South West Trains plan a surprise for commuters returning from holiday later this month – no more south entrance

On Monday 10^th August South West Trains intend to permanently close the south entrance to New Malden station. Regular station users and local businesses have been taken by surprise by the decision – although it turns out that the council has known for some time as they were consulted by South West Trains. Why has SW Trains kept it quiet until now, were they hoping everyone would be away on holiday in August and wouldn’t notice? And why did the Council keep it quiet too?

These are just some of the questions Helen Whately is asking South West Trains and Kingston Council in her correspondence with them. She has written to the Managing Director of SW Trains raising concerns about the closure, including the risk of overcrowding in the underpass, and asking the company to think again. Cllr Mary Clark has also raised serious health and safety concerns.

Helen Whately commented; “I am shocked at this decision to close an entrance. I understand the rationale for ticket barriers, but SW Trains should work out a way to install them without compromising access. Rather than reducing access to stations, the company should be improving access and particularly making it easier for the elderly, people with disabilities and mums with pushchairs to get to the platforms. This is a step in the wrong direction.”

More security needed for Tolworth Hospital staff

Annual Security Report for SW London and St George’s Mental Health Trust reveals still serious security risks despite improvements

Serious concerns have been raised by the latest report on security at SW London and St George’s Mental Health Trust. The report recommends a 24 hour security presence at Tolworth Hospital and suggests staff should be Security trained. Currently there is no security presence at the site during working hours, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays, staff lack security training and police to not always respond when requested. Staff at Tolworth suffered 74 physical assaults during 2008/9. Although many of these are relatively minor (and carried out by patients possibly unaware of their actions due to medication) there are also likely to be many incidents unreported. The report suggests many staff may see violence as just part of their job.

The Trust has launched initiatives to improve security and the drop in recorded incidents from 584 to 372 suggests these may be working, but the recommendations in the report show there is clearly much more to be done to make the Mental Health facilities safer for staff and patients.

The report also raises concerns about security at nearby Springfield Hospital and the inappropriate methods of transport used for high risk patients, which include taxis.

Commenting on the report, Helen Whately said

“This report raises serious questions about security at Tolworth hospital. South West London Mental Health Trust does have a history of security problems and though they have made improvements there is clearly more to do”.

“It is worrying that the police do not respond when called, according to the report. I am writing to the Borough Commander to ask for an explanation. I welcome that a report has been prepared and made public, but now the Mental Health Trust must do what is necessary to make sure staff and patients are safe.”

Helen Whately calls for honesty in the debate over equipment for British forces in Afghanistan.

When asked to comment on the growing debate about the number of helicopters available to the British Army in Afghanistan, Helen Whately responded, “I support the presence of our troops in Afghanistan. I think we should be there, but the Government needs to communicate much more clearly about the objectives and the time they will take to achieve. I believe our objective in Afghanistan is to make sure Al-Qaeda cannot  have 'safe havens' there, where they can train terrorists and coordinate attacks on British people.”

She went on to say “We have to give the Army the equipment that it needs to fufil the objectives set. It is clear that this is not happening under the present Labour government. Gordon Brown is not being honest when he says that there has been a 60% increase in the number of helicopters, as there has been 100% increase in the number of troops. It is time for a more honest debate, not just on the number of helicopters, but on whether the Army is getting the equipment it needs. If the Government is not committed to the mission on Afghanistan (and so not prepared to foot the bill) they should be honest about that. It is not fair on the men risking their lives to continue otherwise. ”

Local voluntary groups face unaffordable “rain tax”

Helen Whately has called on the Government to take immediate action to save local voluntary groups from the threatened ‘rain tax’- a huge hike in water charges which may be introduced as a result of Government guidance.

The Government has advised water companies to introduce charges for surface water drainage. Many churches, scout groups and amateur sports clubs will pay hundreds of pounds more in higher bills, in some cases amounting to a third of their yearly revenue. Helen spoke to volunteers helping at Hook First Scout Fair who were extremely concerned about the potential impact on their finances of paying several hundred pounds to Thames Water as a result.

The charges are by surface area so particularly costly for church halls and sports clubs – and the organisations using those sorts of community buildings which often have large roofs and car parks.  

Ministers have refused to accept responsibility, but the Government could use the forthcoming Flood and Water Management Bill to give water companies freedom to protect places of worship, scouts and guides groups, and amateur sports clubs from high charges through ‘social tariffs’.

Helen Whately said:

“I spoke to a volunteer at Hook First Scouts at their fair who told me how worried they are about the huge water charges. The sudden rise is totally unreasonable, and this is being forced on water companies by the Government. The Government needs to address flooding and drainage problems but this isn’t the answer. Water companies should be able to reduce the charges for voluntary groups given the vital role they play in community life.”

Midwifes speak out about staff shortages at Kingston Hospital.

June 26th 2009

In June a group of concerned midwifes spoke out, in a letter to the Surrey Comet, to highlight grave concerns over staff shortages. The letter raises a number of points that need to be addressed.

Midwifes are extremely concerned that while the number of women booked into the hospital has increased from 5000 to 7000 staff numbers have not kept pace. Although six extra beds were opened on one of the post natal wards to combat this, bed blocking is now commonplace. As a result women are occasionally giving birth on the antenatal ward as there are no beds available.  Midwifes are worried that a “conveyor belt” practice is now in place. A new policy has been implemented to encourage new mothers to go home as little as two hours after giving birth. They feel that this does not give new mothers the amount of time needed to bond with their babies and to allow midwifes to carry out their duties effectively. This has led to an increase in re-admission rates as a result of mothers being sent home early.

Helen Whately, MP candidate, raised these issues last year when she wrote to hospital management after waiting two or three days for a labour bed because the hospital was too full. Since this letter was published Helen has met with the head of midwifes and the head of obstetrics to follow up these concerns. They both said that they were recruiting more midwifes to address this shortage of staff.

Helen said: "From my personal experience it comes as no surprise because I got the impression they were incredibly stretched and the midwives were having to rush between women. I was however extremely impressed with the staff attitude and level of care. My meeting was extremely positive and I hope that the problems I highlighted last year will now be resolved. I have a great deal of sympathy for all concerned, the Labour government has squandered billions of pounds of money in the NHS. Instead of investing money in frontline services it has wasted it on creating unnecessary layers of management and ill thought out campaigns.”  

Council consults on Primary School expansion plans - but will Government find the money?

11th June 2009

This week Helen Whately, MP candidate, attended two of the Council’s consultation meetings about the expansion of primary schools in Kingston and Surbiton. It was an opportunity for Helen to meet parents and understand their views on the plans.

Some concerns were raised by parents about the consultation process itself. Many felt that there was a lack of clarity about the process. They had expected a formal consultation meeting, but instead the events followed a ‘road show’ format. Council officers advised that formal meetings will happen in the autumn. The proposals also lacked the detail necessary for such an important decision. Again, council officers advised that more detail will be in the formal consultation in the autumn.

Council officers stated that the Surbiton Hospital site has been chosen for the new primary school in Surbiton. In response Helen Whately said “The Surbiton Hospital site has a lot going for it – it’s located in one of the areas most in need of more school places, and there is plenty of space. However, I have asked the PCT to confirm that they have agreed to this, because a school wasn’t even mentioned in the report they commissioned in December on the future of the site. I’m also concerned that the Council doesn’t have a back up plan in case the Surbiton Hospital site falls through”.

