Brown's Borrowing Binge

The legacy of a decade of Labour and Gordon Brown is that Britain is worst placed amongst major economies to weather the economic storm.

Yesterday Labour embmarked on a massive borrowing binge which will leave the country more indebted that at any time in history. With national debt set to exceed a trillion pounds Brown will borrow more than Dennis Healey did before he went cap in hand to the IMF and more than Winston Churchill during the Second World War. Gordon Brown will next year alone borrow in excess of £100b and more than the entire NHS budget.

The country now faces huge unexploded tax bombshell with taxes set to rise dramatically in the future to pay off Brown's debt mountain; rises in national insurance, income tax and car tax.

The Coolest Place in Southampton!

With Cllr Royston Smith at the Launch of the Christmas Ice Rink

Southampton's Christmas Icerink was officially opened last Thursday night by City Mayor, Brian Parnell and ice skating star Robin Cousins.

Sited on the forecourt of the Civic Centre it is a fantastic location and its already proving extremely popular. Click HERE for more details.

Action to Curb Cycling on the Pavements

A campaign was launched in Shirley last week to stop cyclists riding dangerously on the pavements. I have been working with the city council and the police over the past few months to tackle the problem of dangerous cyclists. Large numbers of residents from Shirley and Freemantle have contacted me. They are concerned that the problem is getting worse.

New signs, like the one above, have been installed along Shirley High Street. Initially the plan is to persuade and educate people. However as a last resort the police can hand out £30 fines.

C&A Building Demolition Underway

The demolition of the former C&A building on Northern Above Bar has now begun, to make way for a new modern office block in two years time.

The new building will house Southampton City Council and Capita staff and will provide a new customer service centre on the ground floor, along with retail outlets and a restaurant.

The office block will be an important component of the Northern Above Bar regeneration project. I am really pleased that demolition of C&As is going ahead and that we are on course for the new building in 2010.

US Election Night

Tuesday was a late night at the University Students Union. I, along with several hundred politics enthuiasts gathered to watch the US election results as they started to come in during the early hours of the following morning. It was an historic night with America electing its first black president and voting overwhelmingly for change. I thought John McCain's concession speach was tremendous and was a testament the character of the man.

Connect2 Signing

Tuesday was the offical signing date for the new Connect2 cycle way which will connect up St Denys and Northam. The new £450,000 pedestrian and cycle route will run along the waterfront between Horseshoe Bridge and Northam Bridge. The project is a partnership between Southampton City Council, The Lottery and Sustrans (the cycle charity) and the money was awarded after Southampton won a national competition for lottery funding.