Duncan Hames for Chippenham

Duncan Hames, prospective Lib Dem MP for Chippenham has used the platform of the Lib Dem party conference this weekend, to highlight the issue of rising energy prices across the country.

In a speech from the main stage on Sunday morning, Duncan Hames spoke of the rip-off for customers buying energy through a pre-pay meter, and the affect this can have on the lives of local families enduring fuel poverty.

The speech was part of the Urgent Issue debate tabled by Duncan Hames, and included a speech by Northavon MP Steve Webb.

During his speech, Duncan spoke about how one-in-ten people are being ripped off by the ‘Big Six’ energy companies, just because they have a pre-pay meter. The average extra cost incurred is a shocking £255 per year.

Duncan also praised the achievement of the Chippenham based company Good-Energy (which supplies the Liberal Democrats head-quarters in London with 100% renewable energy), for defying the odds to compete against the big firms.

Commenting after the debate, Duncan said: “This is an issue that will not go away unless we speak up. Millions of the most vulnerable people are paying hundreds of pounds extra every year, just because they pay in advance. This is outrageous.”

Liberal Democrats in Wiltshire are stepping up their call for an ‘in or out’ vote on the EU.

Earlier this week, a new opinion poll by Ipsos-MORI was published. The poll showed people strongly prefer the Liberal Democrat call for a referendum on membership of the European Union, rather than the Conservative proposal for a referendum only on the Lisbon Treaty.

Commenting on the poll, Duncan Hames, Prospective Lib Dem MP said,

“This opinion poll shows huge support for the Liberal Democrat view that people should be given a real say on the big issue of British membership of the EU. People clearly prefer it to the narrow vote that the Conservatives are suggesting .

“Anyone who is below the age of 51 has not had a vote on the UK being in or out of Europe. Since the last referendum held over a generation ago, the Europe we joined has changed enormously. The British people, however, have not been given a chance to vote on these changes.

“It’s time for the Westminster establishment to stop being so cowardly over Europe and have an open debate with the country. The Liberal Democrats would relish the opportunity to put the case to the British people for our wholehearted commitment to the EU.”

MPs voted yesterday on whether there should be an in-out referendum debate. Labour and Conservatives worked together to block the proposal. Andrew Murrison and Michael Ancram voted against a debate and James Gr a y did not vote either way.

Duncan Hames said “I hope our Conservative MPs will look at the results of this poll and rethink their position. It’s still not too late for them to change their mind and join our campaign to give people the real choice on Europe that they want.

Commenting on the result of the Parliamentary vote, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said:

“Today’s result simply confirms the determination of Labour and Conservative MPs to deny the people of Britain a real debate over our future in Europe. The way to have that debate is not over the narrow issue of the Lisbon Treaty but on one simple question: in or out.

“I will continue to lead the argument for a referendum on our membership of the EU and will be proud to argue the case for our country taking a leading role in Europe.”

Local residents are furious at the constant cuts to Wiltshire health services. Just 6 months ago, five minor injury units were closed, leaving just two to serve the hundreds of thousands of Wiltshire residents.

In the same round of cuts, Chippenham hospital was saved from outright closure, but was forced to cut opening hours from around the clock care to just 18 hours per day. Now it is facing a new threat.

Wiltshire’s hospital trust now want to close three quarters of the beds in Chippenham hospital, leaving an overstretched service and less care for local residents.

A public meeting took place on Saturday 1st March in Chippenham Town Hall, and was attended by over 200 local people.

Duncan Hames, Prospective Lib Dem MP for Chippenham spoke at the event about the funding the government promised for local hospitals. “Chippenham residents have been short changed and our community hospital is suffering because of it.

“We must put pressure on the government to deliver the funding promised to local residents over two years ago.”

The public meeting follows the SOS for the NHS campaign run by Duncan Hames and local Lib Dems, the campaign included sending a survey to over 30,000 local residents. Duncan then met with the local NHS board to discuss the results.

Local residents were very keen to see a change that would allow decisions on local healthcare to be made by local residents. Not by an unelected board in Whitehall.

Following the news that the Post Office will press ahead with its closure plan, prospective Lib Dem MP for Chippenham, Duncan Hames has branded their consultation “a sham”.

“This has been a sham consultation. The Post Office have only provided automatic acknowledgements and not replied to our letters, they were either unwilling or unable to attend three separate events in the local area to which I invited them. I twice asked them for more information to help us make a more considered response to the consultation and had no reply at all.

“They have shown contempt for this process, and appear to have simply been ‘going through the motions’.” explains Duncan Hames.

“They may have heard us, but there is precious little sign that they have actually listened. In stopping to think before welding the axe at Lacock, the Post Office have one last chance to show they are serious about listening to local people. They need to remember that we are not just their customers, but as a public corporation we are their shareholders too.” concludes Mr Hames.

Duncan Hames and the Liberal Democrats have organised a public meeting to find out the reality of the closure of Lowden Post Office on the local residents of Chippenham.

The closure was announced last December and the public consultation period will end on 31st January. The Post Office will then make their decision about the future of Lowden PO and the Post Office could close soon after that.

Hundreds of people in the area have signed Duncan Hames’ petition to keep Post Offices across Wiltshire open. There are significant fears that our older people will be hit hardest by the closure.

In attendance at the meeting on Thursday 17th Jan will be Postwatch, Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), Age Concern, the Postmistress and a number of local Councillors. The Post Office have so far declined to attend, but it still promises to be the perfect chance for the voices of our local residents to be heard.

Duncan Hames, the prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Chippenham said “I am very disappointed that the Post Office is not prioritising this meeting. It reflects the lack of respect they have for our local communities. This will be a great chance for us all to form a coherent voice against the closure”.

