Matt to Talk about his Plans to Re-open Quinton Police Station

Matt Bennett (centre), the local Conservative candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner, will be visiting Quinton soon to talk about his plans to re-open the local police station to the public. If you’d like to talk to Matt about this or any other issue, come along to St Boniface Church Hall, Quinton Road West, B32 2QD, on Tuesday 6th November. Matt will be there from 7.30pm until 9pm. Matt’s Five Pledges to You Introduce zero tolerance policing of crime and antisocial behaviour Ensure the Police spend more time on the streets and at the times and places where crime is highest Keep local police stations and front desks OPEN! Introduce a contract with the public, setting out what residents can expect from the police when a crime is reported Meet regularly with the public across the whole West Midlands by holding at least one public meeting every fortnight Home Secretary Theresa May has just released this short video, which explains more about the role of PCCs...

Open Primary for Conservative Nomination for West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner

Many people still don't realise it, but in November everyone in the West Midlands will get to vote for their Police and Crime Commissioner. This is a seriously important role with the power to set the police budget and to hire and fire the Chief Constable.


Labour selected their candidate, someone representing everything that's wrong with the current governance arrangements, via an opaque and uninspiring process. In contrast, the Conservatives are selecting our candidate via a series of open primaries, where anyone who's registered to vote in the West Midlands can come along and vote on the selection. You don't need to be a member of any political party - just register, turn up and vote.


Your choice is between Matt Bennett, until recently a Birmingham Councillor and Executive Member for Children's Social Care, and Joe Tildesley, a Solihull Councillor and retired police officer.


The four primaries take place as follows. All start at 7pm prompt:

• 4th July: Erdington
• 5th July: Walsall
• 10th July: Halesowen
• 11th July: Solihull

Email office@birminghamconservatives.org.uk to register and for further details.


For more information, read the story on the Birmingham Conservatives website or have a look at Dominic Fisher's article on Conservative Home.

Thanks For Your Support

Thanks to everyone who supported me in yesterday's election and I'm sorry we fell short of victory.


It's been a genuine privilege to represent the people of Quinton ward over the last four years and I hope that I may have the opportunity again some time in the future.


Now for a short holiday...

You have until 10pm to vote in TODAY's Local Elections

Please Support Me Today 


Whether it's protecting our parks from traveller camps, action on rubbish collections or fighting antisocial late-opening off-licences, I've worked hard for Quinton and Harborne over the past four years.


If you re-elect me today, I promise to keep working hard for you over the next four years.


Please use your vote to support me - polls are open until 10pm tonight.


Regards
Peter Smallbone


Promoted by Len Clark on behalf of Peter Smallbone, both of 1 Lyncourt Grove, Quinton, B32 1DG.

Please Support Me Tomorrow

The local elections take place tomorrow, and I’m asking for your support. I’m proud of my record and proud of what I’ve achieved for Quinton and Harborne:

1. I’ve delivered protection from traveller camps for all of our local parks and green spaces.
2. I’ve fought against mobile phone masts – not just for the sake of it, but when they would be unsightly or pose an unnecessary risk – and I’ve been successful in two out of three campaigns.
3. I’ve worked hard to resist closures of the front desks at Quinton Road West and Rose Road police stations. Eight more Officers have just been relocated to Quinton Road West.
4. I’ve tackled the problem of late-opening off-licences in the area and the antisocial problems associated with them. Two applications were withdrawn after I organised petitions against them.
5. And I’m not afraid to stand up to my own Council, for example about problems with refuse collections or plans to build houses on the Martineau Centre’s playing fields, if I believe it’s in the best interests of local people.

There’s still more to do, and I’d love the opportunity to keep working hard for Quinton and Harborne. If I’m re-elected:

1. I will make sure that the investigation I demanded into Quinton and Harborne’s rubbish collections is completed and see that the findings are implemented – fully.
2. I will fight for restrictions on antisocial drinking on local streets, where there is clear support from residents.
3. I will continue to work hard to make sure that Quinton and Harborne gets its fair share of the tax we’re paying.
4. I will stand up to the Council, whichever party is in charge, to safeguard the Martineau Centre and its playing fields.
5. I will argue for another Council Tax freeze.

Please use your vote to give Quinton and Harborne a bright future.


