Working hard for you all year round

Is it me or does it seem earlier this week? Maybe it’s the cold weather or the dark starts to the morning still, but I seem to be yawning more than most weekends. So, are you sitting comfortably? Do you have your blanket, cup of coffee and rescue greyhound to hand? You do? Then we shall begin. Just promise not to make too much noise as the Wife and little one are still sound asleep upstairs.

Sometimes before writing my blog I think about things I want to put in it. This week I thought that I must include the Prime Ministers assertion that the percentage of Police Officers on the frontline has risen compared to last year. My response being well of course the percentage will rise if you decrease the overall number of police.

My other gripe was some of the other local party’s manifesto claims. I was a bit disappointed with their document really. A mixture of the have to do by law; the doing already or the seriously, that was your big idea... Two of my favourites: we will publish details of spending over £500 - you have to do this by law or how about: We will bring the Olympic Torch to Southampton – this was decided by the Olympic Organising Committee in London. Makes it sound as if they sorted it and that we wouldn’t want it. Not exactly the visionary document it is being sold as.

So on Tuesday night I was at a meeting with our local Tesco’s Millbrook store manager. There were a number of issues which I wanted to raise with him. These included the amount of litter in his car park and on the Wimpson Lane site and an update on the planned building works (not planned to start for at least 6 months). In addition I was pleased at being able to set up two important proposals: firstly, our local store would work with the Career Development Group to find jobs for our local long term unemployed in Millbrook. Secondly, on Monday 20^th February I will be hosting an open surgery from 6.00pm until 8.00pm from Tesco’s Millbrook – look out for my banner in the cafe!

On Wednesday I had requested a meeting with one of our senior public health officials to discuss the future of Adelaide House. For those of you not local, it is a wonderful NHS building with all pof the mod cons. However, I get the feeling that the building isn’t really for us – the access is poor and no one really knows what goes on in it. This is from someone who reads the local media and talks to healthcare professionals a fair bit! I did place a challenge before the senior official; make Adelaide House as well thought of as our other major healthcare asset – Pickles Coppice SureStart.

Thursday evening was taken up with a meeting with our Labour Group Leader, Richard Williams. It was a really positive and informative meeting, with lots of super exciting things to discuss. However, as you’ll be sensing from my blog sometimes, I now know that the “walls have ears” and so I’m not in a position to tell you about them yet...but hang on to your hats when I do! It's MASSIVE!

Yesterday morning Team Millbrook was out in force – but I spent the day with my family. It was the first time that they were out and about without me for some time. But Councillor Dave and Candidate Georgie brought together a group of ten volunteers to pound the streets and knock doors. We even knocked the door of the Tory candidate, but he wasn't in. His neighbours were though and they were very interested in our message.

And so to this morning, once finishing this blog and making a cup of tea for the Wife, it’s off to the other side of the city for another mass campaign session. It’s really encouraging when Labour Party Members come together from across the city to campaign in once area for a day.

Next week’s highlights include: visit to a tower block; constituent visit on legal matters; discussions of the Police & Crime Commissioners and next weekend the South East Region Labour Conference.