Helen Flynn, Lib Dem Prospective MP for Skipton & Ripon - read her blog here....

Keeping our Liberal soul in coalition

Tue, 18 May 2010 13:41:23 +0100

Well, the dust has finally settled after some of the most momentous days UK politics has seen for decades. I attended the special one-day Lib Dem Conference in Birmingham on Sunday which overwhelmingly voted to accept the coalition agreement in full. I voted for it too, as I see it is our best hope for sorting out our economy and providing stability.

The fact that we will be there in government to provide challenge and an alternative point of view brings me hope that the next few years will see a more moderate government. This should be a government less able to act on ideology alone; more open to reasoned argument; and forced to see issues from other, equally valid, vantage points. After all this is how all governing bodies, boards of trustees, boards of directors and how many local authorities operate.

The argument for strong government only being possible by a group of people who are united in a specific set of beliefs and united in dogma, has always struck me as being thoroughly unconvincing. And of course leads to unspeakable waste as one set of policies informed by one point of view has often to be abandoned by the incoming group of opposing views. Efficacy of policy plays second fiddle to whether it can be shoehorned into the opposing party’s worldview.

Thus, bully-boy government becomes government of waste and the thud of the pendulum swing which ignores the views of well over half of the population continues to inexorably disenfranchise huge numbers of the electorate.

So, yes, this was the fairest outcome and we have to give this coalition government our support and let it settle in.

However, if Lib Dems are to survive intact, and more importantly, our policies of fairness are to begin to make a real difference to people’s lives, there have to be clear no-go zones. Having come into politics from campaigning for fairer education for all, there are three immediate areas that I do not think are worthy of Lib Dem support:

1. Adoption of the Swedish, ‘free’ schools model, so beloved by the new Education Secretary, Michael Gove. It won’t work and, what’s more, it is simply too expensive.
2. Hiking up university tuition fees and thus making university education more the preserve of the middle classes.
3. Letting the disparity between college funding and sixth form funding persist. It is morally wrong, and I am constantly amazed that Labour never sorted this out in their 13 years.

I will continue to campaign for a fairer education system and a fairer voting system, and I will continue to seek to be Skipton & Ripon’s MP, and, yes, I will support this coalition government. But I will be watching and doing everything I can do to intervene if our principles begin to wither. We have come so far. We cannot falter now. That truly would be betrayal.

Less than 2 days to go....

Tue, 4 May 2010 13:59:22 +0100

Two more days of campaigning left. This has been the most extraordinary experience of my life. I have received an amazing level of support from members of the public, and our number of supporters has gone through the roof!

How that will pan out on Friday in terms of the Skipton and Ripon result remains to be seen. But these things I can now be sure of:

1. People are absolutely gagging for change—particularly the young. They really see the old system for what it is, fundamentally unfair. Though I am not a fan of UKIP’s policies, their representative came out with a very telling comment on Friday last week during the Skipton Hustings. A significant number of people vote according to what they don’t want rather than what they do want under our current system. Under PR, this would never happen—it is the only fair system and underpins true democracy. Politicians simply then have to be grown up enough to respect what people have voted for and work out ways of working.
2. Party funding stinks! We learnt that the Tories here (from an HBC councillor) have received £25,000 from Head Office here to fund their campaign, in addition to their candidate’s own generous contribution—well over double the amount we have raised and spent. The advantage funds like this afford local parties is completely unfair. Party funding has to be reorganised to create a level playing field, something Lib Dems have been banging on about for years.
3. The fields don’t vote. Remember for every BIG Tory sign you see—or sometimes a series of BIG signs in fields--it actually only represents one definite vote. I find these signs a potent symbol of the Tories. BIG voice, BIG influence, BIG sense of entitlement. It is the greatest mark of our civilised society that the vote of someone living in disadvantaged circumstances counts the same as a wealthy individual. So don’t be put off by the BIG signs, just see them for what they are.
4. Our grass roots support here is phenomenal—and increasingly young! We now have a group of teenagers wanting to form their own youth group. I find this incredibly reassuring, and is exactly what I had hoped for at the beginning of our campaign. It is their future - their sustainable future - more than anything that I am fighting for.

So two days left. Another few hundred doors to knock on; another couple of open houses at our shops in Skipton & Ripon; another load of emails and phone calls to respond to; another few meals to completely miss; and another two nights when I don’t really sleep!

Only one thing keeps me going: it is worth it. I am sure the difference the Lib Dems can make will be the significant story of this contest.

