Saturday, June 6, 2009

The election results - the aftermath


Apologies for not posting yesterday, I was just so knackered from the election shenanigans on Thursday, and didn't get home until 03:00am on Friday morning after a long day's campaigning!

It was a good result for the Conservatives across the country, and especially in Harlow Constituency. We won four seats, taking three from Labour and increasing our majority substantially in the Harlow South East Division, which has been held by Cllr. Eddie Johnson since 2005. In Nazeing & North Weald Division, Cllr Anthony Jackson, got 60% of the vote, with Labour coming fourth. My congratulations go out to Eddie and Anthony, and also Cllr. Guy Mitchinson, Cllr Lee Dangerfield (Harlow West), and Cllr. Mike Garnet (Harlow North).

Despite the excellent result, It was grim to see the BNP poll so many votes. Behind their sharp suits (which were on display at the Count), they exude an air of menace, and I felt a distinct chill, when a BNP activist walked past me in the Latton Bush Centre (where the election count took place). The BNP remind me a little bit of the dementors in Harry Potter. I know that we can no longer treat that party with kid gloves. They have to be confronted head on. We cannot allow the Labour Government's mishandling of the immigration system in this country, to be exploited by the BNP, for their own - (and, what I believe to be) evil - ends. The Conservative policy on immigration is for a proper border police and a quota system, which if explained rationally and sensibly, will be supported by the vast majority of the electorate.

As for the Labour Party, not only were they wiped out politically in Harlow - where only a few years ago, they held every County Seat - and controlled Harlow Council for over fifty years -they now just have one Councillor in Essex. Around Britain, they were similarly rejected by the voters, and now control no County Council. For Labour this was an epic defeat, and could signal their decline into the third party of British politics (being overtaken by the Liberal Democrats). We will find out more when the results for the European Parliament Elections are unveiled on Sunday evening.

Although voters were rightly angered about the expenses scandal, as I have argued before, they are more outraged by Gordon Brown's wrecking of the economy. High debt, high taxes and high unemployment now stalk us like the plague, and every individual and family fears for their economic well-being. Instead of getting to grips with the problem, Government Ministers are squabbling, resigning in hissy fits and refusing to put the country's interests over their own naked self interest. For Caroline Flint, the now ex-Minister of Europe to resign - complaining about Gordon Brown's attitude to women (because she wasn't given a Cabinet post), when twenty four hours earlier, she was on Television, lauding the Prime Minister as the best thingsince sliced bread, gives a perfect illustration as to how morally bankrupt, Labour have become. The fact that the Government won't hold an election, despite overwhelming public clamour is another example. I have no doubt that when an election eventually does come, the public will show their disapproval.

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Vote for change today. Vote Conservative


The biggest tragedy about all the feuding within the Labour Party is that the Government are failing to get to grips with the economic catastrophe facing the nation. High debt, high taxes, high unemployment are the three disasters of our times, yet Labour MPs are only concerned with plotting against Gordon Brown. The resignation of four Ministers in over recent days, shows that Labour is putting its own needs before those of the country. We now have a paralysed government, unable to act. No wonder there is such a growing clamour for a General Election.
Please vote today to get rid of Gordon Brown. Its time to show the Labour Government that its time for a General Election. Your vote has never been more important.
You have two votes tomorrow - for the European Parliament and for Essex County Council.
Voting Conservative will give you a chance to tell Mr Brown that you want lower taxes, a lower debt economy, a Referendum on the European Constitution and a value for money County Council. Above all, you will be saying to Gordon Brown, enough is enough.
Please remember, a vote for any other party keeps Mr Brown in Downing Street.
P.S. You might like to see THIS and THIS.
P.P.S - Harlow Constituency Conservative Candidates for Essex County are as follows:
Cllr. Lee Dangerfield - Harlow West
Guy Mitchinson - Harlow West
Cllr. Mike Garnett - Harlow North
Cllr. Eddie Johnson - Harlow South East
Cllr. Anthony Jackson - North Weald & Nazeing

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com

A message for local residents - Its time for a change

I thought you might like to see a letter that has gone out to some local residents about the election tomorrow:

Dear Resident


I hope you don't mind me contacting you this way, but this is just a reminder that there is a very important election tomorrow and we would hope that we can count on your support.

