Andy Stranack launches his campaign for Croydon North

Andy with supporters

On Saturday 20th October, our Conservative candidate Andy Stranack launched his campaign to become a new Member of Parliament for Croydon North after the sad death of Malcolm Wicks on September 29th.

We had a large turnout with various MPs, MEPs and local councillors attending and hope to see more people on the campaign trail soon!

The by-election will take place on 15th November and if you can offer your support to our excellent Conservative candidate Andy Stranack then please do let me know.   

Andy was born in Mayday hospital and has spent his life serving the local community. He worked for Croydon Jubilee Church as a Community Development Worker, helping to set up a number of community services including a debt advice clinic, a lunch club for the retired and several youth organisations.

I hope to see you on the campaign trail soon. 


Richard & Nicky Ottaway, Charles Tannock & myself campaigning



• Reflections on Conservative Party conference 2012

Finally, Cameron sets out our vision for the future

Last Friday, before heading to Birmingham with the rest of the party faithful, I called on David Cameron to use this party conference to set out his vision for the future and to place the Conservative party firmly on the side of hardworking families across the UK. I am delighted that David Cameron delivered this vision in his best speech yet and also provided a summary of what Conservatism means in practice for our country.

The central message in his speech was a commitment to aspiration and he outlined the core message underpinning the Conservative ideology as wanting to “get behind people who want to get on in life” and that the first rule of being a Conservative is that “it’s not where you’ve come from that counts, it’s where you’re going”.

David Cameron’s speech provided the finale for the message that we have heard throughout the conference on how “Britain can deliver as an aspirational nation”.

Before conference had even begun, the Daily Telegraph interviewed me setting out what ambitions Conservative Future Women had for conference and I also set out my personal views about what Cameron needed to deliver in a live interview Sunday morning on Sky News.

When Iain Duncan Smith spoke about his radical welfare reforms the mood inside the hall was electric, with delegates listening intently. Minutes away and outside the secure area, The Freedom Zone attracted huge turnouts and held a series of debates in conjunction with other organisations such as The Taxpayers’ Alliance and the Trade Union Reform Campaign. Headed up by the legendary Simon Richards, this year he attracted high-profile speakers such as Liam Fox and Eric Pickles who debated the issue of ‘pilgrims’ with delegates.

I was lucky to attend a whole host of receptions at conference such as the infamous narrow-boat booze cruise where we mixed with other delegates, the London Reception with both Boris & Cameron and other legendary receptions such as the local government one where Eric Pickles rallied the troops.

Birmingham was a significant next step for us, setting out our vision and message. Now, buoyed up by our theme of aspiration I now aim for Cameron to deliver his message of aspiration and fairness. 

A Make or Break Conservative Conference

This weekend Conservatives will travel from across the UK to Birmingham for one of the party’s most important conferences in recent years. The economy is stumbling, people are worried about keeping their jobs and paying their rent on time and this struggle is set to continue into the immediate future. Despite the gloomy economic outlook, the Government is taking steps in the right direction. The deficit has been cut by 25 per cent, obscene welfare bills have been slashed and public sector spending has been reigned in.

It’s time for the Government to set out its vision for the future, and that vision needs to be centered on deficit reduction. No hardworking family, saving the pennies to pay the electricity bill, or struggling to make ends meet would endorse taking on more debts and running up bills.

Hardworking Britons are all too aware of the dangers of overspending and the misery and problems it will bring. There is a clear moral case for cutting back on Government spending, not just to protect this generation, but to protect the next. After Labour brought this country to near bankruptcy, it is up to the Conservatives to clear up the mess, no matter how painful the process is.

This conference also provides David Cameron with an opportunity to rally the troops, by demonstrating his gratitude for all the hard work of our activists up and down the country. Each and every member plays a critical part in making our Party successful, working hard delivering, canvassing and engaging on the doorstep. Without these people, we would cease to exist as an effective political force and it’s time this was recognised and praised by the leadership.

Voters in Britain who are struggling in tough times don’t want miracles. They want clear, sensible and, most importantly, relevant policies that will help them and their families fight on for a better life. This conference provides David Cameron with an opportunity to put our party in line with these aspirations of every man, woman and child in Britain, if he does so, the Conservatives will begin the road to a majority in 2015.