James Wharton

Last night I attended an executive meeting of Stockton Conservatives, giving a report on campaigning in Stockton South and some of the local issues I have been invovled with.  Council Leader Ken Lupton similarly made a report to the executive, which was a good opportunity for members to ask questions and find out about what is going on in Stockton Borough Council.  The local party remains in good health, with new supporters joining and branches being formed.  We are now entering the final countdown to a general election, with the likely date being in May next year.  Whatever the result I am confident that Stockton Conservatives will emerge a stronger organisation than it has been for many years.

Last night Stockton Conservatives hosted the North East board of the Conservative Party.  With senior party members, including the Regional Chairman and the Chairman of the National Convention, it was an excellent opportunity to raise issues which are relevant to the local party here in Stockton and across the North East.  I received a number of offers of help for our campaign in Stockton South which I will be following up and, all in all, there is an upbeat mood in the Party.

Congratulations to Chloe Smith, the new Conservative MP for Norwich North!  This constituency had a Labour majority of the same size as Stockton South, meaning we were watching the campaign closely for any indications of what might happen here at the next election.  If the result is anything to go by local Labour must be getting concerned about their own prospects.

Tonight I attended a meeting with local Conservative Party members from across Stockton South.  We discussed a wide variety of local issues and what we are doing (and are now going to do!) to try to help in some areas.  It is a challenging time, with many people feeling the impact of recession and this has made many of the challenges faced by local communities all the more acute.

A mixed day in Yarm, with a really welcoming and positive response from people I met but some rather erratic weather to contend with!  One of the best things about standing for any political office is getting to meet a wide range of people, with different views and concerns.  I always particularly enjoy spending time in Yarm as I have strong links with the town (having gone to school there and living so close).