In Chessington the expansion of Ellingham Primary School was the focus of discussion. Parents and teachers told Helen about the need for investment in the facilities, not least the hope for some green space for children to play in. Some parents were concerned about increasing the size of the school from one-form to two-form entry, both because of a change of atmosphere and practicalities such as lack of space for dropping-off and collecting children. However, the expansion program provides an opportunity for investment to be made in the facilities and can only go ahead if the practical problems like congestion at the school entrance are resolved.

Commenting on the plans as a whole, Helen Whately said; “The other challenge the Council faces is securing funds for this expansion program. Every child has to have a school place by law, but with the public finances in such a mess it’s no wonder everyone is worrying where the money will come from. I’ll be campaigning to make sure we don’t lose out yet again because the Government doesn’t value voters here.”  

Helen Whately supports local Tamils' campaign for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka

12th May 2009

Today Helen Whately met Tamil representatives in the House of Commons to increase the pressure on the Government to take action on the crisis in Sri Lanka.

The meeting was hosted by Lee Scott MP who is a vocal campaigner for the rights of Tamils and has called repeatedly for the Government to take action. Helen was joined by by local Tamil residents Kris Saravana and Nathan Kumar, President of the British Tamil Forum.

Helen Whately is supporting Tamil calls for ;

1/ A UN-monitored ceasefire

2/ Access to the conflict zone and refugee camps for UN representatives, aid agencies and journalists

3/  Recognition of the basic human rights of Tamils by the Sri Lankan government and respect for the Geneva convention

Helen wants to see the British Government move from rhetoric to action to put real pressure on the Sri Lankan government. She recognises the complexity of the situation in Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers' reputation as a terrorist organisation, but is concerned about the thousands of Tamil civilians caught up in this conflict.

The Sri Lankan Government has denied the reports of genocide and blames the Tamils for the humanitarian crisis, but while they will not give monitors or journalists proper access there is no evidence to support their denials.  On the other hand, many of the several thousand Tamils living in the Kingston area speak of relatives and friends who have died or disappeared, of atrocities in the camps, of children being separated from their parents and of desperate shortages of medicines, food and water.  

Helen also visited the Tamil protest in Parliament Square.

Helen Whately said “The reports coming from the conflict zone and camps are horrific. I am not condoning the Tamil Tigers' history of terrorism, but there is a risk that in future Tamils will be known as the victims of genocide. We must not let Sri Lanka become another Rwanda. This is a matter of life and death for the many relatives and friends of local Tamils who are in Sri Lanka. ”

Schools petition presented to Council

31st March 2009

Today, Helen Whately presented a petition with 283 signatures to Kingston Council. The petition called for ‘Local schools for Local Children’ and urged the Council to find long term solutions to Kingston ongoing lack of primary school places which has dogged the borough for the past two years.

At the Council meeting Helen said:

I am presenting this petition for Local Schools for Local Children on behalf of local parents. Most of the parents who have signed this petition live in Surbiton where the campaign was launched, but the support also extends to Kingston, Tolworth, New Malden and Chessington where parents share these concerns.

The petition has received 383  signatures

The petition called on the council to:

• Add places in local primary schools to ensure no Surbiton child starting school in 2009 has to travel for more than 30 minutes (on foot or by public transport) to get to school
• Adjust admissions policies to make schools take into account how far a child will have to travel if they don’t get offered a place at their nearest schools
• Add capacity in the local area for the long term to make sure that this problem doesn’t keep happening every year

Parents welcome the steps taken by the council to address the first of these points, providing places in bulge classes located where there is most need. However, let no one suggest that this should be seen as something to celebrate. Parents have still gone through months of worrying and schools have been made to take on extra classes against the wishes of parents and, I believe, teachers. Parents and teachers have told me their concerns about overcrowding. While council officers have assured me that this is not a problem, but in this statement there is a clear gap between their view and that of parents.  I have also heard about compromises which may have to be made on use of outside and shared space like playgrounds. The council must do everything it can to make sure the bulge classes do not have a detrimental impact on any of the children at the schools hosting them.

The need to address the second and third points, admissions policies and the long term solution, is just as pressing as it was when the petition was set up, in fact, more so as several months have now passed and the next admissions round will soon be upon us.

Parents are calling for the adjustment to admissions policies to make sure children who are outside the catchment areas of all their local schools are not disadvantaged and forced to travel across the borough past several nearby schools to one where there is a place. Council officers have told us it is difficult to adjust admissions policies to address this, but I am certain that it is possible. The fact that it may be a bit more complicated is not a reason not to do so, and there are precedents to follow here.

The final point, the need to add capacity for the long term, is critical. We know that the council is soon to launch a consultation on this. That cannot start to soon. Two years in a row there have been last minute classes added on and panic for places. Two years in a row there has been a primary school places crisis. We cannot have a crisis three years in a row – that would be chronic failure.  

On behalf of the  parents and residents who have signed this petition I call on the council to take note and act quickly, openly and effectively.

Conservative Shadow Minister for Business, Mark Prisk MP, condemns  Government red tape during his visit to Surbiton

30th March 2009

Mark Prisk MP, Shadow Minister for Business, joined Helen Whately, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Kingston and Surbiton, in Surbiton last week to meet local business people and discuss the challenges they are facing.

Helen introduced the discussion by raising some of the problems small businesses are facing today and how she is keen to hear from the local business community.  Helen, who has recently returned to work following the birth of her son, George, stated that “Local businesses are vital to the community. Businesses can lose out in the political process because they don’t have votes. Mark Prisk’s visit to Surbiton to meet business people here is a sign that local businesses would be listened to by a Conservative Government.”

Mark Prisk, who has first hand experience of running his small business prior to being elected to parliament, generated debate on the challenges small businesses face.  He reinforced the Conservative Party’s commitment to promoting and enabling  entrepreneurship.  Mark highlighted the need to foster a culture of success in business in the UK and provide an appropriate regulatory environment that is not a burden on business, as the Labour Government has created. 

Business owners in the audience confirmed how the burden of over regulation is making running a business increasingly less attractive. The view from several business people present was that employment legislation may well work well for larger businesses but much of it is not suitable for the smaller ones, which actually employee the majority of employees.  The audience also confirmed that recently set up Government schemes to assist small businesses during these difficult economic times is not only just not working, but a complete failure.  Only one member of the audience knew of company that has received a loan from the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme but the requirement for personal guarantees from management made a complete mockery of the scheme.

After the meeting Mark Prisk said “I valued the open discussion with business owners from Surbiton and the local area. It confirmed what I have heard from so many business people – that this Government has stifled innovation and hampered businesses by overwhelming them with red tape. Even Gordon Brown’s rescue schemes to help businesses through the recession have so much red tape that they are almost impossible to access”.

Helen Whately to present Primary Schools Petition at 31^st March Council Meeting

25th March 2009

On behalf of local parents, Helen Whately, the Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for Kingston and Surbiton, will present the 'Local Schools for Local Children' petition at the Council meeting on 31^st March. Over 250 signatures have been received so far.

The 'Local schools for Local Children' Campaign, run by Surbiton parents, is in response to the continuing crisis in primary school capacity in the Borough. Last year there was a shortfall of 200 places until the council put in place last minute 'bulge' classes. This year the shortfall is around 300 places, and the council's attempts to anticipate extra numbers still fell short. The ongoing use of temporary bulge classes is leading to overcrowding which is unfair on children and their teachers. The campaign is intended to put pressure the council to take action to avoid a repeat of this next year and for this action to be a proper long term solution not another inadequate short-term fix.

