Les Leggett - Veritas

VERITAS, the straight talking party led by Robert Kilroy-Silk are pleased to announce that their candidate Les Leggett will be standing in the upcoming Cheadle By-Election on July the 14th.

Les is a retired Police Sergeant, married with three children. He is also a former Bramhall and Woodford councillor who has a proven track record of working with people in the local community, both in and out of politics.

Les believes that with the support of the people of Cheadle, they can together change the face of British Politics forever, and build a better future for Cheadle.

Five candidates for Cheadle

Five people are in the running for the seat, which still comes into the marginal category despite Ms Calton raising her majority on May 5 from just 33 to 4,020.

Ms Calton died aged 56 on May 29 after a long battle with cancer.

Liberal Democrat candidate for July 14, Mark Hunter, the leader of Stockport Borough Council, starts the campaign with the advantages of high-party morale after May 5 successes in both Cheadle, and against Labour in nearby Manchester Withington.

But the Conservative candidate Stephen Day can rely on a high recognition factor as a Cheadle resident and the MP until 2001, when he was ousted by Ms Calton.

He was again defeated in this year’s General Election by Ms Calton, as was Labour by-election candidate Martin Miller.

Leslie Leggett is standing for Robert Kilroy-Silk’s Veritas Party, and John Allman is standing for Alliance for Change – Suffering Little Children.

Cheadle was the most marginal seat in the country in the General Election, and the constituency has rolled back and forth between the Liberal Democrats and the Tories for decades.

Years of untroubled Tory supremacy were abruptly ended when Cheadle was won for the Liberals in 1966 by Michael Winstanley – the television doctor.

His triumph was hailed as the “Orpington of the North” after the party’s famous London suburbia victory four years earlier.

But Tories fought back and ousted him in 1970.

The constituency was then cut in half by boundary commissioners and Dr Winstanley stormed back in the part that became Hazel Grove in February 1974 while Tories retained the shrunken Cheadle.

But they again swept Dr Winstanley out in October 1974.

They kept both seats for more than 20 years before losing Hazel Grove in their 1997 disaster year.

Cheadle narrowly followed in 2001.

Scotsman.com

Tory dirty tricks claim

A CONSTITUENT in the July 14 hotly contested by-election has accused the Tory candidate and former MP Stephen Day of dirty tricks.

The accusation comes after leaflets were delivered through letterboxes in Cheadle Hulme complaining that local councillor Stuart Bodsworth was “devastated” after being overlooked for the Lib-Dem nomination which went to Stockport Council leader Coun Mark Hunter, who lives in Marple.

John Tait of Kings Road, Cheadle contacted the Stockport Express after receiving the leaflet.

He said: “This is disgraceful. It has nothing to do with local democracy and it is just dirty tricks by the Tories.”

The leaflet claims that Coun Bodsworth, who lived and worked in the constituency with the late MP Patsy Calton had been snubbed for “a little known council leader from outside the area”.

In response Coun Bodsworth said: “I am too distraught to talk about it! Currently I am out canvassing with a sticker of Mark Hunter on my lapel. It’s typical Tory nonsense.”

Coun Hunter’s agent added: “We are not taking this too seriously because plainly it’s a nonsense. Coun Hunter has been the leader of the council for the past three-and-a-half years and is well known in the Cheadle constituency and has had a lot of support for his campaign.”

Stephen Day said: “Mark Hunter does not live within the constituency and I am sorry if anybody is upset by it but it happens to be the truth.”

As Wednesday's nomination deadline neared, a meeting was held on Tuesday night to decide on Labour’s parliamentary candidate. Former Tory councillor Les Leggett is planning to stand for Veritas.

Registered electors in the Cheadle parliamentary constituency are being advised that they can still apply for a postal vote.

The by-election will be conducted in the traditional way. Registered electors can vote at their local polling station, unless they are a postal voter or have appointed a proxy to vote for them. If registered electors wish to either change or cancel their existing postal or proxy vote, the closing date for cancellations or alterations is 5pm on Wednesday, June 29.