We are aware that residents of Harlow are rightly very unhappy - as am I - with the MPs expenses scandal, but we also feel that it is important to send Gordon Brown a very clear message.

People on the door step tell me that its time for a general election and Gordon Brown should act on what the residents wish for.

This we feel can only be achieved if that message is clear tomorrow.

Harlow can not afford another year of Gordon Brown!

"Enough is Enough"

Best wishes


Robert Halfon

Harlow Constituency Parliamentary Candidate





Vote Conservative Tomorrow June 4th. Polling stations are open from 7.00 am till 10.00pm

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

After another fire in Nazeing, enough is enough


After yet another fire at the so-called 'Nazeing recycling centre' (the second major blaze at the site in five months), I have called for a public inquiry into this site. It is outrageous that yet again, local residents have to endure this major safety hazard and suffer all the environmental pollution that this site has wrought on the local area.

Dozens of firefighters were called to Birchwood Industrial Estate, off Hoe Lane, on Saturday afternoon. Crews remained on the scene overnight after the fire broke out in 100 tonnes of wood chippings.

In January, following the last blaze which burned for several days, I wrote to the Environment Agency, saying the site is a danger to local residents.

This latest blaze only underlines what I said before, that the site is a danger to local people and the use of the site for storing wood chippings should be stopped.

The site is not suitable for such a use and it is unfair on the people who live nearby to have this potential hazard sitting on their doorsteps.

It is time that the authorities took notice of what is happening on the site, and do something immediately to ensure that such incidents cannot happen again. It is time that something is done.

The only way to do that is to impose a ban on the storage of wood chippings which have been a sitting time bomb in recent months. What we need is a full public inquiry into the site so that all the evidence can be considered.

Further information can be found HERE.

Monday, June 1, 2009

The perils of celebrity















As you know from my previous posting, I wanted Stavros Flatley to win so was disappointed on Saturday night. I was surprised that Diversity won, although after watching the choreographical genius of the final performance, I can understand why they captured the hearts of the voting public. I hadn't realised - until my Facebook friend Jo-Anne Sanderson, told me, that Diversity had links with Essex - with the hip-hop crew from the Harlow Playhouse, so that makes their victory all the more sweet.

Yet, despite Diversity's tremendous triumph, the person who is making all the headlines is Susan Boyle, who came second. According to reports today, she has been checked into a Clinic after suffering from the pressure and the results on Saturday night. Susan had a brilliant voice and was a tribute to the view that great entertainers and celebrities don't need to be 'beautiful people' who have nothing to offer other than their looks. Susan Boyle was substance over style.

Yet, I can't help thinking that Susan was ill-suited to the competition. She was known to suffer learning difficulties and found the glare of publicity too hard to bear. Perhaps she should have been looked after and cared for more. I loved Britain's got Talent - but at the same time, we mustn't let these kind of shows become some kind of old-fashioned fun fair on Hampstead Heath, where people stood by and gawped at individuals who had great talent but some kind of difficulty or another.

Susan Boyle should be a lesson for our times. In Britain, we constantly build people up, knock them down again and then build them up again when the time suits. This is often done through our mass media, with all of us lapping it up and reading page by page, or watching every TV moment. Like the late Jade Goody, Susan Boyle has been a victim of this kind of public fervour. Only last week we were reading in the tabloids about her downfall and her alleged activities in a London Hotel.

I wish Susan a quick recovery - and her beautiful voice is used what it is best for - singing and making people happy. But I hope that she never again is a figure to be laughed at, or be used by the tabloid media for their own purposes.

Having said all that, Britain's Got Talent was a great programme - the acts that reached the final were clearly top-notch - I just felt a little sad and reflective today after reading of Susan's plight.

P.S. Apart from Stavros, Hollie was truly wondrous.

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com