Polling stations are open from 7am until 10pm (not the other way round as a small number of my leaflets recently claimed!)


Promoted by Len Clark on behalf of Peter Smallbone, both of 1 Lyncourt Grove, Quinton, B32 1DG

Charity Car Boot Sale at Quinborne this Saturday

Quinborne Hub Launch this Wednesday 28th March from 5pm

Birmingham's Winners and Losers

I've been chewing over the Boundary Commission's proposals for the Birmingham area - here are my observations so far:

Winners

Cllr Robert Alden (Conservative, Erdington Ward). Bobby was our Parliamentary candidate for Erdington last time and is hot favourite to be again. The absorption of Sutton New Hall and Castle Bromwich and the removal of Kingstanding makes this a very winnable Conservative seat.

Gisela Stuart MP (Labour, Edgbaston). I'm sticking my neck out a bit on this one. Edgbaston becomes almost unrecognisable from its current state, with the bulk of the existing constituency going into new Birmingham Harborne. The revised Edgbaston, full of right-on students (Selly Oak) and champagne socialists (Moseley), looks good for Labour. I'm not entirely sure how Labour selects its candidates, but as the nominal incumbent, Ms Stuart surely has the edge in getting selected.

Keely Huxtable (Conservative, former PC for Northfield) or Cllr Nigel Dawkins (Conservative, Bournville). Keely and Nigel both came close to winning Northfield and Selly Oak respectively in the last General Election. Nigel's ward goes into the new Northfield at the expense of Weoley, making this a very winnable seat for the Conservatives. Both have a claim to be selected for this constituency.

One as yet unidentified Conservative. All-new Birmingham Harborne, consisting of Harborne, Quinton, Bartley Green, Weoley and Old Warley, should be a definite Tory target. The PPC for this seat will have an excellent chance. 

Losers

Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP (Labour, Hodge Hill). 'Dear Mr Byrne, I’m afraid to tell you there's no constituency left.' (Hopefully I'm the first person to make this crack, but I suspect not.)

Steve McCabe MP (Labour, Selly Oak). Selly Oak vanishes under the new proposals; along with Liam Byrne, he will have a fight on his hands to get selected for a different and winnable seat. Mind you, he's managed it once before.

John Hemming MP (Lib Dem, Yardley). John can't be happy with losing Sheldon in exchange for Bordesley Green.

Neither

Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP (Conservative, Sutton Coldfield). Andrew will rightly be aggrieved at the loss of part of Sutton Coldfield from the constituency that bears its name, but he is a very hard-working and high-profile figure and I doubt that his tenure will come under serious challenge.

Roger Godsiff MP (Labour, Hall Green). The redrawn Hall Green swaps a fading challenge from Respect for Lab/Lib and Lab/Tory marginals. I wouldn't expect this has given Mr Godsiff either a sleepless night or reason to open any bottles of champagne.

Shabana Mahmood MP (Labour, Ladywood). Swapping Aston and Soho for Hodge Hill and Washwood Heath is hardly tearing the heart out of this rock-solid Labour seat. I don't think that talk of a challenge from Liam Byrne will come to anything.

Khalid Mahmood MP (Labour, Perry Barr). See above.

Rapid Action on Travellers on Highfield Lane

A group of travellers set up camp on Highfield Farm Recreation Ground on Tuesday 23rd August. Accompanied by the Police, I visited them that evening and the following evening and demanded that they left the area. I'm pleased to say that they had left within two days and I’ve ensured that anything they left behind has been cleaned up.


Had the group kept themselves to themselves a bit more then perhaps a confrontation could have been avoided. However, a number of the group were tearing around the park and Woodgate Valley on quad bikes, which was very intimidating for local people. I have a zero tolerance approach to such behaviour and I'm very pleased that our robust stance has worked.

Fighting for Quinton Police Station

First of all, I'd like to place on record my deep thanks and respect for Birmingham's police officers who put the safety of the City ahead of their own safety in the recent riots. Everyone in Birmingham owes them a debt of gratitude and I look forward to those responsible for this brief reign of terror facing the full majesty of the law.

These recent events demonstrate even more clearly the need for good local policing, and that's why I've launched a campaign to keep Quinton Police Station open to the public. The response from local people has been excellent and we've even been featured in the Birmingham Mail, which all helps.