Stockport Express

Cheadle by-Election on July 14

The by-election in marginal Cheadle, the first of this Parliament, is on Thursday July 14 after Liberal Democrats launched the campaign in the Commons.

They moved the writ for the contest caused by the death of the party‘s MP Patsy Calton who had a 4,020 majority on May 5 – up from just 33 at the 2001 poll.

Ms Calton died days after taking the Commons oath in a wheelchair.

This is the first seat that Liberal Democrats and their Liberal predecessors have had to defend at a by-election since Truro in 1987.

Cheadle General Election result:
Patsy Calton (Lib Dem) 23,189 (48.88%)
Stephen Day (C) 19,169 (40.41%)
Martin Miller (Lab) 4,169 (8.79%)
Vincent Cavanagh (UKIP) 489 (1.03%)
Richard Chadfield (BNP) 421 (0.89%)
Turnout 69.63%


The Scotsman

Council boss to fight Cheadle

STOCKPORT Council leader Mark Hunter has been chosen to fight the Cheadle seat for the Liberal Democrats, following the sad death of sitting Lib Dem MP Patsy Calton last month.

And if he succeeds, it won’t be the first time he has followed in his late friend’s footsteps, after stepping into the deputy leader’s job on the council which Ms Calton vacated when she first won a place in Westminster back in 2001.

Discussing his selection announced this week, Mr Hunter told us: “Patsy was a dear friend and colleague and this by-election was one which nobody really wanted.

“However, having worked with Patsy over several years on many of the key issues in Cheadle, I felt I had a good case to make and fortunately the selection committee and councillors from Cheadle agreed.”

Despite his upset at Patsy’s passing, Mark Hunter believes the time is right for him to take this opportunity, and despite their grief both Patsy’s husband Clive and daughter Libby have already pitched into the campaigning fray to get another Lib-Dem MP back into Parliament.

Explained Mark: “Plans for family holidays have had to be dropped since I was selected because it seemed like too big an opportunity to miss, but my wife and family are right behind me. It is a small sacrifice for being Cheadle’s MP.

“I do believe I can be an effective champion for Cheadle.”

Coun Hunter said in the event of victory he would step down from his role as council leader, and if defeated he would continue to make Stockport a better borough.

He added: “I think this opportunity has come at the right time for me in terms of my age and political fortunes, and in terms of my kids’ age. The family verdict was they would have been surprised if I hadn’t stood.

“I have never been the type of person who lies awake at night and worries about things but I am going to give it one hundred per cent.”

Meanwhile former Cheadle MP, Conservative Stephen Day, who suffered two defeats at the hands of Ms Calton, has been selected to represent the Tories yet again in what could turn out to be a close contest.

Mr Day told the Express: “I am standing again because the local party asked me to stand. I have been inundated with telephone calls from people saying please put your name in.

“I think that the result of a by-election could be different. It’s come about because of particularly tragic circumstances. Patsy was a good constituency MP and Cheadle has had them going back a long time. The electorate in Cheadle are educated people who know when the time comes they want someone with experience who will look after their interests and I believe I fit that bill.”

Martin Miller, the defeated Labour candidate in last month’s election, told the Stockport Express that the process of selecting a candidate to contest the by-election was still ongoing.

Mr Miller added: “I have indicated my interest but under party rules a process to decide on a candidate has to be gone through.”

As the Stockport Express went to press other parties, including UKIP, the Green Party and Veritas, were still determining which candidates, if any, they intend to stand at the by-election.


Stockport Express

Stephen Day to stand again

Stephen was born in Otley, Yorkshire, in 1948. He attended Westgate Infants and Junior School, then Otley Secondary Modern School. His family came from East Yorkshire originally, his father being born in Kingston-upon- Hull, and his grandparents being married in Driffield Church. As a teenager Stephen worked one summer holiday on refuse collection and another as a deck hand on a Bridlington pleasure steamer!

