Cameron: Neglect of town not acceptable

Sedgefield

CONSERVATIVE leader David Cameron yesterday discovered the grim reality of both Newton Aycliffe and By-election campaigning.

He appeared genuinely shocked by the state of the rundown town centre, which is becoming the central issue in the campaign to choose Tony Blair's successor.

However, as he departed the dank Sixties concrete corridors flanked by his party's candidate, Graham Robb, he was jostled by Labour supporters and then found his message all but overtaken by embarrassment when his car wouldn't start.

The main purpose of his visit was to view the dilapidated health centre.

"There's paint peeling off the walls and water coming through the ceiling which has to be collected in buckets," he said, having personally picked up some of the litter blowing through the arcade.

"It is unacceptable for health professionals who are dealing with troubled families and vital issues to work like this.

"Something was going to be done four years ago, but nothing has been done. We need a major plan for Newton Aycliffe, and Graham should be given the chance to put his idea for a partnership company into action."

Mr Robb wants the private and public sectors to work together, using compulsory purchase powers, if necessary, to drive through regeneration.

In the May local elections, the frustration of Aycliffe was shown when three Labour councillors - including the council leader - were replaced by Independents, including Paul Gittins who is himself standing on the issue in the By-election.

Labour argues that with the imminent move of the health centre, the logjam will be broken and the redevelopment will begin.

"The fact is," said Mr Cameron, "that the Labour Party has had a long time to sort it out and it has not."

It was a theme Mr Cameron returned to time and again. For instance, Mr Robb's election leaflet says Sedgefield has been "taken for granted" as Mr Blair has been away on Prime Ministerial duties.

Perhaps the people of Witney, in West Oxfordshire, felt taken for granted as their MP - Mr Cameron - was away from their constituency in Sedgefield on campaign duties.

"I work incredibly hard for my constituency," he said, "but I have to say that in West Oxfordshire we have not got any health facilities as downright dreadful as this one."

Yet Mr Cameron had orchestrated a standing ovation for the outgoing Sedgefield MP in his last Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.

"His final performance was a bravura performance, and I think that to be Prime Minister of our country for ten years is an achievement and he has given a huge amount in terms of public service, which is why I asked my lot to get on their feet," he explained before returning to his theme. "But look around here, it is not quite the send-off one would imagine."

He said other Conservative policies would also assist Aycliffe, such as abolishing the North-East Regional Assembly.

Mr Cameron said: "Here in the North-East, people voted by an enormous margin not to have a regional assembly, yet it is still there. We would devolve its powers to local authorities to solve problems like the one we are standing in."

Conservatives would also abandon the proposed local government reorganisation because such moves, he said, were expensive and achieved very little.

"Abolishing small district councils actually takes government further away from the people. We want to see government closer to the people," he said. "I'm a great believer in if you put government closer to the people and give it more responsibility, it can act on behalf of local people."

But surely, even given the dismal surroundings of an Aycliffe arcade, Labour's 18,457 majority is too big for anyone to overturn.

"I don't believe in the concept of safe seats," he said. "I believe in the concept of democracy and choice.

"What Sedgefield needs, as you can see here, is a dedicated, hard-working Member of Parliament who understands the issues, understands the people and is a trusted voice throughout the North-East, and that is what Graham is."
The Northern Echo