Something Seismic

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:26:57 +0100

That volcano erupting in Iceland—coincidence? Or a sign that something seismic is indeed occurring in our politics. The dust clouded the air for days, but now that the dust is beginning to settle—we can see a very different political landscape emerging.
The polls confirm that in all probability we Lib Dems will garner something like 30% of the vote—and perhaps more. The fact that this translates into a much smaller pro rata share of seats will surely signify the decisive nail in the coffin for our out-moded and ridiculous voting system.
Cameron talks of the fact that PR does not yield “decisive” governments. But what the post war era of our politics has shown us, is that if you let one side rule: huge chunks of the population become marginalised and unhappy; the Government brings in more extreme measures, tied more closely to ideology and dogma than common sense; and then after a certain amount of time has elapsed and everyone is getting really fed up, the balance thuds to the other side for the travesty to occur all over again—this time with an opposite set of principles attached. Surely, madness!
This is why it is so important for as many people as possible to vote Lib Dem this time, especially in Skipton & Ripon. If we can return as many Lib Dem MPs as possible, we truly can emerge with a new form of politics for our country. With the huge challenges that face us: climate change, social care for the elderly, and, very importantly, how to dig ourselves out of this black hole of debt, consensus government is even more urgent. And oddly enough it happens all over Europe, to no major detriment.
We need the best talents coming forward to take on these challenges. With a balanced parliament, we have a chance at this. If Labour come third in terms of their share of their votes, there is no way that Brown can hang on as PM—conventions truly would not apply in such a situation.
We are living in interesting times, and there is a chance for everyone’s vote to count this time in achieving the kind of sweeping change we so desperately need.
The shock caused by that Icelandic volcano would pale into insignificance, if we could overturn a “safe” Tory seat in Skipton & Ripon. What a potent symbol for a new political landscape that would truly be!

Our Liberal Democrat Heritage: Worth Fighting For

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:02:30 +0100

The election campaign is in full swing now, hence the lack of a new blog for a few days! But what I want to talk about today is the amazing level of support I have received both from party members and from members of the public, glad to hear what I have to say, and to see my wholehearted commitment to the cause of getting strong Liberal representation back on the political map of our constituency!

Door knocking over the past few days has revealed many who remember Claire Brooks, who was within 550 votes of winning Skipton in 1974, and David Austick who became Ripon’s MP after a by-election in 1973. A few were even party activists at the time, and remembered campaigning with David and Claire. It really is important that we do get this message across, that this seat is winnable. Our number of supporters is swelling by the day, as people contact us to sign up for leafleting or send in donations. The momentum is truly growing and helps me enormously in the face of some very negative actions by members of the Tory party.

To me it is important that I am transparent and open and honest, because I believe that is what people deserve in their elected representative. So it came as quite a shock when a Tory wrote to me using our reply-paid service anonymously, calling me a “liar”, and saying that their candidate was brought up in North Yorkshire (which to be fair to him, even he does not claim!), whereas I was brought up in “poor town Wakefield”. It makes you wonder what century he is living in! I also had the delight of an HBC Tory Councillor, an elected local representative, treating me with utter contempt in the market square in Ripon whilst concealing her identity. She had clearly forgotten that she might have to work with me in a few days’ time if I am elected.

It is these kinds of activities in politics that people have simply had enough of, but it seems that some Tories, at least, have not woken up to this yet.

However, I remain really grateful for the enormous level of support - it has been overwhelming - and is keeping me going through a very hectic and demanding time. I can confidently say to people as I go round that we are truly a party with something really different to offer people. With the launch of our manifesto today, it is good to see that the cause we have long championed is back on the political agenda—fairness—and this is enshrined in our four key policy pledges.

I take this as inspiration from Nick Clegg’s Introduction, and hope that some of you reading this will be cheered by his positive and reasoned words: “I was brought up to believe that the way things are is not the way they have to be. I was brought up to believe that you should fight for what you believe in, and fight for change. ……Liberal Democrats are different. When it’s come to the big decisions – on the banks, on the environment, on the war in Iraq – we are the only party that has called it right, every time…….A strong vote for the Liberal Democrats …means the end of the stitch-up between the two old parties. It means the beginning of real change that works for you.”

Bring It On!