He started work in 1965 as a Sales Clerk at the Otley stationery manufacturers of William Sinclair & Sons and by the time he left in 1974 he was Assistant Sales Manager, with experience of both home and export markets. Whilst on day release and night classes, Stephen qualified in 13 business subjects whilst taking the Institute of Export course at Park Lane College, Leeds and Leeds Polytechnic. He became a Graduate Member of the Institute in 1972.

He carried on his career in Sales with the Hunting Group (1974-84), PPL Chromacopy (Manchester)(1984-86) and Chromagene (Leeds) (1986-87) before entering Parliament as the Conservative MP for Cheadle in 1987 when he moved to Cheadle Hulme, where he still lives. He currently runs his own Public Affairs Consultancy based at home.

His interests include music, history, films and following Rugby Union. Over the years Stephen has been spotted at concerts as diverse as Eric Clapton or La Boheme. He regularly attends home games at Manchester RUFC in Cheadle Hulme, and Sale Sharks RUFC. He is an active Rotarian, being a member of Bramhall & Woodford Rotary.

He is also President of Cheadle Hulme Royal British Legion and a Trustee or Patron of a number of local charities. Stephen takes a great interest in local Social Clubs, being a member of the Conservative Clubs in both Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme. He is also a member of Cheadle Hulme Royal British Legion Club. He is currently national Chairman of the Association of Conservative Clubs, (ACC) and national President of the Council of Registered Club Associations which looks after the interests of non-commercial Clubs of all descriptions.

Stephen's Experience

Stephen has held office at all levels of the Conservative Party, including Branch, Constituency, European Constituency and Area. He was an Otley Town Councillor from 1979-83, taking a seat from the Liberals, and a Leeds City Councillor from 1975-80, which he also took from the Liberals.

In 1983, he was the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate in Bradford West, where he halved the Labour majority. In the 1980s, he was the author of a number of political pamphlets published by Yorkshire Area CPC dealing mainly with Liberal campaigning techniques. In 1985 he was selected as the Parliamentary Candidate in Cheadle, being elected to Parliament for the seat in 1987.

He held the seat for 14 years during which time he successfully sponsored his own Private Members Bill which became law as the Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Rear Seat Belts by Children) Act in 1988. Stephen received the Automobile Association Silver Award for contributions to road safety the following year.

He was a leading MP in the successful campaigns to secure compensation for both Barlow Clowes investors and Maxwell Pensioners. He had large numbers of constituents affected by both collapses. From 1989-97 he was the Chairman of the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport Safety, (PACTS) and a Joint Chairman of both the All Party Clubs Group and the West Coast Main Line Group.

He served as the senior Conservative member of both the Social Security Select Committee and the Environment Transport and the Regions select Committee. He is also a past Vice Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) UK branch. In 1997 he was appointed to the Opposition Whips Office being Senior Whip by the end of the Parliament.

At the 2001 General Election he lost his seat to the Liberal Democrats by the narrowest of margins - just 33 votes. In 2002, he was selected again by Cheadle Conservatives to be their Parliamentary Spokesman, and is also Deputy Chairman of Cheadle Conservatives.

South Staffordshire Result

SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE RESULT


Sir Patrick Cormack (Conservative) 13,343

Paul Kalinauckas (Labour) 4,496

Jo Crotty (Liberal Democrats) 3,540

Malcolm Hurst (UKIP) 2,675

Garry Bushell (English Democrats) 643

Kate Spohrer (Green Party) 437

Adrian Davies (Freedom Party) 434

Rev. David Braid (Clause 28) 67


Majority 8,847
Turnout (37.7%)

2001: Con maj 6,881

South Staffordshire Deferred Election

South Staffordshire Deferred Election
Thursday 23 June 2005
THE CANDIDATES


Rev. David Braid
Clause 28, Children's Protection Christian Democrats



Garry Bushell
English Democrats



Patrick Cormack
Conservative



Jo Crotty
Liberal Democrats



Adrian Davies
Freedom Party



Malcolm Hurst
UK Independence Party



Paul Kalinauckas
Labour



Kate Spohrer
Green Party - Against Airport Expansion

The election we forgot

When the residents of South Staffordshire go to the polls to finally elect their MP today, they won't exactly be juggling political hot potatoes in their deliberations.

