Today at PMQs Nick Clegg bashed the Labour party from a very Coalition point of view

Labour hate the fact that the Coalition is clearing up the mess that they left behind. Because the PM was in China the Deputy PM, Nick Clegg, stood in for him. On any interpretation he did a great job, when replying to questions from Harriet Harman. On certain issues we clearly have a different approach but on the key fundamental of turning the country around and taking the difficult decisions when left with a debt mountain the size of Everest the Coalition are as one. It is worth analysing some of the questions and answers:

He was tackled on the economy by Harriet Harman:
Clegg replied that:
"We have our differences on this side of the House, but the one thing that unites us is that we would not have gone on a prawn- cocktail charm offensive sucking up to the banks, which created the problem in the first place. We would not simply say to our children and grandchildren, “You can pay off this generation’s debts.” No one on this side of the House [ie the Conservatives and the Liberals] would have broken the British economy in the first place."

Harriet talked about Labour's energy policy [ a little rich from a government that failed to build any nuclear power stations etc]. Clegg replied, making the point about the need for greater switching, competetion and the efforts to reduce bills this week:
"We have done that by adjusting the policies, while adhering to our green commitments, where Government policy has an influence on people’s energy bills. Her party’s policy is pure fantasy—total and utter fantasy. We have got £50; she has a fantasy freeze."

Harriet again attacked on energy prices. Clegg addressed various issues - with a quick diversion into Spanish, which did cause a quick interruption...:
"The right hon. and learned Lady talks about standing up to vested interests, in the week that we discover that the great courage of the Labour leadership to stand up to its trade union paymasters is—[Interruption.] Guess what? It is mañana, mañana, mañana; all too difficult, an absolute—[Interruption.]"


Mr Speaker: Order. This House should be the bastion of free speech.

The Deputy Prime Minister:
"And, Mr Speaker, if I may say so, it should be the bastion of political parties free of vested interests, and it is high time that the Labour leadership does what it says and stands up to its trade union paymasters. The right hon. and learned Lady should stand up to her bosses first."

On the spare room subsidy, which Labour looked at but did not have the courage to address, Clegg replied as follows: "Under the right hon. and learned Lady’s Government, for 13 years housing benefit to people in the private rented sector was provided only on the basis of the number of rooms needed. We are applying exactly that same rule, which they administered for 13 years, to those in the social rented sector. For the reasons we heard earlier, we have at the same time many, many thousands of families in overcrowded properties and 1.8 million households still on the housing waiting list. As with so many other things, we are sorting out the mess they left behind"

Harriet tried to claim that Labour had a plan for the economy - this caused an awful lot of laughter by all present, given that Gordon Brown was their architect [with Balls as his right hand man] of the mess we are in: Clegg replied

"They are not a Government in waiting; they are not even an Opposition in waiting. It is 18 months before the next general election and we still have no clue from those six questions what the Labour party would actually do. Well, we know a few things: an energy con that would see prices go up rather than down; no apology for crashing the economy in the first place; and a total failure to stand up to trade union bosses. If they cannot manage to come up with some sensible polices and they cannot manage their own party, why should anyone think that they can manage our country?"


There were a lot of very upset members of the Labour party chuntering afterwards about how Labour needs to apologise, come up with a credible policies and stop opposing everything. For those interested in the full debate I attach it here:
 http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/todays-commons-debates/read/unknown/12/

Unsung Heroes - time spent with Barry and Elsie in Hexham Hospital

Last month I was lucky enough to spend some time in Hexham hospital, walking the wards with Barry, the head porter. I learnt a lot. Barry has worked in the new and old Hexham Hospital for over 30 years. There is pretty much nothing he does not know about how the hospital works. We spent a late morning, during the Children in Need day, delivering packages, moving blood tests, patients and their records, visiting the post room and the waste bins, and generally doing all the small jobs that make the hospital tick like a Swiss watch.  Also with me at the time was a Northumbria NHS Trust representative and we both learnt a lot as to how the hospital works from the bottom up. I am a big supporter of the new Cramlington Emergency Care Centre Hospital that is being built, but as we went round Hexham Barry was able to tell us of the tiny mistakes that were made in the building of Hexham that he would not want to see repeated.  None of these are life threatening or serious, they are just niggles, but it would be good if they were not there. For example, the entrance ramp to Hexham for the big lorries is on an unsuitable slope, and the unloading area does not have a differentiated height block to allow for easy unloading. Also the waste bins are kept in an area that is presently outdoors and uncovered, which is not ideal. All these sort of things are rectifiable in the new build at Cramlington. 

So I have asked that the Cramlington architect makes a special visit to Hexham to sit down with Barry, and the teams of core workers from the post men to the kitchen staff, to make sure that all the small details are not overlooked.

I also want to make a special mention of the wonderful Elsie, from Prudhoe, who I also met last month. Elsie volunteers as a greeter at Hexham Hospital and does an amazing job of putting people at their ease, when they first walk through the doors of the Hospital, whether as a patient or visiting a loved one. She is truly an unsung hero. It was a privilege to meet them both. 

Just the Biscuit! Jaspers Dog Treats highly commended at National Ready for Business awards

It was great to welcome Katie Kirkup, and her partner Gavin, down to the National awards for new start up businesses in the House of Commons yesterday. Katie set up her business from her kitchen in Ovingham in September and is doing really well. Her dog treats are super healthy, and are even adapted to dogs which do different types of activities - whether this is sheepdogs, gun dogs or dogs that go fell running with their owners. Having already won best business to consumer in the North East she was up against stiff competition countrywide from 7 other regional winners, but received a Highly Commended award and came second only to The Mobile Vet, an innovative vet business that goes door to door around the Isle of Wight. I chatted to Katie about the business which was launched at the Great North run - Katie works for Brendan Foster's promotion business in her day job. She explained that a few of the runners had even eaten the treats! The serious point is that the business was set up with some of Katie's own money, but also with support from the government and help from Tedco Business Support. She is planning to expand the business, and the innovative idea was admired by one and all. What was encouraging is that she sdescribed the process of getting government support as "easier than I thought it would be."

The treats will make a great Christmas Present. The website is here: http://www.jaspersdogtreats.co.uk/