Ruislip Northwood and Pinner Conservative Association, Northwood Hills Ward have great pleasure in inviting you to their Autumn Dinner with guest speaker David Burrowes, MP for Enfield, Southgate on Thursday 13th October 2011 at 7:30 pm at ‘La Giralda’ Restaurant. Tickets will be priced at 24:00 per person.

La Giralda restaurant interior

David has provided the following biography:

David Burrowes MP — Biography

“CCF Parliamentary Chairman

Before entering parliament in 2005, David worked as a solicitor for the Enfield firm Shepherd Harris and Co, specialising in criminal law. He was an advocate in police stations and Courts in Enfield, Haringey and Hertfordshire.

In 1994, David was elected the youngest councillor in the London Borough of Enfield representing Trent Ward. During the next 8 years David held a number of positions in the Conservative Group.

He was elected as Member of Parliament for Enfield, Southgate in May 2005. In July 2007 he was appointed Shadow Justice Minister with responsibility for youth justice and victims, with special interest in the policy areas of the criminal justice system; drugs, family policy, and international human rights.

Following the 2010 general election David was appointed to the post of Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Cabinet office Minister Francis Maude. David is married to Janet and has six young children.”

As usual, this promises to be another very enjoyable event at this excellent Spanish venue.

To reserve a place please contact either:

Brian Fredericks Tel: 01923 820092

Email: brian.fredericks@tesco.net

or

Peter Czarniecki Tel: 01923 822223

Email: peterczarniecki@fsmail.net

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The Northwood Councillor’s Forum gives residents the chance to put questions to our three local Councillors.

Cllrs Carol Melvin, Scott Seaman-Digby and Richard Lewis

So come and join us at our Forum for a chat and a cup of tea or coffee.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Cllr Richard Lewis
Cllr Carol Melvin
Cllr Scott Seaman-Digby

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The No2AV referendum broadcast gets its first airing tonight so in combination with this we thought we’d remind everyone why the Alternative Vote system is such a bad idea.

Don't forget to vote NO on May 5th

AV is not a fair system

Supporters of fringe parties can end up getting five or six votes — and potentially decide the outcome of the election — while people who backed the mainstream candidates only get one say.

AV is an obscure and unpopular system

Only three countries in the world use AV for their elections: Fiji, Australia and Papua New Guinea. In Fiji they’re about to get rid of it. In Australia 6 out of 10 voters want to return to First-Past-the-Post.

AV is complicated and expensive

Elections will take longer to count because of the complicated transferral of preferences. It can take days to figure out exactly has won — risking periods of uncertainty after elections. And, of course, it’s the taxpayer who will end up footing the bill for the extra work the politicians have brought about.

AV is not a proportional system

For decades, the Liberal Democrats have fought for a proportional voting system — but AV is not proportional. In fact, the independent Royal Commission chaired by the senior Liberal Democrat Roy Jenkins in 1998 concluded that AV was ‘even less proportional’ than our existing system, and warned that it was ‘disturbingly unpredictable’.

AV is an unfair system which produces unfair outcomes

Ed Miliband was elected leader of the Labour Party on the Fourth preferences of the least popular candidate in a five horse race. AV is merely a way of recycling the preferences of the losing candidates in order to coble together an artificial ‘majority’ of 50 per cent. By dong so, AV rejects bold and committed candidates willing to take a principled stand and makes the election of bland, identikit politicians more likely.

Winston Churchill described AV as:

“the most worthless votes for the most worthless candidates”

AV leads to hung parliaments

AV makes hung parliaments much more likely. Instead of the people deciding who governs them, politician decide through back-room deals and political bargaining. After this Summer’s election in Australia, the government was left hanging for seventeen days as just three MPs held the country hostage and conducted a policy auction with the two main parties. Under AV, the smaller parties would call the shots, acting as king-makers — and it would be very difficult to vote them out.