Responding recently to her campaign being highlighted by Nick Gibb MP in a Westminster Hall debate, Helen said:

‘Over 250 local people have signed the petition to Kingston Council calling for more local primary school places. I welcome the council’s announcement of extra places for this year, but the campaign calls on them to put in place a long term solution. They must make sure the crisis isn’t repeated again next year. As I have said previously, the start of a child’s education is incredibly important – during these formative years it is imperative that their education begins as smoothly as possible.’

The Petition will be handed in a meeting of the Council of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to be held at the Guildhall, Kingston Upon thames on Tuesday 31 March 2009 at 7.30pm. The petition is open for signatures up to 30 March, and can be found on the council website [Link - http://www.kingston.gov.uk/information/your_council/epetitions/petition122.htm]

Helen Whately’s Primary School campaign recognised in Westminster Hall debate

4th March 2009

Helen Whately, the Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for Kingston and Surbiton, was recognised in a Westminster Hall debate yesterday for her campaign on the need for more primary school places in the area.

During a debate in Westminster Hall Nick Gibb MP, Conservative Shadow Minister for Children, Schools and Families, highlighted Helen’s work, stating:

 “Parents in Kingston are concerned and they blame the council. Of course, they take into account all the other factors, but parents’ concerns have also been raised by Helen Whately, who has been campaigning with the parents the hon. Gentleman mentions to raise the profile of the problem and to put pressure on Kingston council to fix the immediate crisis and put in place plans for long term-solutions.”

 Helen said:

 “ I welcome the use of a Westminster Hall debate on primary school places to raise the profile of the issue. However, by calling this debate Ed Davey has conveniently distracted from the fact that it is his party at Kingston Council who presided over the debacle in primary education in our area”.

 “What local people will want to know is what impact these words will have here in Kingston and Surbiton. The current situation is unfair on teachers, unfair on parents and, most importantly, unfair on the children whose education is at stake.

 “So far, over 150 local people have signed the petition to Kingston Council calling for more local primary school places. I welcome the council’s announcement of extra places for this year, but we are still collecting signatures for the petition because it also calls on them to put in place a long term solution. They must make sure the crisis isn’t repeated again next year. As I have said previously, the start of a child’s education is incredibly important – during these formative years it is imperative that their education begins as smoothly as possible.

 “I am grateful to my colleague Nick Gibb MP for highlighting my efforts, and those of concerned parents here in Kingston and Surbiton, to see this situation rectified.”

 Helen Whately’s online petition can be found here:

 http://www.kingston.gov.uk/information/your_council/epetitions/petition122.htm

 The full text of the Westminster Hall debate can be read here:

 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090303/halltext/90303h0004.ht

Surbiton Parents Launch Petition calling for Local Schools for Local Children
7th February 2009
At 10am on Saturday a group of Surbiton parents gathered on the Iron Bridge at the junction of King Charles Road and Cranes Park to launch a petition calling for 'Local schools for local children'. This is in response to the continuing crisis in primary schools in the Borough.

Last year there was a shortfall of 200 places until the council put in place last minute 'bulge' classes. This year the shortfall is believed to be around 300 places, and the council's attempts to anticipate extra numbers still fell short. The five 'bulge' classes which they put in place in advance have proved woefully inadequate.

Local parents are worried and frustrated. When the original bulge classes were put in place, Surbiton parents feared long school runs because none of the extra classes were in the central Surbiton/North Berrylands area. Thanks to the council's commitment to put the extra bulge classes where they are needed, the risk of long journeys is now reduced. The problem now is overcrowding in Surbiton schools, with so many extra children being squeezed onto constrained sites.

Parents' are particularly frustrated that the council failed to prepare properly for this years' expanded intake, given not only the extra numbers last year, but also a lack of places going back at least four or five years for children in Surbiton.

Parents are launching this petition calling on the council to make sure they provide local school places for Surbiton children this year, and also, take action to solve the problem for 2010.

Helen Whately is supporting parents in this campaign; "The council should have been prepared for even greater numbers this year. This is the second year running that the problem has become a crisis. This is taking liberties with one of the most important responsibilities of local government - providing children with an education. They must not let this happen again in 2010".

She also believes a new school will probably be needed; "I expect several schools will have to expand permanently, but that alone is unlikely to be enough. I think Surbiton needs a new primary school."

Shadow Minister visits Kingston Business Crime Reduction Partnership

20th January 2009

Helen Whately, the Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for Kingston and Surbiton, welcomed the Shadow Minister for Crime Reduction, James Brokenshire MP, to Kingston on Monday.

James Brokenshire was in Kingston to meet representatives from the local Business Crime Reduction Partnership and hear about their work to reduce retail crime and make the town centre safer.  The Conservative Party has launched a Retail Crime Commission to consider ways to combat shoplifting and other crimes against retail firms. The Commission is expected to publish its recommendations in the Spring and the visit to Kingston gave the Shadow Minister an up to date perspective of some of the challenges facing local businesses.

During the visit Helen Whately explained the impact that crime and antisocial behaviour were having on businesses in Kingston and other local town centres.

Helen said:

"I was delighted to welcome James Brokenshire to Kingston today. As Shadow Home Affairs Minister he is taking a leading role in the Conservative Party's policy review on retail crime."

"Today's visit was an invaluable opportunity for me to raise the issues that concern local business owners here in Kingston and Surbiton. I was able to discuss with James what we would do to help shops in smaller town centres, such as Surbiton and New Malden, who are not part of a Business Improvement District (BID) and would struggle to afford the contributions were one to be established. I hope that a future Conservative government will consider reinvesting a proportion of business rates to fund local crime reduction initiatives and infrastructure improvements, particularly to help smaller town centres and parades."

"These are difficult economic times and shoplifting is an additional blight that local businesses could well do without. This Government has down-graded the importance of combating shoplifting with a large proportion of offences going unreported and unpunished – they have a great deal to answer for and I for one will continue to hold them to account."

Helen calls for assurances on new primary school places

14th January 2009

Today Helen met with Patrick Leeson, Kingston Council's Director of Learning and Children's Services after she found out that there are still not enough primary school places for September 2009. The Council are already planning additional classes but local parents are concerned that the classes will be at the wrong school, forcing them to drive across the borough to take their children to school.

Last year over 200 children were left without places before the Council added additional classes in portacabins at schools around the borough.

The Council will be holding a consultation on primary school places in the next few months. Helen has said that she “will continue to liaise with parents and ensure that their views are properly taken into account by the Council."

If you have any views on primary school education in Kingston, pleases email Helen at Helen@kingstonconservatives.com

Protest outside Old Malden library as Council mulls over its future

10th January 2009

Today Helen, local residents and Conservative Councillors David Fraser, Mick Amson and Nick Kilby joined together for the second year in a row, to protest against threats to the library.

This vital local service is cherished by residents, who value having the library round the corner making it easy to drop in. As well as borrow books residents value the wide range of activities such as story time sessions for under 5's, homework club, reading groups and computer tuition.

Helen is adamant that the Library “doesn’t go the way of so many other community services – downsized, cut back, and finally killed off.”

Wrens discuss war work with Helen

10th January 2009

Helen joined the Kingston Wrens today at their monthly meeting. She was truly inspired by their war time stories. Their experiences range from serving as a Naval cook, to operating a radio service for the D Day landings and breaking German codes at Bletchley Park.

Helen spoke to them about how the role of women in both world wars transformed the future career opportunities for women, except in parliament where we still have so few female MPs.

During the event some of the Wrens raised concerns about the impact of Gordon Brown's interest rate cuts on pensioners' incomes, high council tax and the Governments dismissive attitude towards pensioners. Helen and the Conservatives want to raise the basic state pension and cut taxes on savings. Helen said “We owe them and all others who served during the war a great debt of thanks. In practical terms, that should include making sure they can afford to pay for heating in this very cold weather.”

