James Wharton

Today I was due to visit Thornaby Show, but sadly the wet weather has meant the field was waterlogged and the event has had to be cancelled.  It is a real shame that the show has fallen victim to the awful August weather; people travel from as far away as Houghton le Spring to attend this event and I am sure it will be a success next year.

This afternoon I met with the senior manager of a large local company involved in construction and chemical industry projects in the Teesside area (and beyond).  We discussed the needs and challenges faced by local companies in these sectors, as well as what the government is doing wrong and how our local industries are being let down.  I could not promise everything that was wanted but there should certainly be scope for improvements in the way we do business in this region and I hope the next Conservative manifesto will incorporate some ideas specifically tailored to the needs of the North East.

One of the complaints anyone involved in politics hears during elections is “you only turn up when you want me to vote for you, where are you the rest of the time?”.  We are working extremely hard here in Stockton South to ensure no one can say that to us at the next election.  As part of this we have launched an unusual bank holiday campaign.  Many residents will notice posters, placed at strategic sites across the area, of the type usually only seen during elections.  They will not be up very long (a week or so) but I hope it will send a clear message and encourage more residents to take an active interest in all the work their local Conservatives are doing on their behalf.

Last night I was in Darlington for a meeting of the Conservative Party Cleveland & Durham Area Officers.  Discussion was wide ranging and there are some exciting plans, with things almost universally looking up for the Party in this part of the North East.  All those volunteers who make everything we do possible deserve a public thank you for their hard work, long may it continue!

I was on the breakfast show on Radio Tees this morning.  It was the first time I have been on since Matthew Davies left the show so I did not quite know what to expect.  John Foster, who presented the show, was excellent and we discussed a wide range of issues from whether BBC Tees devotes too much time to covering football to people of different ages working and socialising together.