Vernon Bogdanor, Professor of Government at Oxford said:

“By increasing Lib Dem numbers, AV makes hung parliaments much more likely… elections would no longer determine who forms the government”

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The Northwood Hills Spring Dinner will take place on the 19th May at the ‘La Giralda’ Restaurant in Pinner Green. Stewart Jackson MP will be guest speaker and tickets are available for £24.

La Giralda restaurant interior

To reserve your place please contact one of the following officers:

Brian Fredericks
Tel 01923 820092
E-mail brian.fredericks@tesco.net

Peter Czarniecki
Tel 01923 822223
E-mail peterczarniecki@fsmail.net

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The coach trip this for 2011 will be to Arundel Castle and will take place on the 18th August.

Arundel Castle – Aerial View

The Arundel Castle web site says :

“There are nearly 1,000 years of history at this great castle, situated in magnificent grounds overlooking the River Arun in West Sussex and built at the end of the 11th century by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel.”

The seat of The Dukes of Norfolk and set in 40 acres of sweeping grounds and gardens, Arundel Castle has been open to visitors seasonally for nearly 200 years. It is one of the great treasure houses of England, each having its own unique place in history and is home to priceless works of art. Come and see paintings and furniture, tapestries and stained glass, china and clocks, sculpture and carving, heraldry and armour in stunning room settings.

The Coach will leave at about 9.00am to 9.30am and we expect to return to Northwood at around 5.00pm to 5.30pm.

Here are some more photographs to whet your appetites:

Interior

Garden

Baron's Hall

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Nick Hurd MP has issued the following statement regarding the High Speed 2 rail project and its effect on the Ruislip Northwood and Pinner constituency:

“The route as currently proposed has a potentially serious impact on a number of my constituents, as well as many others along the proposed line. This obviously causes me concern and I welcome the forthcoming consultation. It will give my constituents the opportunity to express their concerns, whether it be about the principle of high speed rail or the specific route being proposed and the scope for alternatives and modifications. I personally am a supporter of the principle of high speed rail and recognise that the Coalition’s welcome decision not to go ahead with a third runway at Heathrow relied in part on the provision of a high speed rail network.

“However, I will faithfully represent the concerns of my constituents and want to be sure that the Government has adequately considered all options in choosing the most effective route. I will also expect the Government to demonstrate a strong business case for the project and a credible strategy for minimising the impact on the environment.

“Furthermore I will fight very hard to make sure that it will fully compensate those who are adversely affected.”

Please give your reactions to his statement in the comments below.

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Cllr Ray Puddifoot, Leader of the Council addressing a packed meeting arranged by Eastcote Residents’ Association on November 9th, Ray Puddifoot said that despite the tough economic climate, the Conservative-controlled Hillingdon Council in the past year had delivered its promises and maintained the council tax freeze while opening new state-of-the-art leisure centres in Uxbridge and Hayes, plus two out of the three planned new youth centres. It is continuing its programme to rebuild or refurbish all the public libraries in the Borough, and had invested millions in repairing and refurbishing our roads and invested strongly in our parks and green spaces. Surveys showed public satisfaction with Council services was high.

Ray Puddifoot

Cllr Ray Puddifoot reiterated:

“We will continue to put our residents first”

National debt-reduction policies in the coming years mean the council will have to deliver services with less money, but the council will continue to put residents first and do all it can to support families, older and vulnerable residents, and support local businesses. Cllr Puddifoot was confident that, with its track record of maintaining services while delivering efficiencies and savings, the council will weather the tough times which lie before us.

On a local note, he said that planned refurbishments of Eastcote Library and Highgrove Swimming Pool will go ahead, and that there would be no residential development on the site occupied by the Community Centre, Royal British Legion, etc.

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The Sport of Kings comes to Harefield on the 5th February at St. Mary’s Hall in the High Street. Enjoy the excitement of speculating on a horse race without actually having to be there.

Bets can be placed on the outcome of races played on video — it feels just like the real thing! And a licensed bar will be available selling wine, beer and soft drinks.

