A gaffe of mine at Borough Council last night. Apart from that, it went well.
Can’t believe that it has been two weeks since I last posted. Did have a period of being unwell but since than have started deliverying in Feltham West. Any residents from there, please feel free to say what you thought of the leaflet.
I am and will be on Sunrise TV at around 7am. Sky Digital 830. I am reviewing the papers!
The debate in the House on Heathrow yesterday is well worth reading:
John Randall (against expansion) and David Wilshire (for) gave excellent speeches – and Labour MPs Fiona Mactaggart, Chris Mullin, Martin Salter, John McDonnell all made very effective contributions against expansion.
Here is the contribution to the debate from Alan Keen:
An excellent contribution from him, with exception of his response to Geoff Hoon’s intervention – which seemed odd and incomplete.
But I do not want to take away from him, what was an effective speech. What I particularly liked about his speech was his heavier focus on mixed mode than on the 3rd runway.
There is genuinely hardly any difference at all between Alan Keen and I on Heathrow.
What on earth is this?
I have a lot of respect for the effective way in which those opposed to expansion have run their campaign but there is no prospect of me supporting the idea that we should ship (or fly) 11,000 or so jobs from this Borough.
Over the years, Billions have been invested in Heathrow. It is beyond irresponsible to claim that those investments can be written off. Whatever the view on Terminal 5 were, what is clear to anyone who has used it, the experience is something to be proud of and it must be competing extremely well with the best of Terminals throughout Europe.
My consistent line – held since the previous General Election – has not changed. Within that mix, however, is a pride in Heathrow that provides such a decent living for me and so many of my constituents!
Here is what I am going to go with:
| State | Electoral College Votes | Prediction |
| Alabama | 9 | REP |
| Alaska | 3 | REP |
| Arizona | 10 | REP |
| Arkansas | 6 | REP |
| California | 55 | DEM |
| Colorado | 9 | DEM |
| Connecticut | 7 | DEM |
| Delaware | 3 | DEM |
| DC | 3 | DEM |
| Florida | 27 | DEM |
| Georgia | 15 | REP |
| Hawaii | 4 | DEM |
| Idaho | 4 | REP |
| Illinois | 21 | DEM |
| Indiana | 11 | DEM |
| Iowa | 7 | DEM |
| Kansas | 6 | REP |
| Kentucky | 8 | REP |
| Louisiana | 9 | REP |
| Maine | 4 | DEM |
| Maryland | 10 | DEM |
| Massachusetts | 12 | DEM |
| Michigan | 17 | DEM |
| Minnesota | 10 | DEM |
| Mississippi | 6 | REP |
| Missouri | 11 | REP |
| Montana | 3 | REP |
| Nebraska | 5 | REP |
| Nevada | 5 | DEM |
| N Hampshire | 4 | DEM |
| New Jersey | 15 | DEM |
| New Mexico | 5 | REP |
| New York | 31 | DEM |
| North Carolina | 15 | DEM |
| North Dakota | 3 | REP |
| Ohio | 20 | DEM |
| Oklahoma | 7 | REP |
| Oregon | 7 | DEM |
| Pennsylvania | 21 | REP |
| Rhode Island | 4 | DEM |
| South Carolina | 8 | REP |
| South Dakota | 3 | REP |
| Tennessee | 11 | DEM |
| Texas | 34 | REP |
| Utah | 5 | REP |
| Vermont | 3 | DEM |
| Virginia | 13 | REP |
| Washington | 11 | DEM |
| West Virginia | 5 | REP |
| Wisconsin | 10 | DEM |
| Wyoming | 3 | REP |
I make that 336 Electoral College Votes for the Democrats! Hope I am wrong but pretty confident about this. Note I am suggesting that Pennsylvania will buck the trend a little.
We have a dinner every year to pay tribute to Admiral Nelson!
David Burrowes MP was our Guest Speaker at the most recent dinner and what a pleasure it was. As I said, during my Vote of Thanks, I regularly plug the fact that I achieved an 8.4% swing last time. Well, he achieved an 8.7% swing at the same election and was elected. Naturally, I asked him for some tips on how it is done!
From left to right: Tony Arbour (Local Assembly member), Me, David Burrowes MP, Tony Viney (Feltham & Heston Association Chairman) and Mrs Burrowes.
Bowen's blog 