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Would-be MP for our area, Duncan Hames, is backing fellow Lib Dem campaigners in Melksham who want local residents to be given the right to reduce the speed limit on their roads to 20mph.

Speeding traffic on residential roads is a real worry for many people,” said Duncan, “As a governor at a local school, I am particularly concerned that Melksham’s young people should have safe routes to school. A 20mph limit on certain residential road would help a lot.” Melksham Lib Dems have a track record of campaigning on road safety. This summer, Cllr Jon Hubbard led a successful campaign to get work moved forward on the traffic island opposite Aloeric Primary School. Jon said “I was very pleased that we were able to get action on the school crossing. A young boy was nearly run down before that problem was fixed.”
“Getting the speed limit reduced to 20mph on those streets where residents want it will make Melksham a safer place. We are calling on the Council to ask residents if they want the speed limit reduced on their street.”
If you would like your road to have its speed limit reduced email Duncan Hames at duncan@ duncanhames.org.uk to join the campaign.

Following a weekend of remembrance for the country’s war dead, prospective local Lib Dem MP, Duncan Hames, has given his backing to the Royal British Legion campaign to secure a better deal for Britain’s troops and their families.

Duncan, who attended memorial services in Chippenham and Melksham on Remembrance Sunday, is backing the Royal British Legion efforts to secure a better deal for our troops. He recently met representatives of the Royal British Legion to give his support to their manifesto to improve conditions for British Armed Forces, past and present, and their families.

Kevin Shinkwin, the Legion’s Head of Public Affairs, said, “We’re really grateful to Duncan for making the time to meet with us and listen to our concerns. Our message to every candidate standing at the general election is very simple: ‘It’s time to do your bit’.
“The entire Armed Forces family needs the support of politicians from all parties,” he added. “Our manifesto outlines practical ways the next government can help, and we hope all the parties will give it serious consideration”.

Duncan says “Local people stand shoulder to shoulder with service families for whom the wounds of war, both seen and unseen, will require lasting care. Whatever we think of the wars that recent Governments have committed us to, it is our duty to make sure that our service men and women are properly looked after – both during their active service and once they return.”

Bradford residents were shocked to learn that Conservative Councillors met in secret to do a deal that paved the way for nearly 200 houses to be built on Bradford on Avon Golf Course.
Liberal Democrat campaigner and would-be MP, Duncan Hames, used the Freedom of Information Act to reveal official documents that show that, in a closed meeting in 2007, Conservative District Councillors agreed to scrap legal protections on the golf course in return for a slice of the profits going to the Council if the land is ever sold to developers.

Duncan said, “a legal covenant was placed on the golf course to keep this local beauty spot safe to be enjoyed by Bradford residents. By secretly agreeing to scrap this safeguard the Conservatives have sold local people down the river.”
Local campaigners saw off an earlier threat to the golf course in 2008 with the support of Duncan Hames and the town’s Lib Dem councillors. But now a new planning application has been launched, and with the covenant gone, the golf course land is even more at risk. “Local people won’t just roll-over for the Council,” said Duncan, “so far over 200 local people have written letters of objection to the Council to try to stop this development. I’m calling on everyone who cares about preserving this beauty spot to register their support at: www.keepbradfordgreen.co.uk

The local Liberal Democrats have conducted a survey of over 5,000 voters in the new Chippenham constituency on a variety of local issues.

One of the top concerns expressed was that the next MP should be local to our area and work full-time, without any other jobs on the side. 92% of respondents to the question said that this was very important or fairly important that their MP be full-time and local. Only 8% said that they thought this was unimportant.

Local Lib Dem Councillor, Jon Hubbard, said “The Lib Dem choice for MP, Duncan Hames, is so far the only one to pledge that he will give up his business to work full-time for local people if he is elected. He has lived in our part of Wiltshire for years, it’s his only home.”

Duncan Hames said: “I’m extremely grateful to everyone who completed our survey of local residents. I think it’s very important that would-be MPs take the time to understand the views of local people rather than just pursuing their own interests.”

On Thursday 8th October Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg MP, and Deputy Leader, Vince Cable MP, visited Chippenham and Melksham to give their support to prospective local MP, Duncan Hames, and to discuss the Liberal Democrats’ plan to get the economy back on its feet.

In the morning, Duncan took Nick and Vince to visit a local employer, Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems, in Melksham.

Duncan said: “I was very pleased that Nick and Vince were able to come to Melksham to visit Knorr-Bremse. I wanted to take them there because I believe it is the kind of company we need to encourage if we are to find a way out of this recession. The quality of its products means that it has full order books and has been hiring while many companies have been cutting jobs. At I time when we are all very worried about possible job layoffs, Knorr-Bremse is a local success story that gives hope for Melksham and goes to show that there is a real future for manufacturing jobs in our area.”

Duncan added: “It’s a shameful fact that despite having a flagship rail manufacturing company, Melksham still lacks a real rail service of its own. I’m calling on Network Rail to use their current service review to do the right thing and bring back Melksham’s trains.”

Would-be local MP, Duncan Hames, has voiced concerns raised by Wiltshire residents at the Liberal Democrat Annual Conference in Bournemouth.

