Pleased to have been reselected as the Candidate to run for MP in Hexham in 2015

The Courant has reported my reselection as follows:
"Guy Opperman, the former barrister and amateur jockey has been unanimously re-selected by Hexham Conservative Association as their prospective candidate to defend his 5,700 majority.

Since being elected in 2010, Mr Opperman has built up an enviable reputation as an energetic and committed MP who has visited and taken up issues in just about every town and village in his 1,000 square mile constituency. Speaking after his re-selection Mr Opperman said: “It has been a real honour to serve as Hexham’s local MP for the last four years.

“I hope I have tried to do things a little bit differently from the standard MP. I have tried my hardest to get stuck in, get my hands dirty and not be afraid to stand up for our community.”

He is proud of the fact that he has always been his own man and not afraid to oppose the Tory party line.
He said: “When the Government has got it wrong, like considering regional pay for the public sector, or selling off our forests, I have been the first to stand up and say so.

“I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I am certainly far from the perfect politician. I don’t always get it right. Sometimes I make the wrong call, and I know not everyone might agree with me on all the issues.”

Mr Opperman hit the national headlines in April 2011 when he collapsed in the House of Commons after suffering severe headaches and was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

He was rushed to hospital and underwent emergency surgery and has now made a full a recovery.
He acknowledges his “incredible debt” to the National Health Service which saved his life and is a leading champion of the NHS in Parliament.

He continued: “ They say a week is a long time in politics; in which case, a year must be a lifetime. I hope over the next year, leading up to the election, I can work to continue to earn people’s votes, not as an MP they always agree with – or as an MP with all the answers – but as a local MP who always puts our area first and stands up for local people. That is why I am standing for re-election – to carry on that fight for our community and put local people first
Full report here:
http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/hexham-mp-will-run-for-re-election-after-vote-of-confidence-1.1116128

Renewal launches today - proud to have written for this brilliant pamphlet

http://www.renewalgroup.org.uk/Access_All_Areas_v1.0.pdf
I wrote the chapter at page 66, but would recommend all the pamphlet for bold and innovative thinking as to how we transform this great country.
The Pamphlet has got great coverage - it is edited by Consett born, David Skelton. Did the launch yesterday with Eric Pickles, and today with Laura Sandys, MP, Paul Uppal MP, and Rob Halfon, MP in the House of Commons.

Update: I was pleased to see one reader comment - see below in comments section - that this pamphlet is:
"a surprisingly good read!"
It is fair to say that the authors are almost all 2010 intake of Conservative MPs, who like myself are still very small fish in a big pond, notwithstanding that we might hold very junior roles in government - I for example am a junior Parliamanetary Private Secretary at the Home Office. The pamphlet is all about trying to sketch out policies for 2015 and beyond and to road test ideas both in print and speeches.
But you will hear lots more of the likes of Paul Uppal, the wonderful MP for Wolverhampton: Paul makes the point that the citizens of Wolverhampton elected him, a young lad from an ethnic minority, who grew up in a 2 up and 2 down in Wolverhampton, to a seat which was once represented by guess who ...? Enoch Powell, author or Rivers of Blood
This country has come a long way since the 1960s has it not?