Rather, the major two issues in the campaign have been non-issues - expansion of an airport that all candidates agree they don't want to see expand and Europe, the sting of which has been removed by two recent continental referendums.

Opposition to Wolverhampton Airport was widespread and vocal two years ago but now there is very little current prospect of the airport's grander plans coming to fruition due to a lack of local authority support.

Mind you, that's meaningless, because no one standing is for it anyway.

A little tableau of this was played out at UKIP's campaign launch at the Bobbington airport last month.

UKIP's candidate, Malcolm Hurst, flew in in his own Messerschmitt 209 - not the Messerschmitt 109 Second World War fighter that the party's press release, bizarrely enough, promised.

Outside the gates stood anti-airport protesters and Labour candidate Paul Kalinauckas, sensing a quick PR victory no doubt.

But Mr Hurst turned out to be against expansion too, a bit naive in his choice of campaign entrance perhaps, but definitely against expansion of Wolverhampton Airport.

UKIP were all ready for turning the election into a dry-run of Britain's Europe referendum.

But, er, that's not probably happening now either after the constitution was sunk by French and Dutch torpedoes.

The campaign has been slightly enlivened by a spat between longstanding Tory MP for the area Sir Patrick Cormack and the UKIP candidate over the former's true stance on Europe.

Angry letters were dashed off to local newspapers.

"In 35 years, I have never written a letter attacking a political opponent. That is not my style. I like to campaign on issues and to preserve cordial relations with those who have a different point of view.

"However, the UKIP candidate in the delayed General Election vote in South Staffordshire has behaved utterly disgracefully," wrote Sir Patrick.

He was annoyed by UKIP "wrenching out of context" previous speeches to show he had performed a U-turn over Europe, from consistent Europhile to latter day sceptic.

He did appear to contradict himself by writing: "I would welcome a referendum on our remaining a member, but I would campaign vigorously for a "Yes" vote in such a referendum. However, I have never supported entry into the single currency." UKIP later pointed out that the proposed referendum was to have been on the constitution itself.

The poll is a delayed election from the May 5 General Election, which had to be suspended when Liberal Democrat candidate Jo Harrison died during the campaign.

In practice, it has had all the characteristics of a by-election, with a range of smaller parties - including television columnist Garry Bushell for the English Democrats - putting up candidates and a small poster war breaking out in the constituencies as parties plaster every available space with their colours.

Sir Patrick won a majority of 6,881 in 2001 and the Lib Dems trail the Labour challengers by a further 10,000 votes. UKIP believe, however, they are in with a shout of upsetting the odds and are buoyed by the fact the party took 26 per cent of the regional vote in last year's European elections.

A party spokesman said: "We are in with a real chance of doing well in the constituency. "Our message is that the General Election is finished. Labour has won it, and this is a chance to send a message to Tony Blair.

"Mr Blair promised the country a referendum on Europe, but he's not going to deliver."

Green Party candidate Kate Spohrer focused her campaign on environmental issues.

Labour candidate Mr Kalinauckas argues that voters still feel short-changed by Sir Patrick.

Labour supporters made great play of the fact that the Lib-Dem's "local campaigner" Dr Joanne Crotty stood in Eddisbury in the north-west on May 5.

But Dr Crotty, who stresses that she does live in the county, believes she can pick up votes from both Labour and the Tories, owing to Sir Patrick's clear support for the Iraq war.


Birmingham Post

South Staffs prepares for poll

Voters in Staffordshire South are preparing to elect their MP - weeks after the rest of the country.

With six days to go before the May 5 poll, the constituency's election was postponed when Liberal Democrat candidate Jo Harrison died after a short illness.

It means the incumbent of 30 years, Conservative Sir Patrick Cormack, has had to fight an election his party has already lost.