All are welcome to the meeting, which will be held this Thursday (17th Jan) at 18.30 in Kingsley Rd Community Hall, Lowden, SN14 0AS.

There will also be a chance for local residents to have their say in writing. Duncan will be assisting local residents in filling out a consultation form on Saturday 26th Jan from 10-11.30am in the Roman Glass building (close to PO), 10 Audley Rd, Lowden.

Duncan Hames, prospective Lib Dem MP for Chippenham, yesterday (Tuesday) attended a public meeting of the More Train, Less Strain campaign, based in Bath.

The campaign group aims to challenge the government and First Great Western train company, over their poor standards and high prices, and to push them into providing a better service for passengers.

The group held a ‘Fare Strike’ last year and was successful in gaining more carriages on local services running from Bristol Temple Meads, Bath, Portsmouth, Cardiff and other intermediary stations.

The latest call for action has come following the severe delays and cancellations at the end of 2007 and the drastic fare rises incurred at the start of 2008.

Duncan Hames said: “The service has become so unreliable and expensive that it is putting people off travelling in the environmentally friendly way. We are now in a crazy situation where it can be cheaper to get a taxi than a train on some routes.

“The government and the train companies have a duty of care to their customers that they are not fulfilling. It is not right to expect a passenger to pay over the odds for a train journey, especially when they are often forced into ‘cattle class’ for hours once on board.”

Duncan Hames, the prospective Lib Dem MP for Chippenham, Corsham, Melksham and Bradford-on-Avon, has spoken out against the governments plan to close 2500 Post Offices.

The closures are set to hit Wiltshire this week, sparking claims that the move will cause long term damage to our communities.

The announcement on December 11th is expected to abolish one in five of our local Post Offices. This round of closures comes on top of the 7500 already closed in the past Labour and Conservative administrations.

The consultation period for the public is usually six weeks. Duncan Hames asked the government to extend this period to reflect the Christmas holidays. It will now come to an end on January 31st.

There were angry reactions to those regions hit by the cuts earlier this year. The passionate protests seem set to hit Wiltshire equally. Campaigners are ready to hit the ground running. Duncan Hames has written to every sub-postmaster in the constituency to offer his help to keep our post offices open.

Local Lib Dem county councillor Ross Henning said: “Local people in Chippenham are passionate about their local post office, which is a vital part of our community. We must work together to save it!”

One of the principle concerns will be for the elderly people in the community, who will find it increasingly difficult to access a post office at all. The charity Age Concern said they were ‘extremely worried’ about the closures and that ‘the consultation period is insufficient to canvass local opinions and issues, on public transport for example.’

Duncan Hames, the prospective Lib Dem MP for the Chippenham constituency said: “It doesn’t have to be this way. Our proposals would see the introduction of a broad-reaching diversification and investment program which would benefit the economy, the community and the environment. We are the only party who really understands the vital importance of our local post office and the part it plays in the community.

“We have less than 8 weeks to save our local Post Offices from the Government’s axe. I will do everything I can to help.”

Local residents are being asked to back the campaign – you can sign a petition here.

The two leadership candidates for the Liberal Democrat party paid a visit to Wiltshire on Wednesday. The two contenders: Chris Huhne, the environment spokesman and Nick Clegg, the spokesperson on home affairs visited the home of Lord Bath at Longleat near Warminster for a very special hustings meeting.

The event, which was attended by about eighty members of the party, was an opportunity for the contenders to speak to the voters in the election about what they stand for and how they feel they would benefit the Lib Dems.

The event also allowed members to ask formal questions during the proceedings and also to have informal conversations with the candidates over a buffet laid on by Lord Bath, and the Warminster and District branch of the party.

Duncan Hames, the prospective Lib Dem MP for Chippenham was one of those to attend and following the event said: “Both the candidates gave a fantastic speech, as a party we are fortunate to have two excellent candidates, who would both do a great job at leading our party.”

Duncan Hames, prospective Lib Dem MP for the new Constituency of Chippenham addressed students at the opening ceremony of a Model United Nations Conference last week at St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon.

Students from 6 local schools took part in the event which aims to encourage political interest amongst students by debating & lobbying to form their own solutions to global issues.

Speaking after the event, Duncan said: “It was great to see so many schools from the area taking part in the Model United Nations at St Laurence School. The opportunity to develop skills is outside of a classroom is really valuable for young people about to make their way in the world.”

The organiser of the event, Naill Allsopp said: “The event was a fantastic success, all the students in attendance spoke during the conference, which was a big achievement and they commented on how much they had enjoyed themselves. The evening was full of some stimulating debates. Duncan Hames’ speech was well received; it was great to have him there.”

The government’s health cuts have hit Wiltshire hard this week with the closure of five of the county’s crucial local hospital minor injury units in Melksham, Warminster, Westbury, Devizes and Savernake hospitals.

Duncan Hames, Prospective MP for Chippenham Constituency said: “The closure of these community hospital minor injury units will hit local people hard. Many Wiltshire residents will no longer be able to receive urgent health care in a dedicated local hospital.”

The cuts could mean an extended journey time of 45 minutes for some patients. Chippenham Minor Injury Unit has also suffered changes to the level of medical cover.

Earlier this week, Duncan met with a Local GP to hear his concerns about how cuts to Chippenham hospital are affecting patients.

The cuts have come as local Lib Dems, led by Duncan Hames, have launched the largest ever survey about health services in Wiltshire.

“These cuts and the continued threat to our remaining health facilities are completely unacceptable and residents are speaking out.

“My NHS inquiry is already showing a serious concern among residents who are left unsure over the quality and availability of the services they desperately require.” said Duncan Hames.