If you live in Quinton ward, you'l be receiving a copy of my petition to sign and return very soon. If you'd rather complete the petition online, just visit this site: http://epetition.birmingham.public-i.tv/epetition_core/community/petition/1577

Under the last Labour government, 400 police stations closed - that's more than one every two weeks. Together, we can keep this one open - please sign the petition.

Quinborne Car Boot and Jumble Sale, Saturday 10th September, 9am-1pm

Open Day at Woodgate Valley Fire Station

Woodgate Valley Fire Station (161 Stonehouse Lane, Bartley Green) are having an open day on Saturday 13th August from 10.30am until 3pm. They'll be lots to see and do, including:

• Chip pan fire demonstration
• Road traffic collision demonstration
• Rope rescue demonstration
• Stalls from partner agencies

Hope to see you there.

Martineau Centre Consultation - More Dates

I have successfully lobbied the Council to add extra dates to the current consultation on the Martineau Centre on Balden Road. These are in addition to the two consultation dates that have already taken place. The consultations will take place at the Martineau Centre itself, on the following dates and times.

• Monday 25 July, 10am–8pm
• Saturday 30 July, 9am–noon
• Saturday 13 August, 9am–noon

If you have any questions or comments about the Martineau Centre or any other matter, I would be more than happy to hear from you.

Supporting The Pod

The Pod, off Selcroft Avenue, is a new initiative to help local young people express themselves through art. I paid today's launch a visit and I was very impressed with what I saw. We talked over a few ideas about how I could help them achieve their goals, so watch this space!

2011 Elections - Commiserations to Len

I've managed to have a bit of a sleep after the manic election campaign in Quinton and Harborne and thought I'd do a quick post on the result. Clearly it's is disappointing that Len Clark was not successful in getting re-elected. Len has spent most of his adult life in public service and I've learnt a lot from him. I wish him a long and thoroughly deserved retirement from front-line politics.

Looking at the votes for each candidate, it appears that the Conservative vote held up very well: compared with 2008, we lost hardly any votes. Two things seem to have happened: the turnout increased, and most of this increased turnout voted Labour, and the (small but significant) Lib Dem vote collapsed, with those voters probably either staying at home or voting Labour too.

The local Labour team did an excellent job of exploiting their own government's economic incompetence by running a largely anti-cuts message, and this appears to have resonated well with voters. But I don't believe that the Labour party, either locally or nationally, is offering a credible alternative, and that's why I'll keep fighting to represent the people of Quinton ward.

Harborne Leisure Centre Picture Competition

Harborne Leisure Centre Open Day

Mobile Phone Mast Outside Old House at Home, Lordswood Rd

If you want to try to stop this, sign the petition at http://is.gd/cwknB9.

Quinborne Jumble Sale, Saturday 19th March, 10am-1pm

Malcolm Harbour MEP Backs HS2

I've recently been talking to West Midlands Conservative MEP Malcolm Harbour about the planned high speed rail link from Birmingham to London. Representing the whole of the West Midlands, Malcolm has to take a balanced view as to HS2's benefits versus any potential disruption caused along the route.

While recognising that some communities and individuals in the wider region will be adversely affected, Malcolm has given his firm backing to HS2. He says, 'The Government has pledged to build a new High Speed Rail network as part of its programme of measures to create a low carbon economy. I fully support this decision and believe it will be a vital measure that will help to deliver significant and long-lasting economic and societal benefits for Britain.

High Speed Rail has the potential to transform the way Britain works and competes in the 21st Century. It can also play a significant role in easing congestion and making the transport system in the UK greener, by offering an alternative to thousands of short haul flights and road journeys. Furthermore, it will also free up capacity on our existing rail infrastructure and improve frequency and service levels for passengers. The Birmingham and West Midlands economy will benefit significantly from the links to the North and South, with the planned extension to Manchester and Leeds which will continue our region’s regeneration.'

I welcome Malcolm's commitment to HS2 and agree that the benefits to Birmingham and the West Midlands will be significant and long-lasting. Bringing Birmingham and London closer together will be a great thing for both cities.

UPDATE 24/02: There's a letter in yesterday's FT from 69 business leaders and others backing HS2.