Wed, 7 Apr 2010 09:21:25 +0100

Well, the election has finally been called, which is good. I can’t say I don’t feel a certain amount of trepidation. But there are real grounds for optimism.
The last time we were poised for a hung parliament in February 1974, the Liberals saw their share of the vote surge. In the 1970 election we attracted 7.5% of the vote and got just 6 seats. In the 1974 February election, which produced a hung parliament, our support rocketed to 19.3% of the vote and we got 14 seats, a 233% increase!
Now imagine if we could replicate that situation now--I know our ridiculous, undemocratic voting system goes against us-- but stay with me for the moment.
From our nadir of 6 seats in 1970, we have seen that number steadily rise so that now we hold 63 seats. If that number of seats was to rise proportionate to our result in 1974, we would be in possession of 147 seats after the May election this year.
Like I said, I know it is not likely under our current system, but nonetheless we should be looking forward to this election—it is a real chance for us to shine. Not only do we have fabulous policies, we also have arguably the strongest and most able team to set us on the right road to address both the economy and modern 21st century issues.
We also have a situation, not completely unlike the conditions of 1974, where there is a lot of dissatisfaction with both the Labour and Conservative Parties. Labour now has lost the plot, and no-one believes what the Tories are telling us or that they are “modern”. Also, they far more resemble each other in their authoritarian mindset than either of them resembles us. I think clear blue water has now emerged between both of them and us, given our consistent liberal agenda.
I know it is trite at election time to talk of being different and being the only party to offer change, but both points are relevant for us! We are light years away from both Tories and Labour in having a progressive agenda that would put people back in control of their lives, through our strong focus on localism.
We also have a fabulous opportunity this time here in the Skipton & Ripon seat to say goodbye to the old politics, represented by the Tories with their parachuted-in London businessman, a compliant Cameron crony, with scant real knowledge and insight into our area. And say hello to 21st century politics, with a candidate with strong local knowledge, a proven record of public service, and who is a true resident.
So, “bring it on”, as they say, and let’s see if we really can get change this time in Skipton & Ripon. We have a month to do it!

Climate Change and Vested Interests

Tue, 6 Apr 2010 08:04:59 +0100

A letter writer to the Craven Herald asked last week about my opinion on climate change science. For those of you not lucky enough to receive that august organ of news, I thought it might be worth using this space to jot down some possibly contentious thoughts…..
First, though, let me say I am no scientist, though I have read the books of James Lovelock with great interest and do dip into my son’s copy of “Scientific American”, if there are items that grab my attention and are basic enough for a non-scientist to understand! I also, and this may be a bit of a give-away (!), have read some books and articles by George Monbiot.
Despite being a non-scientist, it has always struck me that our understanding (or not) of science across the total population is one of the main issues when it comes to opinions on climate change science. It has always struck me as paradoxical that when we go to the doctors, for instance, scientist or not, we are happy enough to accept his/her diagnosis and treatment without having to “believe” the science behind the drugs. We are happy enough to buy a new washing machine or computer without having to “believe” the science behind the mechanical and electrical processes.
It is generally only when the science brings unwelcome news about potential changes to our lifestyle, that we can downgrade our usual trust in science to mere “belief”. This is made more pronounced when the events are only predicted rather than directly observable, giving us the apparent luxury of choice.
I do accept the vast, peer-reviewed, scientific evidence for climate change, but even if I didn’t and was a doubter, there are still powerful reasons for finding alternative, cleaner sources of energy that will lead to greater sustainability. Investing our energies and money in finding alternatives to fossil fuels seems only sensible, given that these are finite resources. It is one of the reasons why I am so happy to support our party’s policies, and the consistent green vein that runs through them all. This coherent green narrative seems to me to be an absolute essential for any party that thinks themselves fit to govern in the 21st century.
Finally, as regards conspiracy theory pedallers, such as that old Tory dinosaur Nigel Lawson and others of his ilk, I have always been at a loss to understand what is “in it” for climate change scientists to join together to fool and mislead the public on such a huge scale. How would they personally gain by propagating a vast web of lies, except by grants being awarded in the current funding round, their reputation being temporarily enhanced and the possibility of winning prizes? As science is generally transparent, any gains will be temporary and ephemeral. The rewards just don’t seem worth the risk.
The same cannot be said, however, for those corporate giants and their shareholders who control the oil, gas and coal companies. They, indeed, do have a lot to lose if there was to be a wholesale move from arbitrary choice of belief or disbelief in climate change science to a position of trust. It seems that they are the ones we are best advised to watch.

Curry’s Expenses: Is Anybody There?

