Commons Column 8th October 2007

How disappointing that we are not going to have a General Election after all. I had been looking forward to it – not just because I enjoy the opportunity to spend time going all round the Epping Forest constituency, speaking to people and listening to their concerns and their ideas – but because I want the country to have the chance to tell the Prime Minister how fed up people are with Labour’s broken promises and constant “spin”.

More than that, I am disappointed that people will have to wait another two years before they can begin to benefit from Conservative plans to cut Inheritance Tax and to abolish Stamp Duty for first time house-buyers. And Epping Forest residents know only too well how badly those two vindictive and unfair taxes impact on thousands of families in this area.

I know how worried my constituents are about rising crime, lack of discipline in schools, queues in the health service and uncontrolled immigration. I wanted you to have the chance to express your views loudly and clearly, as soon as possible. Now we will all have to wait.

I don’t think Gordon Brown “bottled out” of announcing an Election. I think he did exactly the right thing – for Gordon Brown!!! He could see very clearly that people prefer sensible, fair Conservative policies to his record of ten years of high taxes and poor public services. So, of course he didn’t dare go to the country – because he would have been defeated.

The sad thing is that, with two more years of Labour, things will get worse before they get better. But at least we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.