Helen welcomes a new school for North Kingston

3rd December 2008

Parent's in North Kingston have, after ten long years of campaigning persuaded that Council that North Kingston needs a new secondary school. Local Conservatives, including Councillors Nick Kilby, Cllr Dennis Doe, and Parliamentary Candidates Zac Goldsmith and Helen Whately, are glad to have been able to support parents in this campaign.

Brown's Tax Bombshell will fall painfully on Kingston

28th November 2008

The Government's response to the recession will push Kingston's residents further into the red. The £20bn temporary tax giveaway is just a cover-up for £40bn of permanent tax rises which will hit us in 2010/11, just after the next election. Those tax rises average at £1,500 for every family in Kingston.

Helen is dismayed that Gordon Brown's reckless spending over the last ten years has put us in this position. She is outraged that teachers, nurses, doctors, police officers - anyone who earns over £20,000 will be hit by at least a £1,500 tax bill in the near future.

She said "Gordon Brown has been irresponsible with the country's finances for the last decade. Gordon Brown is mortgaging our future to try and safeguard his."

Helen criticises South West Trains for increasing train fares despite the credit crunch 

22nd November 2008

Train fares in the New Year are set to go up by an inflation busting 7.2% as South West Trains press ahead with new fare increases, despite the looming recession. After eleven years in charge of our railways, the Government has totally failed to get costs under control. Now fifteen thousand local commuters face yet another fare increase. Not only are passengers paying more, but they have to put up with extreme overcrowding.

Season tickets and other regulated fares will rise by 6%, while unregulated fares could rise by 7.2%

The news was greeted with dismay by Helen, who has been working to get South West Trains to move forwards on station rezoning. Helen criticised the Government for allowing these outrageous fare increases at a time when families are struggling to pay the bills. The fare rises are particularly unacceptable as most commuters have no other way of getting to work.

Helen has written to both South West Trains and the Department of Transport urging them to stop these massive rises in train fares and tackle the overcrowding.

Local business people discuss credit crunch challenges with Helen Whately

20th November 2008

Local businesses are looking for support from government to help them survive the credit crunch. Increases in service charges, the cost of 'empty rates', access to Small Business Rate Relief  and the complexity of employment legislation were just some of the topics discussed at the Kingston and Surbiton Conservatives' business breakfast on Thursday. Helen Whately spoke about how businesses' demands on Government have changed in the last few months, with the call for reduced Government interference and red tape now largely drowned out by the calls for intervention. Businesses want help from Government but without the hindrance of expensive bureaucracy and form filling in order to access it.

The discussion also covered broader economic issues such as the role that downturns play in the economy and whether the Keynesian approach being espoused by Gordon Brown will result in a trickle down effect to small businesses. The difficulty for SMEs winning contracts from the public sector, due to the complex procurement processes and apparent preference for well known providers, were raised as barriers. The proposal for a proportion of public sector spending to be directed to SMEs gained widespread support from the group, but just making public sector procurement more accessible and affordable for smaller businesses would be a step in the right direction.

The debate was fuelled by a delicious breakfast served by Hotel Bosco, with Cllrs Howard Jones and Nick Kilby in attendance to answer questions about local council policies.

The next business breakfast is on Thursday 18 December, again at Hotel Bosco, with Chris Blackhurst from the Evening Standard as guest speaker. Tickets can be bought from the Kingston and Surbiton Conservative Association, email office@kingstonconservatives.com for more details.

Helen remembers those in our armed forces past and present

9th November 2008

Helen attended the Remembrance Day Service in Kingston.  She was honoured to lay a wreath on behalf of the Kingston & Surbiton Conservative Association in memory of those who lost their lives in war.  As this year marks the 90^th anniversary of the end of the First World War this year’s Service was particularly poignant.  It also served as a reminder of the risks being taken by current service men and women. 

Helen said, "We must never forget the sacrifices made for us by servicemen and women. My grandparents’ generation risked their lives to secure freedom for their children and grandchildren. The memory of their sacrifice must live on. Remembrance Day is also a reminder of the bravery of our troops serving around the world today".

Helen visits Cloyda care home and Age Concern's Raleigh Centre in preperation for Older People's Day

25th September 2008

Helen spent Thursday morning speaking to some of the older residents of the borough in preparation for Older Peoples' Day. She visited Cloyda care home and Age Concern's Raleigh Centre in New Malden. She was accompanied by Cllr Ken Smith. Wednesday 1 October is Older Peoples Day, an opportunity to celebrate the contribution older people make to families and communities.

Helen commented after her visit; "I really valued the chance to speak to some of the older people in the borough. They have wonderful stories to tell and so much experience of life. It reminded me that I don't spend enough time with my own grandparents. Older Peoples' Day can help us focus on what we're doing for older members of our community. Many people work incredibly hard to care for older relatives and friends, but as a society we don't do enough."

 Boris Johnson takes Kingston and Surbiton a step closer to Zone 5
24 September 2008

Boris Johnson has taken action to bring about the rezoning of Kingston and Surbiton stations from zone 6 to zone 5. To show his support for hard-pressed local commuters the Mayor has offered to waive Transport for London's lost revenue from their share of the lower priced travel card.

Helen welcomed this announcement, the first real sign of progress towards getting the stations rezoned. She has been speaking to Boris' office throughout the summer to find out what the Mayor can do in practice to bring about rezoning, and to keep Kingston's needs high up the mayoral agenda.

With the cost to London Transport no longer a barrier, the Mayor can now help us put pressure on the Train Operating Companies and the Department of Transport to carry out the rezoning . Unfortunately, taking the decision to rezone is not within Boris' remit.

New arrival for Helen and Marcus

3rd August 2008

George Whately was born on 3 August 2008 at Kingston Hospital. He arrived at 3.31 in the afternoon and weighed 7lb11oz. 

Post Office ignored letters from residents

10th July 2008

The Post Office ignored hundreds of letters and petitions from residents when it decided to close five Kingston and Surbiton Post Offices in June. Helen Whately uncovered this dismissive treatment of local people after submitting a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Post Office. She has called for the consultation to be reopened and for the views of local people to be properly considered. 

The response to Helen’s FOI showed that just 65 letters and one petition (of 120 signatures) were considered in the consultation on the five local Post Offices - Hook Rise, Surbiton Park, Norbiton Common, Burlington Road and Plough Green. This compares to over 200 letters and a petition of nearly 2000 signatures which Helen delivered in person to Post Office headquarters in central London. All five post offices were closed despite the strong arguments put to the Post Office about their importance to local communities.

Helen has written to the Chief Executive of Post Office Ltd. calling for an urgent meeting and proposing that the consultation should be reopened.

Helen commented “I was suspicious that Post Office Ltd wasn’t really concerned about the impact on local communities, but I am shocked to discover that they haven’t got any record of all the letters and petitions. Many of the letters provided important information for the consultation. These post offices provided vital services to local people, particularly for the elderly and disabled, as well as local businesses.”

“Petitions were recorded for several other London Post Offices which were kept open as a result of the consultation. Would our post offices have been saved if our petitions and letters had been taken into account? I will do everything I can to make sure Post Office Ltd can’t get away with this.”

Failed Government Policy is at the Root of the School Admissions Crisis

22nd May 2008

Over 200 four and five year olds have no school to go to in September because the Council has failed to provide enough places. Kingston Council failed to foresee a surge in demand for school places this year, and while other boroughs have had similar problems, the situation in Kingston is the worst in London.