After 10 weeks of campaigning Sir Patrick is looking forward to reaching the finish line.

"It will certainly be a sense of relief when I cease to have to pound the beat day after day," he said.

"And I hope it will be a sense of relief because I will be going back to the House of Commons to pick up the threads and carry on serving the people of this lovely part of England."

Sir Patrick's majority of nearly 7,000 should be enough to see him returned on Thursday but the unusual circumstances of the poll have attracted a variety of candidates that make the result far from certain.

UKIP candidate Malcolm Hurst insists that this is an ideal opportunity for the people of Staffordshire South to make a statement on Europe for "the whole country" following the resent rows over the constitution and the UK rebate.

Adding to the by-election feel is the presence of newspaper columnist Gary Bushell who is also running a vigorous campaign for the English Democrats.

Considerable protest votes for those two could give the Labour candidate

Paul Kalinauckas a chance of winning the seat his party came second in at the last election.

Latest national opinion polls have shown the Labour Party has increased its lead over the Tories and Sir Patrick cannot have been helped by the Tories ongoing leadership fight and election post-mortem.

Kalinauckas told the BBC: "It's given us a unique opportunity to win the seat.

"The constituency has had a history of being a Tory squirearchy, one of the safest seats in the country.

"But there is something going on - an undercurrent. People are saying, hang on a minute, this is the 21st century."

The Liberal Democrats also insist they have a good chance.

Their candidate, Jo Crotty, said: "It is much more like a by-election - and we are picking up an extreme lack of enthusiasm from Labour voters."

Whatever the result Sir Patrick, for one, believes the rules should now be changed to prevent such situation occurring again.

epolitix.com

Charles Kennedy visits Wombourne

Yesterday afternoon Charles Kennedy, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Dr. Jo Crotty met with sixth formers and teachers at Ounsdale School in Wombourne. The visit took place just two days before South Staffordshire votes for a new Member of Parliament.

CLICK FOR FULL STORY

Another good bet on South Staffs?

Take a look at what the bookmakers think might happen on Thursday

(I wonder where that poster picture came from?)


CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT THEY SAY

Derek Dougan backs UKIP

Advert for UKIP public meeting
(Express & Star - 20 June 2005)

More leaflets from S. Staffs

South Staffordshire by-election
PARTY: Conservative Party
CANDIDATE: Patrick Cormack


CLICK HERE TO SEE AVAILABLE LEAFLETS



South Staffordshire by-election
PARTY: Liberal Democrats Party
CANDIDATE: Jo Crotty


CLICK HERE TO SEE AVAILABLE LEAFLETS


CLICK HERE TO SEE AVAILABLE LEAFLETS


CLICK HERE TO SEE AVAILABLE LEAFLETS



South Staffordshire by-election
PARTY: Freedom Party
CANDIDATE: Adrian Davies


CLICK HERE TO SEE AVAILABLE LEAFLETS

Rules should be changed

The voters of Wombourne seem a little weary of the electoral process, but they give Sir Patrick a warm reception as he visits a local butcher's shop and tours the village in his Range Rover with his megaphone.

Sir Patrick feels strongly that the rules should be changed to prevent such a marathon contest in future, in the event of a candidate dying.

He argues that, under the current rules, people who are "terminally ill" or suicidal could stand against the prime minister or leader of the opposition to "make a point", potentially provoking a "constitutional crisis".

He seems particularly irked that the delayed contest has attracted a host of fringe candidates not on the original ballot paper, such as newspaper columnist Garry Bushell, standing for the English Democrats, Adrian Davies, of the right wing Freedom Party and The Rev David Oswald Braid, of Clause 28, Children's Protection Christian Democrats.


Read the full story here

UKIP - Getting the message across

Full story here

Freedom Party History

In late 2000, when the FP was founded, we were not aware that UKIP was using such similar colours. UKIP did not then have the prominence which it came to enjoy after the 2004 Euros, and I was not following its activities at all. We became aware of the problem last year, but by then purple was well established as our colour locally, so we were reluctant to change.

