I know from my postbag that many local families are going to find things pretty tough this Christmas. The deepest recession in modern history has taken its toll, costing jobs and seeing many good businesses go bankrupt through lack of credit. We know how it started. Irresponsible bankers played fast and loose, while government agencies [...]

In a letter to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Julian Brazier has said: “Thank you for your letter of 8th December. In your letter, you list a collection of boxes which you allege Kent and Medway NHS Trust have not ticked, such as assessing functions, arranging monitoring policies and so on, without a single [...]

Julian Brazier has written to Paul Clark, the Shipping Minister, over the Maritime and Coastguard Agency plans to scrap emergency flights from Manston. In his letter Julian said, “I have been contacted by Laura Sandys the PPC for South Thanet as both a Kent MP and Shadow Minister for Shipping regarding scrapping of Air Sea [...]

The shocking kidnapping of Kent couple, Paul and Rachel Chandler, raises serious questions about the orders the Royal Navy has been issued with for dealing with pirates. A Royal Navy support vessel actually witnessed the incident, but apparently was powerless to intervene, in case this put the Chandlers’ lives at risk. Whatever actually happened then, [...]

In a letter dated 30th of November, Sir Thomas Legg has written to say that he accepts all Julian Brazier’s representations on his original queries except for one small item, mobile phone costs. As that is exceeded by an item Mr Brazier chose to repay voluntarily, he has concluded that there is nothing for Julian [...]

As an MP, I get a vast quantity of paperwork from organisations, much of which inevitably has a short life between desk and bin. (Yes the Commons does recycle). But recently I received a document from a consortium including British Gas and EDF Energy which gave me pause for serious thought. As the nights draw [...]

Earlier in the month, the government tried to introduce a law against inciting hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.  The House of Lords voted the measure down. Opponents of the measure argued in favour of protecting our long-established right to express our own views – and to defend the right of others to express [...]

A fortnight ago, the Lisbon Treaty was signed by the Czech President. So we are forced to head towards further political integration with Europe. I know from the number of letters and emails that I have received how much people resent the fact we cannot now have the referendum we were promised by the Government. [...]

Standing through the two minutes’ silence on Remembrance Sunday becomes more poignant by the year. The last of the brave Tommies from the First World War died this year and those from the Second are diminishing in number, but we are faced with a new roll-call of names to remember – this time from Afghanistan, [...]

Last July, I visited Canterbury’s own Territorial regiment – the 3rd Battalion of the Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment on a training weekend in Norfolk. Watching them on long-range patrol among the beautiful trees of Thetford Forest, it was a long way from the Afghan landscape they were training for.