Despite knowing as early as January that they would face a shortage of places, Kingston Council failed to act. As a result one in seven children have no reception place. On top of this extraordinary situtation, the Council will face appeals from many parents whose children have not been offered a place in their preferred school.

On 22 May, Helen Whately and Cllr Nick Kilby met a group of parents to discuss what action can be taken. As well as discussing how the situation arose and the lack of action or communication from Kingston Council, the discussion focused on practical steps to tackle the situation.

The immediate priority is to make sure every child has a place well in advance of the start of term on 3rd September, and that the lack of choice doesn't result in a trek half way across the borough for parents. Helen has been told that seven local schools have been asked to take extra students, but the final decision on these school expansions is in the hands of the school governors.

Some children are likely to end up being taught in portacabins. This can only be a temporary solution; these children must be provided with proper places, in permanent buildings with permanent teachers.  The Council must also ensure that there is not a repeat of this fiasco when these children move to junior school, and that children are never left without a school place again.

It has become clear, in Kingston and all around the country, that the education system needs radical reform to ensure something like this never happens again. We need to move away from the command and control approach that got Kingston into this mess in the first place. Good schools need the freedom to expand to meet demand and the process of setting up a new school should be much, much easier. This would give parents a real choice, which would not just be about choosing a school close to home but also choosing a school of the right size and ethos for each child.

Helen said:

"Local parents are trapped between a failed government and a council in denial. The council should have seen this problem coming and should have taken action months, if not years, ago. Underlying this crisis is a government which is determined to control everything from the centre, operating a soviet-style central planning system for education".

"Parents shouldn't be competing for scarce places in good schools - schools should be competing for children. Gordon Brown talks about choice but we're seeing the opposite in practice."

David Cameron visits Kingston to find out about crime and antisocial behaviour in the Borough

2nd April 2008

David Cameron visited Kingston on Wednesday 2 April to find out about crime and antisocial behaviour in the Borough. David and Helen met the Borough Commander, Police Constables, Community Support Officers and Kingston's Street Pastors to discuss the challenges they face in Kingston.

David asked about form-filling, and was concerned to learn how much this keeps the police them from their frontline duties. He also spoke to the PCSOs about how they feel their role is working. There was agreement at the meeting about the need to balance keeping records, for the sake of tracking repeat offenders, with time on the beat.

David emphasised that just to focus on punishment of criminals is not enough; in order to achieve a long term reduction in antisocial behaviour, the fundamental breakdown of society must be tackled as well as ensuring tough policing. While most crime reporting is focused on violence in inner-cities, he recognised that Kingston also suffers from social breakdown, particularly in its deprived areas.

David Cameron was particularly interested in the collaboration between local police and street pastors, as an example of how voluntary organizations are often better placed to deal with local problems than government.

After the meeting, David pledged his full support for Boris Johnson, the Conservative candidate for Mayor, and spoke to an audience of local Conservatives about how Boris's crime policies would help Kingston's antisocial behaviour.

Helen delivers your petitions and letter to the Post Office Ltd

31st March 2008

Today, Helen delivered over 200 letters from local residents and petitions with over 1600 signatures to Post Office Ltd's head office. She highlighted her concerns to the Post Office representative during the meeting, including;

• The impact on elderly and disabled people who will find it very difficult to access alternative post offices
• The impact on relatively deprived communities, particularly around Norbiton Common Post Office, who will also find it difficult to travel to town centre post offices
• The impact on local businesses, because many use local post offices to serve internet customers,and often rely on passing trade as people come and go from the post office
• The long queues likely at the town centre post offices as they get more customer, and where there are already unacceptably long waiting times

Helen asked the Post Office to take full account of the evidence presented. The representative committed to ensuring the letters would all be read and the information taken into account in the review process. The final decision is due to be announced in May.

After the meeting, Helen commented;

"Post Office Ltd will not be able to ignore these petitions and letters. I went in person to make sure they will be read.  Anyone reading them will be unable to ignore what a terrible thing they are doing closing our post offices. They will realise the affect on elderly and disabled people particularly, who cannot make the longer journeys to town centre post offices, let alone stand in queues for 30 minutes or more waiting to be served".

"I am calling on Post Office Ltd to reconsider and reverse their plans to close these post offices. At the very least, they should put the brakes on the closures until they have properly assessed their impact and provided realistic alternatives for residents who cannot manage the long journeys to other post offices."

Boris Johnson, the Conservative candidate for London Mayor, visits Kingston

22nd March 2008

Boris Johnson brought his campaign to become Mayor of London to Kingston this weekend. He spoke to shoppers in the town centre about his policies and how they will make life better in the borough. Helen accompanied Boris as he stopped to greet people and ask about their concerns. Many people wished him good luck. Boris then signed our petition to keep our post offices open; you can do the same by clicking here

Boris's policies went down well with the people of Kingston; his commitment to improving transport for London's commuters, making the streets safer and making London a greener place to live, are important priorities for many residents in Kingston and the surrounding towns.

Boris said:

"It was great to be out in Kingston and I was really bowled over by seeing so many supporters out and about.  People must realise that the only way to see real improvements in Kingston is to vote for change on May 1^st. I will continue to work to set out my ideas to make London's streets, public transport and green spaces safer."

Helen said:

"Boris visited Kingston because he recognizes that being Mayor of London isn't just about the inner city; boroughs like ours count too. Boris' priorities - getting London moving, making it safe, providing affordable housing - are priorities here too. He is also committed to letting London's boroughs make decisions locally, rather than butting in and interfering like we've seen from Ken. I have no doubt that Boris is better for Kingston"

Over 40% of Kingston's children will not get their first choice of Secondary School

9th March 2008

Thousands of parents received letters last week giving them news of a decision which will shape their childrens' lives for the next five years - which secondary school they have got into. Forty percent of children in Kingston faced disappoinment when they failed to get a place at their chosen school. Kingston's 40% rate compares to a London average of 35% (reported by the Evening Standard) and is substantially worse than the estimated average in England of 18% (estimated by The Times).

While Kingston benefits from some of the best secondary schools in the country, there are significant differences in ethos and standards, as well as the distances children will need to travel to get to school. Parents have every right to feel strongly about rejected applications.

What can we do about this high number of failed applications? Helen believes parents should have more choice of schools - that parents should be able to choose where there children go, rather than schools choosing between children. This will

only work if we have more schools, which will then compete to offer excellence in education but also differentiate through developing particular strengths.

To achieve this, a Conservative government will allow parents to set up their own schools where there is demand, as

parents are in the best position to know what their children need. Conservatives have been campaigning for months now, with local parents, for a new school in North Kingston. This campaign has been opposed by local Liberal Democrats. Along with the Government, they are fixated on expanding existing schools, making them ever bigger and more impersonal, rather than helping parents get want they want - a choice of good local schools.

Helen said:

"I am concerned that so many children are not able to go to their first choice of secondary school. I share parents' concerns about the restricted availability of secondary school places in the borough. I would like to see our local schools competing for children, not the other way round. I hope the Liberal Democrat councillors and local MPs will take note and reconsider their opposition to increasing school choice."

Helen delivers our EU Referendum Petition to 10 Downing Street 

3rd March 2008

Over the past few months Helen has been campaigning for a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty, a lightly amended version of the rejected EU Constitution. Hundreds of local people joined our call for a referendum by signing the petition, which Helen personally delivered to 10 Downing Street.