The FP colours were derived from the National Party of 1976/1977, which was founded by a group of ex-Tories who did not care for the extremism of the National Front, and sought to create a more moderate populist alternative. They enjoyed short term success, especially in Blackburn (Lancs.) where they won two council seats, but were ultimately overshadowed by the NF, and faded away. The idea of a more moderate and acceptable right wing party than the NF, and its de facto heir the BNP did not, nor was the example forgotten.

The libertarian element in UKIP would be distressed to see NP literature of that period. While its content was, shall we say, more vigorous on immigration than UKIP’s stance, its get up and general appearance were remarkably similar! Perhaps you should change your colours to avoid embarrassment?


This and other items from S. Staffs

Posters in Wombourne

South Staffs leaflets - update

South Staffordshire deferred election
PARTY: Freedom Party
CANDIDATE: Adrian Davies


CLICK HERE TO SEE AVAILABLE LEAFLETS
(Thanks to Adrian Davies for sending us this leaflet)



South Staffordshire deferred election
PARTY: Green Party
CANDIDATE: Kate Spohrer


CLICK HERE TO SEE AVAILABLE LEAFLETS



South Staffordshire deferred election
PARTY: UK Independence Party
CANDIDATE: Malcolm Hurst


CLICK HERE TO SEE AVAILABLE LEAFLETS



South Staffordshire deferred election
PARTY: Labour Party
CANDIDATE: Paul Kalinauckas






CLICK HERE TO SEE AVAILABLE LEAFLETS



South Staffordshire deferred election
PARTY: Liberal Democrats Party
CANDIDATE: Jo Crotty


CLICK HERE TO SEE AVAILABLE LEAFLETS



South Staffordshire deferred election
PARTY: English Democrats
CANDIDATE: Garry Bushell


CLICK HERE TO SEE AVAILABLE LEAFLETS

Freedom Party

The Freedom Party has been formed in response to the lack of a democratic British political party which represents the core values of most of our people but which is not, like many such organisations, an embarrassment to be associated with.

Its chairman, Adrian Davies, is a barrister.

Most of us wish for Britain to remain an independent nation state and for the character and culture of our country to be nurtured and sustained. Yet it is clear that the three main parties, and much of the media, are embarked on a project which will lead in time to the disappearance of our country in everything but name.

Only the speed at which this will occur separates the main parties. There are many small parties which are opposed to these developments, but these organisations either focus solely on one single aspect of the process - the European single currency, for example - or are incapable of mobilising mainstream support.

David Braid

Reverend David Braid, also known as David Franklin-Braid. Born 1937. Formerly in the RAF, Former Minister for the African Church in Liverpool and has worked with both a multi-racial church and anti-drug use groups within the city.

Fought Liverpool Riverside as a 'Multi-Racial Anti Corruption Alliance' candidate in the 1997 general election, and the North West region in the 1999 European Parliament elections as an 'Anti Corruption Pro Family Christian Alliance' candidate. Contested the Wigan by-election of September 1999. Founder of the Battle of Britain Christian Alliance Party in 2000. Contested the Preston by-election of November 2000, and Preston, St. Helens South, and West Lancashire in the 2001 general election. Contested the Ogmore by-election in February 2002 and was a candidate for Operation Christian Vote in Scotland at the 2004 European Parliament elections. Contested Crosby and West Lancashire in the 2005 general election.

Married to Sister Patricia Franklin-Braid, David has also travelled across the globe to help with overseas relief work.

Paul Kalinauckas

The man who cut the Tories local majority in the 2001 General Election has been chosen by Labour to contest the delayed parliamentary election in South Staffordshire.

Paul Kalinauckas, who was Labour Candidate in 2001, has been chosen by South Staffordshire’s Labour Party members to take on Sir Patrick Cormack again in the poll on 23 June.

Mr. Kalinauckas is Chief Executive of a Development group that works with communities and he and his wife, a local councillor, live in Wolverhampton.