The doors open at 7.30pm and the first race will be played at 8.00pm.

Tickets are only £12 and can be ordered from Mick Cater on (land-line) 01895 824 674 or (mobile) 07860 590 190.

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Transport Secretary Philip Hammond  has published revised details of the Government’s proposed High Speed Rail Network taking into account local concerns.

HS2 revised route through Hillingdon

Philip Hammond says:

“Since taking this job I have reviewed all the possible route options in detail as well as travelling the length of the proposed line to talk directly to local people. As a result, I have made a number of changes to the route published by the previous Government. The route I am publishing today differs from the previous one for around 65 out of the 127 miles of its length.”

A more detailed graphic can be seen by clicking on the map below:

Detaile HS2 route — Click for larger image

The image linked above is a montage of the original .pdf images posted on the department of transport web site.

The original documents were:

• Proposed route for High Speed Two consultation HS2-APR-00-DR-RW-04004 (PDF – 8463 KB)
• Proposed route for High Speed Two consultation HS2-APR-00-DR-RW-04005 (PDF – 5110 KB)

It can be clearly seen that the route seems to have been adjusted so that it now skirts around the Quarry Pits following protests by Hillingdon Outdoor Activity Centre which would have been forced to close had the viaduct run through them. However this brings the elevated part of the railway closer to Denham Garden Village and Denham Country Park.

So let us know in the comments whether you are better of or worse off as a result of the revised route or does it make no difference at all? Is your home going to be blighted or over-run by the route? Will your business have to close?

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Northwood ward will be holding it’s AGM on the 23rd of January 2011 at Michael Sobell House, Mount Vernon Hospital. The charge at the door will be seven pounds.

Last year's Northwood AGM (Not really — it's actually the Chancellor's Mansion House Dinner)

The programme is as follows:

• 12.00 — 1.00 Annual General Meeting
• 1.00 — 3.00 Lunch

Speakers will include Nick Hurd MP, Councillor Scott Seaman-Digby and Councillor Richard Lewis along with regular reports from Councillor Carol Melvin (Chairman) and Councillor Ray Graham (Treasurer). Following this will be a light lunch after which you will be able to mix with Northwood’s council and Westminster representatives.

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The Conservative party has today launched a site to explain the tuition fees policy in detail. If you’re concerned about tuition fees or know a student or parent who will be affected by them please tell them to take a look at www.factsonfees.com.

Here are a few highlights from the site to blow away a few myths:

• No-one pays up-front – graduates only pay once they’re earning over £21,000 a year
• Everyone’s monthly payments will be lower than under the current system
• All unpaid debt is written off after 30 years
• Parents will not have to pay anything
• Universities will have more money to spend on teaching and resources
• Labour’s Graduate Tax would have meant that students from poor families pay more and the rich paid less

For more details please take a look at www.factsonfees.com.

DSAGQZQ66RWJ

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Northwood Hills has announced recently achieved spending objectives on projects that can benefit every sector of the local community.

Major fund winners include:

The Northwood Hills library is set for a massive £350k refurbishment and refit as promised in the Hillingdon Conservative election manifesto. The work, which is part of the program to refurbish or rebuild all seventeen libraries in Hillingdon, will be completed in sixteen weeks thus keeping the necessary closure to a minimum.

A cheque for £1,169.13 has been written for St Vincent’s Nursery.

£2,291.24 goes to the Northwood Hills Chamber of Commerce.

£500 for the PE department at Haydon School.

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In an attempt to establish the current route of the High Speed 2 link to Birmingham I have listed below the various points in the Government’s assessment outlined in the Department of Transport’s document ‘High Speed Rail Summary’ of March 2010.