Local residents want to have a say on the treaty, but only the Conservatives are willing to honour their manifesto commitment. Labour now refuses to hold a referendum and the Liberal Democrats have also reversed their position. Instead of backing the motion in Parliament calling for a referendum, our local MP abstained and made a headline-grabbing scene calling for a referendum on 'in versus out' - a position which had no probability of success.

Other parties claim that they have not made U-turns on the grounds that this treaty differs substantially from the original Constitution. However, this defence does not stand up to scrutiny, literally; compare the two documents and the similarities overwhelm the differences.

The Lisbon Treaty has far reaching consequences, bolstering EU institutions without resolving their democratic deficit, and making inroads into British sovereignty in critical areas like justice and foreign policy. This is why Helen has been campaigning against it and why she personally delivered the petition to Gordon Brown.

Their refusal to hold a referendum demostrates how out of touch Gordon Brown's Government has become during his 10 years in power. By not honouring their 2005 manifesto commitment, Labour has shown contempt for voters. Gordon Brown goes on about building 'Britishness', suggesting children should make oaths to the Queen, but if he meant this seriously he would give people a real say on the future of Britain and our relationship with the European Union.

Save Our Post Offices - The Campaign Continues

23rd February 2008

Over 70 residents turned out on Saturday to join Helen Whately's campaign to Save Our Post Offices. The five protests, held outside each of the five Post Offices earmarked for closure, received widespread support from all political parties. Kingston & Surbiton's Liberal Democrat MP, several Liberal Democrat councillors and the Labour Party Candidate turned up for photos at all five protests. Local Conservative MPs supported the campaign, with Chris Grayling, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (and MP for Epsom and Ewell) joining protestors at Hook Rise and Stephen Hammond MP from Wimbledon taking part in the protest at Burlington Road.
 
Feelings were running high as residents are dismayed at the prospect of losing their local Post Offices. Helen spoke to residents about the inadquately short consultation period, and how closing the Post offices will sever a vital life line for elderly and disabled users.

Helen said about organising the protests;"I set these protests  up because I wanted to give all the local communities affected by these closures a chance to be heard, and because every Post Office counts."

 Below are some of the comments made residents to Helen:

 "Closing this post office will destroy this parade, tearing the guts out of the community"

"There are a lot of elderly people living around here for whom it would be very difficult to have to use a car to get to the other post offices…where there long queues at most times"

"I am disabled and would find it very difficult to get to other post offices"

After the protests Helen said;

"I was delighted by the cross-party support on Saturday, including Edward Davey's appearance. It is vital that we can put aside out political differences and rally together for our local communities. We know the Government doesn't want to listen and is set on closing 2,500 across the country, but I will not sit back and let this happen. The closures are extraordinarily short sighted -  not only will they affect many residents, especially the elderly and disabled, but they will also hurt local shops and businesses."

Please click here to join our SW London 'Speak up for Our Post Offices' facebook group

If you would like to sign and add your comments to our petition, which has already gathered over 1000 signatures, please click here.

 Hook Rise

Surbiton Park

Norbiton Common

Burlington Road

Plough Green

Save Our Post Offices

19th February 2008

This weekend five Post Offices in Kingston and Surbiton constituency have received notice of closure, subject to a brief consultation period. A number have yet to hear whether they are due to close. We are launching an immediate campaign to Save Our Post Offices, led by Helen. Helen will be protesting along with  local councillors, residents and shopkeepers, all of whom are very concerned about the closures.

The protests outside Post Offices are at the following times this coming Saturday (23^rd February):

Hook Rise PO, 311 Hook Rise South, Surbiton, KT6 7LS                  9 - 10am
Surbiton Park PO, 62 Surbiton Road,  Kingston, KT1 2HT              10 - 11am

Norbiton Common PO, 240 Kingston Road, New Malden,KT3 3RN  10 - 11am
Burlington Road PO, 82 Burlington Road, New Malden, KT3 4NU   10 - 11.30am
Plough Green PO, 380 Malden Road, Worcester Park, KT4 7NL    10.30 - 12.30pm

 Come and help us save these vital local services.

Helen and her campaign team hit Surbiton station extolling the virtues of Boris Johnson’s crime strategy for London

13^th February 2008

Helen and her campaign team spent Thursday evening handing out newsletters for Boris Johnson, the next Mayor of London. The public were keen to learn more about Boris’ strategy to make London safer, especially plans to improve safety on trains and at stations.

MRSA rates at Epsom & St Helier Hospitals are the highest in England, Helen raises concerns about the MRSA infection rates at local hospitals

5th February 2008

Recently released MRSA infection data show that Epsom & St. Helier University Hospitals have the worst infection rate in the country, ranking bottom of 170 Acute Hospital Trusts in England. The figures show a 30% increase in cases of MRSA against the same period (April to September) in 2006. This goes against the national trend which shows an average national reduction of 30%.

In November Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust launched its own ‘Clean Your Hands’ campaign on the back of a national initiative that has been running since 2004. The question that must be asked is was this campaign a reaction to these dangerously high MRSA infection levels? If so, shouldn’t the hospital have made the public aware of these high infection levels and let patients come to an informed decision on whether to use it?

As Epsom and St Helier are the local hospitals for many residents in Kingston and Surbiton, Helen has written to the Chief Executive, Samantha Jones, to find out why the Trust is experiencing such high MRSA rates and whether the ‘Clean Your Hands’ campaign is working, as urgent action is clearly required.

The situation at Kingston Hospital is not good, but at least not as bad as Epsom and St Helier. Kingston has a higher than average MRSA infection rate and is ranked 30^th (from bottom) on MRSA infection rate. MRSA cases have fallen since 2006, but the fall has been just 22% compared to national fall of 30%, and there has been an increase in cases in the last 3 months reported (July to September 2007).

Helen said

“It is a matter of grave public concern that MRSA infection rates at Epsom & St Helier Hospitals are the highest in England. These are the local hospitals for residents in the south and east of the borough and understandably, many will be extremely worried about the risk of picking up MRSA if they have to go to hospital.”

“I have requested clarification from the Chief Executive on why infection rates are so high and what action is being taken to significantly reduce the number of MRSA cases. I would specifically like to know if their plans to combat MRSA, announced in November 2007, are having any impact.”

“I would also like to commend Kingston Hospital for reducing their MRSA infections over the last two years but there is still significant room for improvement. I am concerned about the latest figures showing an increase in the number MRSA cases.” 

Kingston PCT reveals that Springboard Consultation is ‘box ticking’

4th February 2008

Helen attended the public consultation on the future of Springboard last week. Participants were shocked to hear from David Smith, Chief Executive of the PCT, that option one [to keep Springboard] “is not an option”. As the evening went on it became clear that the consultation process is deeply flawed, including bias in the briefing materials, a lack of clarity on costs and savings from the various options and confusing wording.

The three options outlined by the PCT consultation were criticised for being inadequate.

Option One is for Springboard to ‘stay at it is’. The PCT must now justify including this option in the consultation if there are no circumstances in which this might be the outcome. If it has already been discounted this should be made clear to the public.

Option two consists of turning Springboard into a voluntary sector organisation or social enterprise. In theory this could be a long-term solution, but in practice the centre would be likely to struggle for funding. The PCT has done very little to make this option viable. A commitment of transitional funding of £50,000 for three years by the PCT, thanks to pressure from Cllr Mary Clarke and Helen Whately, is a step in the right direction but insufficient.

Option three is to “invest in the Early Intervention Service” but when Helen Whately asked David Smith whether the investment from Springboard’s half-a-million budget (£518,395) would be nearer £10,000 or £100,000 David Smith replied "nearer the former". It is also clear that this investment is not aimed at Springboard’s users, as few of them fall into the age range for the Early Intervention Service.