Following his selection Paul Kalinauckas said: “I was proud to have won the votes of over 14,000 South Staffordshire voters in 2001. I am equally proud to have been chosen to stand again this time.

“I want to be a champion for South Staffordshire. I will campaign for affordable housing for first-time buyers, fight for jobs for the area and demand that green belt areas are fully protected.

“I will work with the police to take on yobs and campaign for a local policing team in every community.

“The Tories cannot be trusted with the economy. The Lib Dems want to introduce a new local income tax. Only Labour is on the side of hard-working families here. And only Labour can beat the Tories.”

Patrick Cormack

Sir Patrick was born in 1939 and was educated in Grimsby and at the University of Hull where he graduated with Honours in English and History.

Before entering Parliament, Sir Patrick was a schoolmaster.

He is a Freeman of the City of London, and he was knighted in the New Year's Honours List in 1995. In 1995 he was elected to the General Synod of the Church of England.

Sir Patrick's Experience

Sir Patrick was elected Member of Parliament for Cannock in the General election of June 1970. Following boundary redistribution he was elected Member for South West Staffordshire in the General Election of February, 1974, and continues to represent it to the present day.

He founded the All Party Parliamentary Arts and Heritage Group and has been its Chairman for the last 18 years. He is also Chairman of the All Party Parliament groups for Finland, Bosnia and Croatia.

He is a former Chairman of the Campaign for the Release of Soviet Jewry, Chairman of the Widows and One Parent Families Group and Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the Anti-Slavery Society. He was a member of the Council of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust from 1983-1993. In 1984 he was visiting lecturer at the university of Texas and in 1985 made an Honorary Citizen of that State.

He is a senior member of the Speaker's Panel of Chairmen of Committees in the House of Commons. He was Chairman of the Party's Advisory Committee on Arts and Heritage from 1987 until 1999 and has served on the House of Commons Select Committee on Education, Science and the Arts. He was Chairman of the House of Commons Works of Art Committee from 1987 to 2001 and, in that capacity, was responsible for all the works of art within the House of Commons.

Since 1979, he has been Chairman of the All Party Arts and Heritage Group. In 2001, he became Chairman of the History of Parliament Trust and was appointed to the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs. He 2002, he was appointed as the Conservative Parliamentary Party's representative on the House of Commons Commission.

Jo Crotty

South Staffordshire Liberal Democrats, have selected Dr. Jo Crotty to stand in the delayed General Election to take place on 23 June. The General Election in South Staffordshire had to be delayed due to the sad death of Jo Harrison who was the Liberal Democrat candidate.

Dr. Jo Crotty lives in Staffordshire and is a lecturer at Aston University. Jo joined the party after a long career in single issue campaigning. For more than 10 years she had, and continues to campaign for, the cancellation of 3rd world debt, trade justice, and environmental protection. Inspired by the Party's collective philosophy of social justice, environmental sustainability and equality of opportunity, she became involved in the Party following the decision of the current government to take the country to war in Iraq; a decision that she actively opposed.

Garry Bushell

"Garry is a committed English Patriot, and is standing to raise the profile of the English Democrats and give the people of South Staffordshire the option to “vote for England”.

Steven Uncles English Democrats (Political Agent to Garry Bushell)




My name is Garry Bushell. I was born and raised in South East London. My Dad was a fireman, Mum was a Barclay’s Bank secretary. You may know me from TV shows and the Bushell On The Box telly column; but I began my career as a rock writer and I have always campaigned passionately for England and the English.

In my time I have managed rock bands (The Cockney Rejects and The Blood), boxed Lloyd Honeyghan and promoted charity comedy and variety nights. I started working in Fleet Street in 1985; doing shifts at the Daily Mirror and the Evening Standard before landing a staff job on the Sun. In 1987, I put together the Number One single Let It Be, which raised more than £1 million for the families of the Zeebrugge ferry disaster victims - with the help of Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Boy George, Mel & Kim and other top pop stars.

