Teignbridge MP Richard Younger-Ross begins his column of the People’s Republic of South Devon with coincidences, schools visits, sailing and smiling at Fields of Gold. Find out what a South Devon MP gets up to.
Mixed Doubles Coincidence
There is a mathematician that has worked out why you never see a bus for ages and then three all come along at the same time. I wish I had his email address for I could ask him to explain coincidences in my diary. On Saturday morning I was at St Mary’s Hall at Dawlish Warren for a councillors’ away day, then on Monday morning I was back there for my Advice Surgery. As I rotate my 100+ surgeries a year around the 660 square miles of my constituency, I only get to St Mary’s once a year. Then on Sunday I was in Teignmouth at a Civic Service where girls from Stover School sang, and the next day I met a group of boys from the same school for an awards ceremony in Parliament. Coincidence, coincidence, coincidence.
Teignbridge Civic Service
It has to be said for Sylvia Russell [Teignbridge Councillor for Teingmouth East] she has a good ear for music and is indeed a gifted singer herself. So when as Chair of the District Council, she has her Civic Service you might expect it to be a musical treat, and it was. Good strong hymns and a fabulous visiting choir from Stover School, Cantabile. I have seen them at such an event before and was impressed then, they are even better now. Three delightful songs, one classical, one ballad and one ‘bee bop’. The second of the three I thought was a brilliant choice, Fields of Gold, well it made me smile.
Hennock School
School events seem to be filling up a lot of my diary at the moment, for on Friday I was up at the geographic centre of my constituency, Hennock, to speak to the school there. They had been on a visit to Parliament and had lots of questions to ask about education funding. (Devon doesn’t get a fair share now and didn’t even under the Tories), had I met the Queen (yes, and she is very nice) and how old was I (ancient!), and many more. At least half the class wanted to be MPs, so I’ll have to watch out in 10 years time.
Taxi!
Taxis and Teignbridge go together, or at least Dennis Skinner used to think so, for every time my predecessor stood up he would shout ‘taxi’. However, on Thursday I stood before the District Council Taxi Licensing and Regulation panel supporting calls for a suspension of issuing any further taxi licences. The number of plates has doubled in the last 18 months since deregulation. I have a number of complaints that taxis now queue off their ‘rank’ because there is not enough space. While they are not meant to do that, they do, and it is a safety hazard. I was therefore calling on the council to suspend issuing any new licences until the problems with the ranks can be sorted out.
Sailing
I do not sail, a little detail that did not stop Shaldon Sailing Club asking me to be their Honorary President a couple of years back. On Saturday night it was their prize-giving night in the Sail Loft at the back of the London Inn in Shaldon. I was there to hand out the silverware. They have clearly had a good year as the room was crowded and rightly so for a delightful little club.
Make it Happen
Back in London on Monday we had a Conservative opposition day debate entitled Economic Recovery and Welfare. Bizarrely, the Government has also tabled a debate called Making The Right Choices to Secure the Recovery as a topical debate for Thursday. Who is following who? In the afternoon, a group from Stover Preparatory School, who had won the regional heat of the Make it Happen IT competition for primary schools, was in Parliament to hear who had won the national prize. There were 11 schools present, one for each English region and one from both Scotland and Wales. It is run by the All Party Parliamentary IT Group who, supported by sponsors from the industry, run it every year. Sadly. they did not win but I hope other local schools will also enter next year.
Surgeries
Friday, October 30: St Paul’s Church Room, Church Road, Starcross. 5pm – 5.45pm
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