During the next few weeks Springboard’s users will be assessed to determine their future support needs. If the assessments indicate that substantial ongoing care and support is required, this will either need to be funded by Kingston PCT or Kingston Council. Kingston council has indicated that it does not have funds for this, and representatives from Kingston PCT suggested they do not have budget put aside. They appeared to have no idea of the likely cost of the alternative services to be provided to Springboard users, nor who will pay.

Representatives from Kingston  PCT and South West London & St George’s Mental Health Trust also indicated that the move to close Springboard is being driven by need to meet national targets, rather than consideration of local needs.

Helen commented on the consultation:

“I was astonished when the Chief Executive said “option one is not an option” – his statement confirmed my suspicions that the PCT sees the consultation as a ‘box ticking’ exercise.”

“The PCT seems to be banking on saving the lions share of Springboard’s funding even though there may be ongoing costs for users’ care. They said they had no idea of how much these costs could be, suggesting they have no budget put aside. At the heart of this campaign is our determination that Springboard’s users will not be left in the lurch, with neither the council not the NHS willing to pay for their care”

“PCT representatives said several times that they could not answer questions until the patients had been assessed – which begs the question of why, when they have been planning this closure for so many months, they have left the assessments so late."

“The final straw was when the PCT and Mental Health Trust revealed that failure to meet national targets is driving their decisions on Springboard; they should be making decisions based on local needs, not on national targets”.

Don't Downsize Old Malden Library

26th January 2008

On Saturday 26^th January Conservatives protested outside Old Malden Library against Liberal Democrat threats to downsize the library and move it to another site. Hundreds of local residents signed a petition against the cuts. The library is a highly valued community hub and many local people would suffer if it were scaled down and moved away. This was very clear from many conversations with residents who signed the petition.

Conservative Councillors presented the petition to the Council on 29th January 2008. It served as a wake-up call to our Liberal Democrat Council that people will not tolerate cuts to valued public services.  Our council tax is among the highest in London and we see money being wasted on administration and unnecessary projects; in these circumstances there is no excuse for cutting back such a valued service as a local library.

Helen raises concerns about the consultation on Springboard’s future

27th January 2008

The formal public consultation on the future of Springboard Resource Centre has begun. Springboard provides very special services, helping people with mental health problems and learning difficulties, and is based at Tolworth hospital. Springboard is threatened with closure as the local NHS struggles to resolve its financial problems. This consultation is the result of determined campaigning by users, relatives and local Conservatives (not least Cllr Mary Clarke) to ensure the centre gets a proper hearing, but the consultation seems to be heavily biased against Springboard.

The consultation sets out three options – (1) Keep Springboard, (2) Turn Springboard into a charity or social enterprise, (3) Invest in the Early Intervention Service for young people and direct users of Springboard towards other mental health services and community activities.

The consultation documents indicate that Springboard is a failing service, and particularly that it fails to secure employment for its users. From time to time, Springboard Users are transferred to Kingston Employment Service and may successfully gain employment, having benefitted hugely from their time at Springboard. Other service users are not in a position to consider employment and for these people Springboard provides valuable social contact and activity.

Staff and relatives believe that for many of Springboard’s users, there will be no equivalent service if the centre is closed. There is a risk that some may end up in an acute psychiatric ward within weeks, as the loss of the service could trigger a severe relapse in their health. This would be a tragedy for the individuals concerned (and at the same time very expensive for the NHS).

Helen has raised the following concerns about the consultation

·         Is the consultation being sufficiently widely disseminated?

·         The consultation documents seem to demonstrate a strong bias against Springboard – does this invalidate the consultation?

·         The consultation document does not fully set out the options and does not give any indication of the sums of money involved – it therefore lacks critical information necessary to an informed public debate and decision

·         There seems to be a substantial gap between the costs of the proposed alternatives to Springboard and the saving made through closing the centre.

Helen Whately will continue to campaign for Springboard, alongside Cllr Mary Clarke and the users and relatives of Springboard. She welcomes all supporters to join the campaign and to help save Springboard.

Helen said

“I was very disappointed to discover that the consultation seems to be biased strongly against Springboard. The document suggests that the best outcome for all Springboard users would be employment, overlooking the fact that for some users this is not a real option.”

“I have written to the Chief Executive of Kingston Primary Care Trust and the Patient Support Officer asking them to address the flaws in the consultation, particularly the impression given that Springboard is failing in the service it provides. I would also like to see the costs and potential savings set out in full in the consultation so local people can be fully informed about the options and where the money is going”

“The Chief Executive of Kingston Primary Care Trust has previously stated that one of the reasons for the cuts is that they are focusing on national targets. Is this the root of the problem? Our NHS should be focusing on local needs, here in Kingston, not national targets.”

Shocking loss of confidential patient records by Kingston Hospital

11th January 2008

Helen was shocked to learn of the loss of confidential patient records by Kingston Hospital last week and is calling for the hospital to take action to make sure patient data is never lost again. The documents, found abandoned at the side of the road, contained personal details including the names, dates of birth and test results of 173 patients.

The much-delayed NHS IT system may reduce the need for paper records to be transferred between sites in future. However, our confidence in the security of data within any government system has been damaged by incidents such as this and the loss of millions of records by HM Revenue & Customs in November.

The medical director of Kingston Hospital has apologised for the incident and letters are being sent to the patients affected. Kingston Hospital has committed to a full and thorough investigation involving the police and has set up a helpline for patients. These steps are welcomed, provided the results of the investigation are made public, along with the actions that Kingston Hospital will take to ensure this never happens again.

Helen said “ I am very concerned that confidential patient records were left on a roadside, with no evidence of any attempts to secure them from casual examination. On the back of the astonishingly negligent data losses by HMRC last year, this seems to be further evidence that the protection of personal data is not being taken sufficiently seriously by public services.”

“I welcome the commitment from Kingston hospital to a thorough investigation involving the police. It is essential that this investigation is totally uncompromising and most importantly, results in action being taken to make sure this never happens again.”

No More Care Cuts!

3rd November 2007

Today local residents and Conservatives held a protest in Kingston town centre against cuts to Kingston’s mental health services. The protest was organised by Cllr. Mary Clarke and Cllr Ian George, supported by Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Helen Whately. They were joined by regular users and staff from Springboard and relatives of patients in Fuchsias Ward.

Under a fuchsia-pink banner calling for ‘No More Care Cuts’ the group handed out leaflets about the threatened services and invited passers-by to sign the petition for an end to the cuts. The response from locals was overwhelming, with many stopping to find out more and expressing outrage as well as concern.

The petition was signed by over 600 people in just 4 hours. The campaign will continue throughout the winter with opportunities to sign the petition in New Malden and Surbiton planned. It can also be found on the website.

Cllr Mary Clark has been campaigning vigorously  to help those who are at risk of losing their mental health care services. Mary said; “I am truly appalled at the utter disregard for the welfare of Kingston’s mental health patients. The PCT should stop seeing their patients as numbers and pound signs and start celebrating these unique and necessary services.”

Helen visited Springboard in August and has pledged to do everything possible to make sure it survives. At Saturday’s protest, Helen said; " In the last year mental health services have been cut around the country. Now the cuts have arrived here in Kingston. These services are precious and transform the lives of the users and their families. We must rally round and stop the cuts before it’s too late."

Helen campaigns for a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty

29th September 2007

Helen was out in New Malden today campaigning with our MEP Syed Kamall for a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty, better known as the EU Constitution.