I have been TV editor and showbusiness editor of The Sun and Assistant Editor of The Star. I’ve written a number of successful books including Running Free, the best-selling biography of Iron Maiden, Dance Craze (The Two-Tone Story) and two crime novels, The Face and Two-Faced.

I am also vice president of Dave Lee's Happy Holidays – a charity that provides holidays for sick, disabled and underprivileged children

I was once a member of the Labour Party but became totally disillusioned with politicians and party politics. I am standing in this election to draw attention to the urgent need to reform the way England is governed. I believe absolutely in the rights of the English people to rule ourselves and to celebrate our culture, history, and traditions including free speech, free assembly, habeas corpus and the right to trial by jury.

Greens contesting delayed election

Greens contesting delayed South Staffordshire election
8th Jun 2005

Local airport plans to be challenged and other Parties' contradictory positions on airport expansion and climate change exposed.

Kate Spohrer, the Green Party's candidate in the South Staffordshire parliamentary election, which has been delayed until June 23rd due to the death of the previously nominated Liberal Democrat, will be campaigning against the principle of airport expansion, and is calling for abandonment of the scheme to expand Wolverhampton Business Airport, which she says will ruin the lives of many local people.

Green Party spokesman Chris Lennard said:"We have a major economic and environmental issue here, that of airport expansion, and an exceptionally able candidate, who has campaigned on this issue for some years. This campaign will be about thinking globally about climate change, and acting locally to stop one of the major contributors to climate change."

Ms Spohrer was born and bred in Staffordshire and has a degree in law from Wolverhampton University. She has always worked in the public or voluntary sector. An award-winning author of a book for young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, she works in local government. She recently stood for the Greens in the County Council elections.

Kate said: "Conservative, Labour and the LibDems are all in favour of promoting aviation - the fastest-growing contributor to CO2 emissions - and airport expansion. Yet they all claim to be opposed to the expansion of Wolverhampton Business Airport. They are happy to see other communities in the West Midlands suffer noise pollution and increased night flights, but oppose it here because they fear it will lose them votes - a cynical position. Only the Green Party has a principled opposition to airport expansion and new road building, preferring instead to invest in a proper public transport system and economic localisation - where more goods are produced locally - rather than globalisation and increasingly recognised problems such as 'food miles'. This issue will dominate this campaign. The expansion of Wolverhampton Business Airport will ruin the lives of many local people - we must stop it in its tracks."

Flying start for UKIP

Too important for politics
Express & Star Letters
Jun 7, 2005, 10:58

Paul Kalinuakas, the Labour candidate in the South Staffordshire Parliamentary election, must be somewhat desperate for a cause if his protest appearance at the gates of Halfpenny Green airport on May 31 is anything to go by.

On that day, Malcolm Hurst, the UKIP candidate, held a Press launch at the airport.

He did so because he is a qualified pilot who has flown from the airport in the past and wished to enable the Press to view the constituency from the air, in order to show the beauty of the South Staffordshire and the importance of maintaining the green belt.

No sane person who knows South Staffordshire would support the proposals to develop Halfpenny Green as a large scale airport for business and commercial traffic.

South Staffs itself is a beautiful rural area.

Its infrastructure is entirely inadequate for a larger airport, and any provision of such infrastructure would destroy the very qualities for which the area is valued.

As for the need for air transport, there is already a great deal of spare capacity in the air transport industry, so much so the newspapers are full of advertisements for flights all over Europe at under 20 a head.

Further, if we are to believe Mr Blair, employment is so high that many new jobs such as those in a larger airport would have to be filled from workers from abroad, so there is currently no significant local need for a very large new employer is South Staffs.

Halfpenny Green Airport is a very good general airfield and will naturally improve over time to meet the needs of its existing users.

The pointless and destructive nature of proposals to expand the use of the site have been very effectively laid bare by local people opposed to the development whose valuable work over the past years cannot be made the property of any political party.

Mike Lynch, UKIP South Staffs. Suckling Green Lane, Wolverhampton.