is a long time in politics! Anything can happen between now and the General Election and although I find the opinion polls encouraging, I do not take winning for granted. My priority right now is to meet as many local residents as possible, listen to concerns and issues and communicate clearly what the Conservative Party will do for people who live here. It is important that everyone knows what I believe in, what I stand for and what I will do for them.

As I go round the doorsteps meeting people in Chiswick, Brentford, Isleworth, Osterley and Hounslow, they are saying the same things to me - "it is time for a change...and a change for the better".

1. They feel we need strong leadership in these difficult times and Gordon Brown is not providing it. He is indecisive, as was seen this time last year, when he decided not to call a General Election. The country cannot afford another eighteen months of a divided Labour Party, a weak Prime Minister, and a Government driven by self-interest rather than the national interest. We need an election to get the strong leadership and change the country needs.

2. They are fed up with a cabinet and Labour Party that seems to be divided and that has no vision. What we need right now is a clear sense of direction and a Government able to lead us through these difficult economic times.

3. They feel Labour has failed them in not improving education, not improving healthcare and in not taking control of crime. Since the start of the year, 26 teenageers have been murdered in London alone. They have lost the personal details of almost half the population. As taxpayers, we constantly seem to be paying for more and achieving nothing.

4. The more people look at the arguments we are making, the policies we are developing and the vision of the future we are offering, the more they understand the scale of change we will bring. We are setting the political agenda across the board: from our long-term plan to fix the country's finances to our proposals to tackle the causes of poverty and extend opportunity to all school-children. We will
- give people more opportunity and power over their lives
- make families stronger and society more responsible
- make Britain safer and greener

But there is absolutely no room for complacency. I will fight for every vote until polling day, to deliver the change Brentford & Isleworth really needs.

Conservatives win Crewe and Nantwich

Fantastic night last night!

Edward Timpson, the Conservative candidate, won the Crewe and Nantwich by-election with a 7,860 majority - a swing of 17.6% from Labour to the Conservatives.

It is our first gain in a by-election for 26 years and the first from Labour since 1978. The turnout of 58% was higher than expected and Labour got an awful result ...probably due to the terrible 'class' campaign that they tried to run. It backfired dramatically!

Also, the public were sending a very clear message to Gordon Brown and how badly they feel let down by Labour. The 10p tax row is a perfect example of this. The British public believe it is time for a change ...and a change for the better... to the Conservatives.

Change at City Hall! Well done to Boris!

A tremendous result last night! Boris Johnson.was elected as the first Conservative Mayor of London. Voter turnout was 45% on Thursday and the winner was announced late last night:
Boris Johnson - 1,168,738 votes (53.2%)
Ken Livingstone - 1,028,966 votes (46.8%)

Locally in SW London, the result for Tony Arbour was:
Conservative - 76,913, Lib Dem - 49,985, Labour - 30,190
Thank you to all those who helped with the campaign and gave their time, energy, enthusiasm and commitment to getting the right result! Today there is now a new team in city hall. Today is the start of a new and better London.

It was an awful night for Labour and Gordon Brown in general. Not only, did they lose London, but they also had a huge defeat right across England:
Labour - 18 Councils (-434) = -10%
Conservative - 65 Councils (+300) = +10%
Lib Dem - 12 Councils (+33) = 0%
NOC/Ind - 64 Councils (+101) = +1%

This was a loud and clear message, that people want change. Can Gordon Brown survive for much longer?