James Wharton MP

Theresa May MP, Shadow Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions, visited 5 Lamps in Thornaby this afternoon.  It was a good meeting and we discussed a number of challenges and opportunities that this area is likely to face in coming years.  Five Lamps is a “third sector” not for profit provider which is doing a great job and shows just what can be achieved when people are given the opportunity to make a difference.

I hosted a meeting with Thrive and Brooks Newmark MP.  Thrive is run by Greg Brown from Church Action for Poverty and helps local people who are struggling with debt and poverty, particulary in Thornaby and Stockton.  They do a great job and have a number of concerns about the way the government approaches unemployment, with proposals for improvements which could be made.  It was a good meeting but all too brief, I hope to meet this group again and to see what I can do to help them in their aims.

This morning I joined Lord Bates for a visit to CAT Group, a company on Teesport which has been hit by the government’s retrospective port tax changes.  We saw how the tax changes are putting an additional strain on local businesses during an already tough recession.  Last night Lord Bates led for the Conservatives in a debate in the House of Lords which required the government to reverse its tax policy – where ports are being hit by huge bills because the way rates are calculated has been changed and back dated to 2005.  We will now have to wait to see if the government acts to prevent further job losses in the Tees Valley.

This afternoon I was in Ingleby Barwick to help the local team deliver the most recent edition of intouch, my regular newsletter to all residents in Stockton South.  We were doing one of the newest areas, it being not yet complete with quite a few empty houses waiting to be sold.  For the first time in many years of delivering newsletters and leaflets in Ingleby there did not appear to be any new houses since the last time we delivered this area a few months ago.  Building on Ingleby Barwick should have been halted many years ago with too many houses having been built putting a strain on local services, but no one wanted it to be a recession that stopped work.  They now need to complete the areas which are not yet finished such as The Rings and Hilbrook Cres, but then build no more!

Tonight I attended the opening of a new restaurant in Middlesbrough.  The Mayor, Ray Mallon “cut the rubbon” and made a short speech, setting out his ambitions for the town.  A number of local Stockton Councillors were present, including Thornaby Independents and Conservatives.  It was an enjoyable evening and I wish the new venture every success.