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:06:34 +0100

I noted with interest today the complete lack of information on either the Skipton & Ripon Conservative party website or the Tory PPC’s website, about the latest and final instalment in the sorry David Curry expenses’ affair.
I suppose the silence is there in the spirit of “Let’s keep quite and hope no-one notices”. To say this stance is outrageous is an understatement. Do they not feel that some direct apology to the people of Skipton & Ripon is called for? Don’t we deserve more than utter silence? Surely the first place to publish such an apology is on your website?
They seem to have forgotten the two cardinal rules of being an MP. Number one: to represent your constituency. Number two: to be accountable to constituents. It’s not rocket science.
As a constituent of Skipton & Ripon I am angry. Angry that David Curry regards claiming £38,000 for a second home he rarely used for five years, and never for overnight stays, as a “small infringement”. Angry that he has never made his family home in the constituency, thereby demonstrating his commitment to the area he has been so fortunate to serve. Angry that the rural issues that are in such desperate need of national focus have not really moved on in 23 years.
As I have claimed on my website from its inception, the main reason why I have stepped forward to represent my area is that I feel true representation and authenticity have been sorely lacking from the political sphere for some time.
We simply cannot afford another absentee MP—we need someone to commit the time and energy to putting our needs on the agenda at Westminster. Someone with proven commitment to the area, who actually knows it, and doesn’t seek opportunities to be pictured about the place with the ever-handy “box brownie” to deliver the gloss of commitment and knowledge but no substance. In short, someone with “skin in the game”.
We in Skipton & Ripon should not be content with second best. We deserve much, much more. We must fight to get rid of its status as a “safe seat”. It simply has not served us.
I know I can be an effective, passionate and authentic voice for our area.

Safe Seats - The Killers of Democracy

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:23:35 +0000

I enjoyed a long meeting yesterday with a lovely ‘old-fashioned’ Conservative, a chairman of a local health trust. He was extolling the virtues of competition and how it has transformed the state sector, reaffirming his belief that capitalism has crushed communism and that competition is the only way to deliver a good service to “customers”.
If a key indicator of something in the market place is customer satisfaction, then the fall-off in customer participation since the 1950s, when 80% of the voting population voted, to 2005 when only 60% voted, is very stark. Something has gone wrong. Clearly, It does not meet the customer requirements any more. Who knows what the turnout might be at the general election in a six-seven weeks’ time in the light of the expenses debacle - 50%? Customers are clearly unhappy.
Each election since 1951 has been decided on about 150 “marginal” seats - the other 500 or so are termed “safe” and it takes a ramrod to shift them. The first Blair Labour government achieved a majority of 179 seats (65% of the seats) with only 43% of customers who voted. And in the last election, that goes down to 35% who voted - which is only 22% of the total electorate/customer base.
A government selected by around 1 in 5 of those eligible to vote. No wonder the major parties are happy with the status quo. Why on earth would they expose themselves to competition? It’s all sewn up.
But where does that leave us customers? We are left disenfranchised with self-satisfied, pedestrian, safe-seat occupants who have little incentive to work hard, as they’re on a guaranteed meal ticket. When the incumbent stands down, compliant prospective parliamentary candidates are often parachuted in from London (as is the case here in Skipton & Ripon) to take up the reins in a “safe” seat - to which they feel entitled, leaving constituents with a raw deal in terms of representation. In the recent expenses fiasco, MPs in safe seats were more than three times as likely to have fiddled the system.
By contrast, to wrest a safe seat from its incumbent, the plucky candidate has to possess superhuman physical resources. Armed with precious few financial resources, they, their agents, and their activists have to amass a small army of volunteers, write, produce and distribute hundreds of leaflets to thousands of people, canvass, survey, and possess organisational skills in spades. All this and build up a working knowledge of the constituency and its issues. Often whilst keeping down full-time jobs.
When these “Davids” do beat “Goliaths” - and the Lib Dems have a great recent track record of doing so - they are almost by definition superb, committed MPs, in the same way that a prize fighter who has trained every day, has honed his skills and long dreamt of glory, comports himself in his fighting career, knowing he has to continue to stay at the top of his game, even as he feels his opponents snapping at his heels. Those brave enough to really commit to take on a safe seat know all about competition, passion and drive.
So if the game’s up now for the state sector, and competition is the order of the day - why exclude our “democratic” system of voting from the makeover? If the customer calls the shots, let’s make all their voices count. Let’s make sure that all would-be representatives are competitive, able, resourceful and resilient enough to get out there and win votes. Maybe then we will get effective representation and leadership.
Labour’s apparent death-bed conversion to a more proportional representative system, is too little - too late. I am convinced that the Lib Dem favoured system of the Single Transferable Vote (STV) in multi-member seats is the only way forward and oddly it’s how all major parties select their leaders! It may not be as easy to say or understand as ‘First Past the Post”, but it’s a great deal fairer.

