Children and Politics Do Mix
There is one, simple, cardinal rule in live TV: never, ever, do live shows with either children or animals. Both are completely unpredictable and you just...
Read this entry »Articles written by Ben Gummer (Con)
Left Foot In It
It's a pity to see Will Straw's well-conceived and intentioned "Left Foot Forward" reverting to that age old tactic of the Left: accuse an opponent...
Read this entry » Celebrating Carers
First off – I had the great pleasure of attending the opening of the new carers room at the hospital on Friday. I know what carers...
Read this entry » Olympic Glory
I admit it: I was an Olympic cynic. Nine billion quid was a huge amount even when the economy was doing well. Having toured the Olympic...
Read this entry » Website
My new website will be online shortly. It has taken considerable time to develop and I want to set out why. First, I decided immediately after...
Read this entry » Growing the Economy
A quick thought on watching today's budget. Their predicted economic calamity having failed to materialise, the Labour Party are now wailing...
Read this entry » Dragons in Ipswich
There is so much that I want to report this week that I risk making a meal of it, and that more a collection of canapés than meat...
Read this entry » Tai Chi shows we are Top Town
Great stuff from Ipswich’s very own Anglo-Chinese Cultural Exchange. This little group, run by the energetic Lydia Tse, runs Tai...
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Peru and Ipswich – A Hopeful Lesson?
Who is this guy? What’s he doing in my column? Let me explain. Fourteen years ago, when I was a little more fresh-faced than now, I worked for...
Read this entry »Wedded Bliss
I cannot deny that I was sucked in by wedding fever on Friday. And having watched the great even on the box, I headed out to visit some of the street parties...
Read this entry »Want Lower Council Tax? Vote Conservative
There are two important votes next Thursday. AV – which I’ve bored you about already – and for the Borough Council, which is far more in...
Read this entry »An Historical Tea with the Mayor
A few weeks ago we received a really wonderful invitation in the office: tea with the mayor, Cllr Jane Chambers, in the Mayor’s Parlour in the Town Hall. It...
Read this entry »Transport of Delight
I must have passed it a thousand times. I have always wanted to go there but never got round to it. But at last I had the chance, on Monday, to go to...
Read this entry »Please don’t be bored with AV
The Alternative Vote referendum. Please don’t stop reading here. I know it’s tempting – but this one is important. Imagine London in 2012....
Read this entry »Meet Coco, the New Member of my Team
There have been a number of threats to the safety of Members of Parliament over the past few years. In 2010 Stephen Timms, a nice Labour MP, was attacked in...
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