Campaigns

Read more about my campaigns ...... email me if you want to get more involved.

Playground campaign success

Families in Thornbury, Alveston & Pucklechurch are celebrating the news that planned new play areas which had been under threat will go ahead after all. This follows a successful campaign by myself and local councillors who had argued that it would be wrong to let down children by scrapping these plans at such a late stage. More >>

Save Our Greenbelt

I am campaigning against proposals for the over-development of South Gloucestershire. When Labour were in power they tried to
impose over 32,000 new houses on South Gloucestershire. The coalition
government scrapped the regional housing targets, but Tory run South Gloucestershire Council is still going ahead with a plan to build 3000 houses to the north of Yate. More >>

Restoration of link between pensions and earnings

Thirty years ago, the link between the state retirement pension and average earnings was broken. Since then, the value of the pension has been falling year after year. During the election campaign the Liberal Democrats promised to restore the link and, within weeks of being elected, I was able to deliver on that promise, as the new Pensions Minister. More >>

Local school saved

In summer 2010 there were fears that the funding squeeze would mean that much needed rebuilding works at Yate International Academy and at Winterbourne International Academy would be cancelled. I worked closely
with the schools and made the case for continued funding to the Education Secretary, who confirmed that the full funding for the re-development at Yate would go ahead. More >>

Pensions Justice for Mothers

I carried out a campaign for pensions justice for thousands of women who gave up work to bring up their children. In response, the previous Government launched an initiative to identify women who could be missing out on the right amount of pension, and a number of local residents have had a big boost to their state pensions as a result. More >>

Save Our Local Post Offices

South Glos has seen a round of post office closures in recent years. Post offices are a lifeline to many of our town and village communities and I worked hard alongside Tytherington residents, addressing public meetings, running petitions and meeting with government ministers, councillors and council officials to put together a funding package to enable Tytherington Post Office to reopen in 2009. More >>

Climate Change - 60% is not enough

As Lib Dem Climate Change spokesman in 2008, I campaigned to persuade the Government to set a binding target of an 80% cut in Britain's CO2 emissions by 2050, rather than the 60% that was originally contained in the Climate Change Bill. My amendment to the Bill was accepted by the Government and passed into law in 2008. More >>

Fighting for local hospital services

I have been leading the fight to keep Frenchay hospital open. I took the local campaign to Westminster to call for action on the massive debts of North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Frenchay. I sought an independent review of the plans for Frenchay, and have used Ambulance Trust figures to show that people living in the north and east of South Glos will take far longer to get to Southmead in an emergency compared with Frenchay.

Campaigning for better public transport

I have met senior managers from First Great Western in my Westminster office to make plain to them the anger of local people about their increasingly poor train services. I have secured an extra rush hour train from Yate, an extra carriage on another rush hour train and played a key role in saving the X27 bus service.

Buried Treasure for Pensioners

I was delighted when the last Government recognised that many pensioners could boost their pensions due to a little-publicised scheme to fill 'gaps' in their record of National Insurance contributions. The Pension Service took steps to contact people after I convinced them that many pensioners could be entitled to a big boost to their state pensions. More >>

Victory in fight for cancer drug

Charfield resident Robert Derrick contacted me after he was refused the cancer drug 'Sutent' because of the postcode lottery of the NHS. I spoke to local NHS bosses, the drug manufacturer, the Department of Health and the rationing watchdog NICE to press for this decision to be reviewed. Gloucestershire PCT finally reversed their decision and agreed to fund Mr Derrick's treatment.

A Cinema 4 Yate?

For years, local residents have highlighted the lack of a cinema at Yate. I launched the "Cinema4Yate" campaign with its own website and thousands of people registered support. After an inevitable delay when the shopping centre changed hands, the new owners are working on plans for the centre and have assured me that a cinema is still very much part of their thinking.

Phone mast success

Mobile phone company O2 agreed to move a mast that was to be placed right next to a local primary school, after a successful partnership between local residents, campaigners and myself. The company planned to put a mast up in Winterbourne, right next to Elm Park Primary. I chaired a meeting with campaigners and the phone company in Westminster and they subsequently agreed to identify an alternative location for the mast.

Speaking up for local jobs

I challenged the Prime Minister and led a debate at Westminster on the importance of government action to support jobs at Airbus. With the sale of the last British shares in the company, concerns have been expressed about whether Airbus work may be moved abroad. I have urged the Government to play an active part in negotiations to secure British jobs.

Veteran's Badge success

I ran an awareness campaign to ensure that dozens of local armed services veterans had their services recognised with a new Veteran's Badge. The badge is for all who served in HM Armed Forces before 31 December 1969. I was concerned that many local residents did not know about the badge, and after publicising it in the local media, hundreds of people got in touch. Most of these have now successfully claimed their badges.

Making prisons work

There are 3 prisons in this constituency: a women's prison at Eastwood Park, a Young Offenders Institution at Pucklechurch and an open prison in Leyhill. I regularly visit the prisons, but have become increasingly concerned about inadequate Home Office vetting of the prisoners sent to Leyhill. I have pressed the Home Secretary to ensure the Government is not using the overcrowding problem elsewhere to send unsuitable people to Leyhill.

Wickwar quarry and planning enforcement

Local residents contacted me when Wickwar quarry applied to South Glos Council to extend its operating hours and quarry a much larger area. I held a public meeting in Charfield Village Hall, met quarry chiefs at my Yate office and visited the Council's planning enforcement section. I also initiated a debate at Westminster on planning enforcement and am pressing for the quarry to be a 'better neighbour' by responding better to local residents.