During a debate on the Lib Dems central policy paper ‘A Fresh Start for Britain’ Duncan addressed delegates from across the Country on the importance of not losing the opportunity to clean up politics.

During the debate Duncan said:

“Back in Wiltshire my neighbours are sick of the old politics. Sick of politicians who put themselves first…. Sick of people who promise the world instead of telling it to them straight…. These are difficult times: they aren’t comfortable for ordinary families. They shouldn’t be comfortable for MPs either.”

Later, Duncan said: “I raised this issue because when I speak to people on the doorstep the no. 1 issue that comes up is a feeling of being let down by the way Wiltshire MPs have claimed expenses. People tell me that it is not the money that bothers them most – but the abuse of trust.

“There is now a great danger that the two main parties will conspire to sweep the need to clean up politics under the carpet and go back to business as usual. I and my fellow Lib Dems are determined to make sure that this does not happen.”

Duncan reacted with disbelief to the news that the new chief executive of Wiltshire Council will be paid between £171,000 and £189,000 a year – on a par with the Prime Minister and around £25,000 more than the acting-chief exec. It has since been announced that the acting-chief executive will not be applying for the job but will instead be in line for a bumper redundancy payout.

Prospective local Lib Dem MP, Duncan Hames, said: “The Conservatives promised us that the move to a single council would save taxpayers money but instead they have voted for this massive pay-hike and are spending £50,000 on consultants to find a candidate for the job. At a time when many people are having to tighten their belts and are thinking very carefully about what they spend, Wiltshire Conservatives prove to be completely out of touch with ordinary people.”

Duncan has also spoken out against the size of the redundancy payments which the Council has been giving to outgoing senior staff: “The reason why payments, such as the one the outgoing Chief Executive might expect, are so large is that senior Conservative councillors met in secret session and agreed an exceptionally generous increased redundancy policy. No one made them do it. Where else would it cost over £6 millions to make 35 people redundant? Their generosity with taxpayers’ money was extraordinary. They would not have done it with their own money in their own businesses, of that I’m sure.

“I have written to the Audit Commission asking them to investigate the council’s policy on redundancy payments. There was no need for so much taxpayers’ money to be shared by so few. It really is scandalous.”

Duncan Hames, who is standing to be Chippenham’s next MP, has completed a sponsored attempt to walk, climb and run 100 miles to raise money for the Parkinson’s Disease Society, culminating in running in Sunday’s Chippenham Half Marathon (13 miles, completed in 1h 59mins 23secs).

As part of this effort Duncan also trekked 12 miles to the top of Ben Nevis and back (Britain’s highest peak) and walked the Great Glen Way from Fort William to Inverness (76 miles over 5 days).

Duncan said: “I would like to say thank you to everyone who has sponsored me. The Parkinson’s Disease Society is an excellent charity which does a fantastic work for people suffering from this cruel and often forgotten disease. It’s nearly a year since my Grandfather was diagnosed with Parkinson’s; this is just a small way in which I can say ‘thank you’ for all that the Parkinson’s Disease Society do.

You can still sponsor Duncan at:

http://www.justgiving.com/duncanhames-100miles

A pledge made to local people by Liberal Democrat prospective MP, Duncan Hames, has been voted one of the ten most important ‘Commandments’ for MPs in a public poll.

The poll, which was conducted by the politics website tweetminster.co.uk, asked people to vote for the ten best ideas on how to clean up politics as submitted by parliamentary candidates and the public. Duncan Hames’ promise to constituents not to employ any family or household members if he is elected as our MP, and to advertise all jobs in local newspapers, was voted as one of the ten best ideas. All MPs and Parliamentary candidates across the country will now be asked to sign up to these “10 Commandments for MPs.”

Duncan Hames said: “The pledge was one of three promises I have made to local people about how I will act if elected as their MP. The others are to be a full time MP not paid for any other jobs or business on the side, and not to claim expenses to pay a mortgage. Lots of people are relieved to hear these pledges when I call to see them. I’m delighted to learn that my pledge not to employ family or household members will now be taken up by this national campaign and hopefully help to clean up politics beyond Wiltshire, and across the country.”

The full list of Tweetminster’s 10 Commandments can be found here: http://10commandments.tweetminster.com/results.aspx

Liberal Democrats in the new Chippenham Parliamentary Constituency are celebrating victory in last Thursday’s Town Council by-elections in Chippenham and Melksham.

In Melksham Spa, Lib Dem, Peter Dauncey, polled 732 votes (59%) to the Conservatives’ 432 (35%) with the BNP trailing a poor third with 81 votes (6%). Peter now takes a seat previously held by the Conservatives and his victory means that the Conservatives now lose overall control of the Town Council.

In Chippenham Park, Lib Dem, Lorraine Roberts-Rance, took 427 votes (66%) defeating sitting Conservative Wiltshire Councillor, Peter Hutton, on 216 (34%) and will be joining the successful Lib Dem-led Chippenham Town Council .

Prospective Lib Dem MP, Duncan Hames, said: “This is a great result for Lorraine, Peter and the whole local Lib Dem team. Peter and Lorraine have been doing a lot of work for residents and both will make excellent local councillors. These wins build upon our success on June 4th – when we won the greatest number of votes across the constituency – and go to show that local people continue to prefer the Lib Dems’ positive, community-led approach to politics.”