Blog Posts

  • Is Cambridge open for business? Talking to the BBC

    I was on the Paul Stainton show this morning,just after 0730, talking about Cambridge and growth. The background to the story, it seems, revolves around a growing feeling that planning authorities, and in particular Cambridge City Council, see business planning applications as sport before refusing. If true this is a very damaging situation and their Read more

  • David Cameron: Land of opportunity speech in Manchester today

    David Cameron: Land of opportunity Addressing the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester today the Prime Minister said: This week in Manchester we’ve shown this Party is on the side of hardworking people. Helping young people buy their own home. Getting the long-term unemployed back to work. Freezing fuel duty. Backing marriage. Cutting the deficit. Creating Read more

  • Olly Garner – top grandson

    We have been having a brilliant weekend looking after little Olly, a dashing energetic nearly three year old. With mum and dad away the grand parents are in charge, hurray. It’s been great fun doing so many things that I had forgotten about and looking through the eyes of a little one. We all went Read more

  • Eight suggestions for the Conservative Party to help win the next election.

    Controlled immigration. Use the Australian points based system to attract those we want and reject those we don’t. It is a complete nonsense that we can’t employ engineers from China, India and Brazil yet we are forced to accept unregulated migration from Europe. Abolish HS2whilst the project has merit the cost is simply too high. Read more

  • Broadband – Radio interview with Chris Mann

    I had a surprise call from the BBC yesterday to discuss broadband with Chris Mann. I was on with Ian bates, the county Council cabinet member. You can hear it on the BBC radio Cambridgeshire website at 05:35 minutes in until 14:35 on the 26/09/2013 on listen again. It seems that Margaret Hodge MP, Labour Read more

  • Insitute of Directors dinner

    Last night I attended the IoD dinner at Queens College, Cambridge. The hall was magnificent, the food outstanding and the company stimulating. I was attending as a guest of James Goodchild CEO of Westbury Private Clients http://www.westburypc.com/Westbury_Private_Clients/People.html. They specialise in investments but have a neat pricing structure that means clients are not charged dealing fees Read more