In 2005 Labour promised the people of Britain a vote on the EU Constitution, but it was rejected by the French and the Dutch. Now the Constitution is back with a new name the ‘EU Reform Treaty’. The Conservatives believe that you should have the vote that you were promised. The people of New Malden clearly agree, shown by the hundreds of names Helen collected in the space of a few hours.

Helen said “I’m campaigning on the EU Reform Treaty because Labour made a manifesto commitment to hold a referendum on the Constitution. This treaty is the Constitution in all but name. Brown should be held to account for the promises he breaks. He says that he will trust people but his actions prove this simply is not true. The EU Treaty would transfer substantial powers from Britain to the EU: a change like this must not be slipped through under the radar.”  

Helen speaks to the students at Kingston University Freshers' Fair

21 September 2007

The local Conservative Future group was at Kingston University Freshers’ Fair this week working tirelessly to promote our candidate Helen Whately. Despite stiff competition from nightclubs, the local cinema and university sport teams the joint Kingston and Richmond Conservative stall received a high number of visitors. From the positive response we got from students we can tell that this year is going to be a good one for Conservative Future. Students were keen to quiz Helen over her priorities for Kingston, discussing issues such as transport, the environment, education and the NHS with students as well as sounding out their views on Boris Johnson for Mayor.

Helen said "It's important for young people to become politically engaged. Decisions made in Westminster impact us not just now but decades into the future. This generation of students will have to live with this government's mistakes."

"Why hasn't our MP spoken up for Hobkirk?"

4 September 2007

Hobkirk House has now been shut down by the Lib Dems. Hobkirk House was one of the constituency’s two day centres for the elderly. Helen visited Hobkirk in May to find out for herself how users would be affected. After her visit she said “It’s clear that Hobkirk users will be devastated when it closes and some will end up staying at home alone all day”.

Helen joined the protest outside the Guildhall where speeches by the elderly, letters from GPs and a 2,500 signature petition were all dismissed by the Lib Dem Council as every one of them voted for the closure. Helen spoke about her frustration with the Lib Dems; “I’m very disappointed that Ed Davey MP has failed to speak up for Hobkirk House; his duty is to stand up for his constituents and if that means speaking out against his Lib Dem colleagues in the council, that’s what he should do”

NHS cuts mean closure for Springboard

20 August 2007

Kingston's £22m deficit means cuts to local NHS services and the latest victim is Springboard at Tolworth Hospital. Springboard provides training and sheltered employment for people recovering from mental health problems or with learning difficulties. Helen Whately visited Springboard to find out more about the services it provides and the impact of closure.

Springboard offers a range of training and employment opportunities which are hard to find anywhere else. The great worry for users is where they will go once it closes. Kingston Primary Care Trust is looking for alternatives but admits that for many there may well be no equivalent service.

After speaking to Springboard's users, their relatives and staff, Helen said "Everyone is trying to find a way to keep Springboard going. If the PCT can't fund it, could it become a self-funding social enterprise or could an alternative income be found; so far we don't have an answer, but this service is too important to give up on."

Helen calls on the council to take care of Cambridge Road Estate 

1 August 2007

Helen Whately has called on the council to inprove living conditions at Cambridge Road Estate. When Helen visited the Estate recently she met residents who spoke of poor maintenance and disturbance from teenagers at night. Residents pointed out smashed and boarded over windows, broken lifts and dirty, unlit stairwells. A row of flats suffered serious flooding but the council did nothing to help, even refusing to help with disposal of wrecked carpets and furniture. One man had been left with a broken front door for weeks and another stranded because of a broken lift. Helen has written to the council asking them to take action.

Conservative Future get together to talk politics

10 July 2007

Helen Whately joined members of Kingston and Surbiton Conservative Future to talk politics and find out about the concerns of younger people in the Borough. The event attracted visitors from Richmond and Esher as well as locals and a journalist from the Surrey Comet. It was generously hosted by Barcadia. Those who think young people aren’t interested in politics were proven wrong.

Residents complain of complicated Lib Dem recycling scheme

June 2007

Helen has been speaking to residents of Berrylands and Alexandra wards to find out their views on the recycling trial. Most people have welcomed the opportunity to recycle more but were frustrated at the complexity of the scheme. The scheme involves five separate bins for different types of waste. Some. Extra trips to the dump were mentioned frequently which may cancel out the environmental benefit of recycling. Residents were also bothered by intrusive visits from inspectors who came into people's houses and went through their waste. The Lib Dems should stop underestimating people and recognise that this borough is full of responsible citizens who really want to recycle.

Fighting to save Day Care for the Elderly

The Council is closing Hobkirk House day care centre for the elderly to save money. Helen visited the centre to speak to users about how they will be affected. They will find the closure traumatic and may lose their access to the companionship and support provided by Hobkirk.

Helen has campaigned with Conservative councillors, led by Cllr David Fraser, to save Hobkirk. They collected 3,000 signatures and presented this petition to the Lib Dem councillors, but to no avail. The closure is not only heartless but also short-sighted as the number of older people in the borough is expected to increase.

Post Offices threatened and left in the dark

Following the announcement that more post offices will close, Helen Whately visited Post Offices and shops in the borough to find out how they are affected. It turned out the Post Offices themselves couldn’t say, as they have been left in the dark. A consultation process is to be launched, but who will run it and who will be consulted is unknown. It’s a cruel twist to an already worrying situation for people with livelihoods at stake.

The Government’s attitude to Post Offices is an indication of a bigger problem. They overlook the importance of communities and fail to understand what brings people together. As well as Post Offices, many local shops, businesses, pubs and social clubs have closed across the country during Labour’s time in power.

International Development in Kingston

May 2007

Andrew Mitchell MP, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development visited Kingston and Surbiton to find out about development activities in the constituency. The visit was organised by Helen and included a presentation from Tiffin Girls' School and a meeting with Kingston's branch of the World Development Movement (WDM). Tiffin Girls spoke of their partnership with a school in India. At the meeting with Kingston WDM (with representatives from Kingston Fair Trade and CAFOD) Andrew and Helen discussed  the importance of trade for developing countries and frustration at Labour’s slow progress towards aid targets.

Chessington Neighbourhood Policing at First Hand

Helen Whately spent a day on the beat with Chessington North Safer Neighbourhood Team, getting first hand experience of community policing. Chessington’s team introduced her to their innovative COP card scheme which is building links with the community. It has been a hit with primary school children, several of whom came up to speak to the team during the morning. The intention is for children to get to know their local police so they don’t become members of anti-social gangs as they reach their teens. The team believe their tactics are paying dividends already.

Budding politician wins Kingston Borough Speak Out Challenge

The Kingston Borough Speak Out Challenge, a public speaking contest for pupils in the Borough’s secondary schools, was won by Barbara Ellingwood of Tolworth Girls school. Helen Whately has been involved in Speak Out Challenge as a trainer but this evening she took a back seat, literally, in the panel of judges. Barbara Ellingwood won with a compelling speech about the importance of donating blood. She also revealed an interest in a future in politics, a career for which she showed great potential in her performance at the Speak Out Challenge.

Helen is involved in Speak Out as a trainer, helping children in schools across London gain confidence in public speaking and learning to express their opinions more effectively.

Helen Whately selected for Kingston & Surbiton

17 April 2007

Local residents selected Helen Whately as the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Kingston and Surbiton at the end of a close fought contest between finalists. The four finalists were interviewed by Michael Portillo and then questioned by the audience on their motivations and political views.  The audience included people of all political persuasions thanks to this new selection process, introduced by David Cameron to give local people a chance to have a say in the selection of their candidate.