Travelling through Nidderdale with Brian

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:24:09 +0000

I spent this morning and lunchtime on the Little Red Bus with Brian, a warm, wonderful and helpful driver! Little Red Bus is a not-for-profit, independent, voluntary organisation tackling isolation faced by people living in rural—and urban—areas. It is a vital link in the provision of community transport throughout the Skipton & Ripon constituency.

The crisis regarding the lack of adequate public transport in rural areas is well known, and I won’t bang the drum about its importance here. Suffice to say that it has to be central to any local council’s integrated transport planning, as it provides a lifeline to a huge cross-section of the whole community who are transport-less.

Take today. Brian started the day on the Pateley Bridge minibus picking children up from Darley to drop them off at school at Pateley Bridge. The he immediately picked up Ron from Pateley to take him to the British Legion Lister House care home for the day in Ripon. En route, he picked up a lady at Shaw Mills to drop her off at Morrisons in Ripon for her weekly shopping.

After dropping off his two Ripon customers, it was back up the dale to Bewerley to pick up a lady who was meeting friends at Harlow Carr Gardens in Harrogate. We then stopped off in Harrogate, where there was some time to rest, before his next appointment to take a lady from Harrogate Post Office to Pateley. This lady had cancelled, so on his way back to Pateley for his next pick up he dropped me back home. And he still had more pick-ups to do before finally collecting the children from Upper Nidderdale School and bringing them back to Darley!

Most of Brian’s daytime passengers are elderly people (who can travel on the bus on a concessionary fare) travelling to hospital and doctor appointments, to supermarkets, to weekly markets, or to visit friends and relatives. What today brought home to me more than anything else’s is how vital this service is in really enriching elderly people’s lives.

I am convinced that this kind of service has to continue to be on the council priority list, regardless of any talk of possible future cuts. There is nothing like experiencing the provision first hand, to really see what is involved, and I really enjoyed the time I spent on the bus, chatting with Brian and his passengers!

It makes the Liberal Democrats’ focus on localism seem all the more relevant. It is only in local areas that such brilliant local solutions can be designed and delivered so effectively - and be accountable to and delivered in consultation with residents.

Old-Fashioned Politics

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:22:52 +0000

Two activities I have been involved with recently can only be called ‘old-fashioned politics’. I would like to share them with you here, in the hope of re-igniting some faith that all is not lost in our national politics.
First, it has caused many a raised eyebrow and curious expression when people have seen us out and about doing surveys in Skipton and Ripon on Saturdays and in Settle on Tuesdays. They are not used to seeing political parties actually being out there trying to communicate proactively with people, to find out the local and national issues.
From our point of view, it is fantastic! You get such a broad view of what people are thinking and talking about, and you end up speaking to people of all political persuasions--from communists to (sadly) BNP supporters. It can only be good to have this contact with people and I do only regard the experience as positive—and hopefully the people we talk to have the same view.
The second activity was the Lib Dem branch meeting I attended last night in Settle. This had all the hallmarks of an old-fashioned political meeting--held in a church hall with a keen coterie of loyal members in attendance, not afraid to proffer their own views! I don’t think anyone would mind if I said that most of the members were of a certain age, because this is one of the things I continue to find both amazing and humbling about many of my fellow members.
They have been Liberals for most of their adult lives, and for a few that amounts to about 60 years of party membership. They have lived through party leaders from Joe Grimond to Nick Clegg, with an assorted and distinguished few in between. They have lived through times when we had only 6 MPs to now when we have over 60. They have lived through the steady evolution of the party from the old Liberals to the modern Liberal Democrats.
This loyal, principled, optimistic group keeps the hope alive that one day we will have a Liberal Democrat leadership in Government. That we will get our chance to put our long cherished policies into practice in the service of all the population. That our values will have the chance to transform people’s lives for the better.
Sometimes it’s hard fighting what is regarded as a Tory safe seat. Last night made it a lot easier. It has made me re-double my efforts to bring us closer to that idea that has been kept alive in the hearts and minds of so many for so long.