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Conservative Party Conference 2008, Birmingham

Breaking the mould this year, the Conservative Party Conference was hosted by Birmingham; the UK's second city. Having recently undergone a dramatic transformation, this energetic, dynamic and vibrant city could not have been a better venue for David Cameron's Conservatives to meet.

Sometimes hailed by critics as an excuse for delegates to drink champagne and pat themselves on the back, the mood at conference in Birmingham was one of unity and determination. With a backdrop of economic misery as the credit crunch took another casualty on Monday, no one was there to assume victory in a general election yet to be fought. David Cameron's closing speech reflected the sobriety and optimism of the conference as he urged delegates to go out and show the country that the Conservative Party is ready for government.

As a financial journalist I am only too aware of the severity of the global economic crisis that we are now accustomed to seeing headlining the news daily. As a 29 year old living in Somerset, affected daily by the soaring cost of petrol, food and energy prices (to list but a few), I do not need reminding of the damage that this global crisis is doing closer to home.

In his speech at conference George Osborne laid out his plans for economic recovery. Constructive meetings with the Government last week prove that even in Opposition, the Conservative Party have the policies to address this situation, with the interests of the country at the top of the agenda. The failure of Gordon Brown's economic policies during his 10 years at the Treasury cannot be ignored but it is essential that the main political parties now work together for the benefit of us all.

But whilst global issues dominated the week, at an event hosted by the Countryside Alliance, the plight of rural economies was the hot topic amongst delegates. In 2002 I met with the Federation of Small Businesses to discuss the damage that excessive government regulation was doing to small companies. Rural areas have almost three times more businesses than urban economies, so in Somerset we have a particular interest in this. As costs to these businesses rise and the spending power of the consumer wilts, small firms are being strangled by red tape whilst Labour protects the City.

And whilst the Shadow ministers were making their speeches to a packed hall in the ICC, the rest of Birmingham bustled with a plethora of fringe events. The author Bill Bryson addressed delegates on the value of Our Local Environment as President of Campaign to Protect Rural England. The event marked the launch of a CPRE pamphlet on Communities and the countryside, containing a speech by David Cameron focusing on how strong social values can help rural communities.

Bill Bryson struck a chord which chimes with the social reform at the heart of the Conservative Party's aims - it is not only crime and the break down of urban communities that we must focus on. It is time rural issues were brought back to the forefront of the national agenda.

So, Conservative Conference this year was no time for complacency and I am working hard to take our messages to the doorsteps of Somerton & Frome.

The meetings in Birmingham showed that the Conservatives are ready for office and prepared to meet head on the considerable challenges an incoming government would undoubtedly face.

Whilst we all grapple with the fallout from the credit crunch it is essential that Politicians do not lost sight of the issues of importance to rural communities. The credit crunch may have started in the City but it is being felt here in Somerset too.
Annunziata Rees-Mogg

Local meetings a great success

31st March 2008    Annunziata Rees-Mogg, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Somerton and Frome, held meetings in Horsington and the Cheritons on Saturday to discuss a range of subjects. Four very successful meetings took place throughout the course of the day, with local residents, farmers and members of the business community attending.

Speaking after the two meetings held at The Half Moon in Horsington, Annunziata said:
"It is outrageous that farmers are so badly treated by this Labour Government. Not only do they have a clear disregard for our rural communities, but our farmers are made to suffer most from Labour’s urban-centric legislation. Farmers should be trusted to run their farms without the damaging interference of Whitehall, who’d rather see them strapped to a desk doing paperwork.

"Local businesses are also suffering greatly from the burdens that Labour has placed on them. The Government should make life easier for small businesses to survive, but this Labour Government seems to be intent on making like harder with endless red tape and bureaucracy."

Speaking later on Saturday after a further two house meetings, where residents came to discuss their concerns about garden waste disposal and the A357, Annunziata thanked everyone who came to speak with her throughout the day:

Protecting Somerset Countryside

Our environment is under threat. Last weekend, Annunziata Rees-Mogg, our prospective candidate for Somerton & Frome, flew over the constituency with experienced pilot Pat Mountain to see first hand what we are doing to our local habitats. In order to offset the flight, she will be planting trees in Somerset this autumn as she has done every year for more than a decade and would welcome suggestions for appropriate sites for the new trees to be planted.

Annunziata went on to say, "from the air the Somerset landscape is even more impressive than from the ground. Seeing it from 1,000 feet made me realise just how important our farmers are to our local habitats. This constituency is a patchwork of well kept fields, which give it the wonderful character we all take for granted. We must all support our farmers to ensure it is maintained"

22nd February 2008

Taxing Times in South Somerset
Council Tax Payers to face yet another above inflation rise in their Council Tax bills.  

From April, all households in South Somerset will have to pay an extra 4.8%.  For a band D property this means finding £142.44p per month – which will be a struggle for many, especially those on fixed incomes and the most vulnerable.

The Liberal Democrat controlled South Somerset will remain the highest taxed of all five Districts in Somerset.

The Liberal Democrat budget included some £700,000 of miscellaneous expenditure.   An amendment put forward by the Conservative group to contain any increase to under 3% by reducing the miscellaneous was rejected out of hand by the Liberal Democrats.
This increase comes on top of the dwindling capital reserve
from the sale of the housing stock; so much so that the District  has put in place the facility to borrow up to £10,000,000. 

The leader of the Conservative group on South Somerset District Council, Cllr Martin Wale from Chard said that, “Along with all the Conservatives on South Somerset Council, he was very, very disappointed that the Liberal Democrat administration had yet again failed to set a budget below the rate of inflation to help offset the spiralling cost of living.”

“The Liberal Democrats seem determined to consider what could be reckless borrowing.  This could easily lead to even greater rate rises, or loss of services. This is a sad saga of yet more tax for the people of South Somerset.”

Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, for Somerton and Frome, Annunziata Rees-Mogg said, “It is hard to understand how the Conservative run district councils of Mendip and Sedgemoor can keep their spending in check whilst delivering high quality services whilst South Somerset appear to squander money.  If they start borrowing they will be creating even bigger problems for the years to come.”

 Council tax bills to rise even more under Government’s new tax plans

8th October 2007

"The scars of landfill are already blots on the landscape, and although the plastic will never biodegrade, in time they can become less obvious as vegetation begins to grow back. We must all do our best not to keep overfilling them. Local food is one of the best ways to avoid excessive packaging.

"We also need to make sure that we do not build all over our countryside. Planning decisions should be made locally in response to need, not some target from a Whitehall department that doesn’t even know where Somerset is on a map. Somerset has the most beautiful landscapes, we all need to help keep them that way."

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Inflation-busting council tax hikes are another Labour tax con – Annunziata Rees-Mogg

Voices across the political spectrum are warning of inflation-busting hikes in council tax, following the publication of the Government’s new tax and spending plans for the next three years – the so-called "Comprehensive Spending Review".

Annunziata remarked:

"Thanks to Labour’s fiddled funding, council tax has gone through the roof across the country. Since 1997, council taxes in Mendip have already rocketed by 98%. Now I fear that Gordon Brown is creating three more years of inflation-busting hikes. These rises will hit the most vulnerable in our society the hardest – particularly pensioners on fixed incomes.

"This is yet another tax con from a tired Government that has run out of ideas. Using council tax to raise more money is the most dishonest tax hike of them all – engineered by Whitehall but with local councillors taking the blame when bills hit the doormat."

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