The recent advertising campaign about the Police Pledge has been banned by the advertising watchdog for being misleading.  I trust that any Labour candidates who have prepared election literature with claims about the police spending 80% of their time on the beat have been pulped.  I am constantly being asked by residents to ensure that if a Conservative government takes over, we do more to allow the police to get out there and walk the streets, helping to prevent crime but also catching those who do break the law.  

The Labour Party is very quick to claim others mislead the public with statistics, but this is just the latest example of their inability to tell the truth.  I've no doubt there will be more, but at least this time they have been well and truly caught, bang to rights.

The story can be read here.

It has been another busy week in Eltham and I am spending today (apart from the 5 minutes it'll take for me to write this short blog entry) working from home. Last night we were out in Shooters Hill calling on residents, many of whom were very concerned about a spate of burglaries.  Many said they can't remember the last time they saw police on patrol.  My team and I enjoyed a very decent curry at Cafe Eltham last night - a fitting end to a long day.

Earlier in the week I visited two schools (see previous blog) and signed hundreds of letters to people who'd been in touch about immigration - so I was pleased to see David Cameron repeating his pledge to cut immigration in today's Daily Mail. Today we're waiting to see how the people of Norwich have voted - a defeat for Labour in such a 'safe' constituency would be terrible news for the government.

I held the latest in my series of neighbourhood evenings last night in Shooters Hill. As always at these events, there was a good range of challenging topics from immigration to government plans to further restrict weapons used for war re-enactment events.  There were also serious concerns about the way Greenwich is pioneering new methods of budgeting for education, and deeply disturbing examples of people who are no longer in work being forbidden from claiming any sort of benefit.  However, the mood was positive and it was encouraging to see that even on a warm Summer evening, people are still willing to come and enjoy a glass of wine with their local Conservative Action Team.

The Opposition Foreign Affairs Whip and MP for Braintree, Brooks Newmark,

was in Eltham last night to address an audience of more than 70 people about the challenges facing a future Conservative government.  he spoke passionately about the failure of Gordon Brown to tackle personal debt as well as the way in which the current government has stoked up the collective debt of the country.

He answered questions on everything from Scottish devolution to the election of the new House of Commons Speaker.  He never sat on the fence!  

Brooks is a brilliant speaker, a class act and a big brain.  With intellect like his, a future Conservative administration should be in good hands.  The reception his speech received said it all.

I tend not to approve of laws banning people from doing things that do no harm to others. Indeed, as a Conservative I tend to believe that left to their own devices, most people make the best decisions for themselves and their families.  It has been a hallmark of the current government to constantly look busy by bringing in ever more laws, regulations and rules - not least as a way to settle class wars or to raise cash for their pet projects.

Do I support a ban on smoking in cars where children are passengers?  All I would say is this: how will it be enforced?  Will it actually be a sufficient threat to those who don't see the obvious logic that it is harming their children?  And if the government really wants to ban smoking, why not just come out and say so?

You may be aware that I work in a school and so it was pertinent that yesterday, we sent home to every parent a letter explaining the precautions we had taken in readiness for a possible flu pandemic.  

I am sure people in this country are now pretty hardened to these health scares. 

It is worth noting that the government has stocks of medicine to treat this outbreak for up to half the population.  Basic hygiene and cleanliness should help to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.  The most essential advice is that if you believe you may have flu-like symptoms, do NOT go to the surgery.  Call your doctor or NHS Direct, and ask for their advice.  Going out and mixing with people could help to spread the virus.  Most importantly, don't panic.  It really does seem that the NHS is geared up for this outbreak and sufficient supplies of medication have been stored.