Alok Sharma's Westminster Diary, September 30, 2010
Alok Sharma MP • Published 30 Sep 2010 09:30
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Parliament is now back in recess until Monday, October 11, while the various party conferences take place.
I have been taking advantage of the break by getting out and about in the constituency. I’ve popped in to see the regeneration work underway at Dee Park estate, met the Reading Credit Union to learn about their expansion plans, joined some of my constituents at the drop-in session to consult on healthcare provision in and around Underwood Road and attended the consultation on the proposed IKEA store in Calcot.
Schools have also been on the agenda in the past week. I was invited to cut the ribbon at the Holybrook Special School’s formal opening ceremony, following the school’s refurbishment and expansion and I also enjoyed a great lunch with pupils and teachers at The Big Lunch event at Brookfields School where they served up vegetables grown in the school’s very own vegetable garden!
The Earl of Wessex came to Reading West this week to open the rebuilt Adventure Dolphin Centre in Pangbourne and I joined the team of local school children, volunteers and councillors to welcome him to this fantastic facility which is enjoyed by so many young people every year.
A keen supporter of local businesses, I spoke earlier in the week at an event organised for Berkshire businesses by the Institute of Directors.
The Government’s plans for bringing down corporation tax rates, tackling over-regulation faced by small and medium sized businesses and getting to grips with Labour’s record budget deficit were all topics on the agenda.
Of course, while Government MPs have been busy in their local constituencies over the past week the Labour Party has been choosing its new leader.
To the surprise of many, including himself by the look of sheer terror on his face at the announcement, Ed Miliband was catapulted into the hot seat by his financial backers in the unions.
Ed was not the first choice of his MPs, he was not the first choice of his Party members but he was the clear choice of the unions. Let’s see what high price they will extract from him for their support.
“Red Ed”, as he is now known in the media, is certainly in for a very tough political ride.
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