Map showing route of HS2 indicating path of new viaduct

Government’s assessment is (pertinent points only):

6.    That Britain’s initial core high speed network should link London to Birmingham, Manchester, the East Midlands, Sheffield and Leeds, and be capable of carrying trains at up to 250 miles per hour. This Y-shaped network of around 335 miles (see indicative map on page 10) would bring the West Midlands within about half an hour of London, and deliver journey times of around 75 minutes from Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester to the capital. HS2 Ltd’s work has shown that as a first step a high speed line from London to Birmingham would offer high value for money as the foundation for such a network, delivering more than £2 of benefits for every £1 spent;

8.    That the capacity released through transferring long-distance services to this network should be used to expand commuter, regional and freight services on existing lines, with particular benefit for areas expected to see significant housing growth including Milton Keynes, Luton, Northampton, Peterborough, Kettering, Corby and Wellingborough;

9.    That HS2 Ltd’s recommended route for a London-Birmingham high speed line (‘High Speed Two’), which would run from a rebuilt Euston station in London to a new Birmingham City Centre station at Curzon/Fazeley Street, is viable, subject to further work on reducing specific impacts on the local environment and communities;

12. That effective integration with London’s current and planned transport networks is crucial, and that this is best delivered through the combination of a Euston terminus and a Crossrail Interchange station sited between Paddington and Heathrow, which would also provide a link to the Great Western Main Line;

14. That high speed rail access to Heathrow is important, and should be provided from the outset through a fast and direct link of about 10 minutes via the Heathrow Express from the Crossrail Interchange station;

From the points above it seems that we can assume the following:

The line would run from London Euston, mainly in tunnel, to an interchange with Crossrail, west of Paddington, thence along the New North Main Line (Acton-Northolt Line) past West Ruislip alongside the Chiltern Main Line with a four-kilometre viaduct over the Grand Union Canal and River Colne,then  from the M25 to Amersham in a new 9.6 km tunnel.

This places the route squarely through West Ruislip and Harefield between West Ruislip Main Line and Tube Station and the M25.

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Time has flown since the General and Local Borough elections in May of this year. We would like to thank Residents for their continued support in electing each of us, and would assure everybody in the Ward of our commitment to them in the coming years.

The Coalition government has settled well into the job of governing the country, and tack- ling the enormous financial problems left to us by the out-going Labour administration. Our MP, Nick Hurd, has been given a Ministerial role in the Cabinet Office, as the Minister for Civil Society.

Locally, the borough elections saw the Conservative Party winning 46 of the 65 seats on the Council. Turn out was very high, 63.36% borough-wide, and an exceptional 68.98% in West Ruislip Ward.

Councillor Philip Corthorne is the Cabinet member responsible for Social Services, Health and Housing, while Councillors Brian Crowe and John Riley are on a number of Policy Overview and other Committees.

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Portcullis will be holding its inaugural Business Club get-together on the 2nd of December 2010. Attendees will be able to hear John Hinckley and Nick Hurd share their vision of the Club’s way forward. In addition Nick Hurd, MP for Ruislip, Northward and Pinner and Minister for Civil Society, will give an overview of the coalition Government’s policies including his special area of responsibility and the comprehensive spending review.

Our focus will be the opportunity to challenge and discuss, so please come with questions on the night or send them in advance to: info@portcullisbiz.co.uk especially if some research is required.

On the night you will be able to:

• Get to grips with Government policies affecting business
• Exchange views on their impact on your business well-being
• Send your messages to the front-line decision makers
• Network with like-minded people
• Join the Club

The Dinner will take place at the Casa Mia Restaurant at 455 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, HA5 4JR and to sign up just contact John Hinckley at info@portcullisbiz.co.uk or call him on either 0208 866 0009 or 07984 134 647.

Gallery

Here is a small selection of photographs taken on what proved to be an entertaining and informative evening:

Enjoying a great evening meal at the 'Casa Mia', Hatch End

More local Conservatives considering joining the Portcullis Club

Chris Roycroft-Davis entertains with some political anecdotes

Nick Hurd relates the latest news from Westminster

Nick enjoys a well-earned dinner

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