News

Whilst Michael Howard is on holiday, Folkestone and Hythe Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate Damian Collins is writing in the Gazette.

When I was filling my car up with diesel on Monday, I was pleased to see that the price had fallen back below 130p a litre. A small comfort I’m sure you will agree. With rising bills for gas and electricity, as well as food in the shops, it certainly feels like prices are going up a lot faster than the official figures claim.

A recent monthly survey conducted by ASDA confirmed that after taxes, paying the mortgage and household bills the typical family in Britain is poorer than a year ago. In fact, despite all the hours worked, and savings made we are on average still £8 a week worse off.

Everyone would agree that times are tight, and that even if the Government cannot find a ready solution, it should not do things that make life harder for the people who do the work, pay the taxes, raise the children and play by the rules.

The ‘credit crunch’ also affects the businesses we work for and buy from. It is very encouraging therefore to see that SAGA will be creating 400 jobs at its new centre in Cheriton, and also to hear from some businesses in Folkestone that the Triennial is having a positive impact on their takings.

Last Friday I met with Richard Adams and a number of his colleagues at ASDA in Folkestone. We had a tour of the store and the chance to see some of the great deal of work that goes on behind the scenes. I was pleased to see as well that, like the other big retailers, they are doing more to promote and sell locally sourced products.

We want these big firms to be able to live alongside the smaller independent businesses. A few weeks ago, I invited Brian Binley MP, the Chairman of the Conservative Party’s Commission on Small Shops to join me in meeting businesses on Hythe High Street and to discuss ways in which we could make it easier for them to compete with the big retailers.

On a brighter note, this week sees the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing . I would like to wish all members of the Great Britain team well, but in particular Kent residents Ashley Jackson and Melanie Clewlow, who are in our squads for the hockey competition.