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Braintree Firestation

15 May 2008 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

I recently visited Braintree Firestation to see for myself the invaluable contribution that Essex County Fire and Rescue Service makes to our community. | more
 

10p tax rate

23 April 2008 : Article for the Essex Chronicle

I'm sure that I'm not the only person in Westminster who's thinking that the Government has lurched from credit-crunch to credibility crunch in recent weeks. | more
 

Education reform: A cunning plan or a load of old balls?

18 December 2007 : Article for the Essex Chronicle

This week the Schools' Secretary Ed Balls unveiled the Government's ten year Children's Plan. | more
 

Braintree and Witham Times: Are drivers being left in the dark on window tinting?

27 November 2007 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

A constituent recently came to see me after falling victim to what many people might think is an obscure piece of road safety law - he was pulled over by police for driving a car with excessively tinted windows. | more
 

Community Hospital

16 October 2007 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

I write my column this month in the midst of the annual party conference season and I am looking forward to speaking up for local people in the new Parliament - now just weeks away. | more
 

Lip Reading

16 October 2007 : Article for Essex Chronicle

This month I have heard from a number of local residents that funding for lip-reading and signing classes has been removed by the Government. | more
 

Flooding: Prevention better than cure

3 August 2007 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

Fortunately our community has been spared the damage and misery suffered by so many people who have become the victims of flooding in recent weeks. | more
 

Project Umubano - Conservative Party visit to Rwanda

3 August 2007 : Article for Essex Chronicle

It is sometimes tempting to think of 'international development' as being impersonal, remote and lacking relevance to our daily lives. | more
 

Tony Blair's legacy from Brooks Newmark

15 May 2007 : Article for Essex Chronicle

Tony Blair came to power on a wave of high expectations under the banner 'Things can only get better.' | more
 

Turn out to vote!

1 May 2007 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

It's not often that I'd recommend we take our cue from the French. | more
 

Travel Insurance

14 March 2007 : Article for Essex Chronicle

Membership of a Select Committee is an important part of the working week for many MPs | more
 

Braintree and Witham Times Diary

28 February 2007 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

It has been a busy week at Westminster. First thing on Monday morning I met with my colleagues in the shadow Treasury team and the date of the Budget is on everyone's minds | more
 

Road Pricing

21 February 2007 : Article for Essex Chronicle

Ken Livingstone this week rolled London's congestion charging scheme westwards. But motorists in Essex might be forgiven for wondering whether the Government intends to wheel out a road pricing scheme eastwards. | more
 

Farleigh Hospice's 25th Anniversary

24 January 2007 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

This year Farleigh Hospice celebrates its 25th Anniversary serving our community. | more
 

Every Disabled Child Matters

24 January 2007 : Article for Essex Chronicle

On Tuesday evening MPs debated a subject which is, I believe, of crucial importance to our society - the life chances of disabled children. | more
 

Syria: Part of the Solution; not Part of the Problem

11 January 2007 : Article for Syria Media Centre

Brooks Newmark argues the case for diplomatic engagement with Syria in the light of President Bush's recent statement on Iraq. | more
 

1000 years serving the community

5 December 2006 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

Last month I was privileged to attend a service to commemorate a millennium of service to our community by the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Bocking. | more
 

It's time to call this debt-laden Chancellor to account

27 November 2006 : Article for Yorkshire Post

GORDON Brown's buzzwords since 1997 have been prudence, transparency and accountability. But there are increasing signs that the Chancellor is systematically understating the true extent of the Government's debt because of lax accounting standards. | more
 

'Best rural retailer' competition

18 October 2006 : Article for Essex Chronicle

Quality of life is firmly on the political agenda. We all think we know what 'quality of life' is, but the problems that affect it are complex and often interrelated. | more
 

Labour's 'Garden Grab'

29 August 2006 : Article for Essex Chronicle

This month the Conservative Party has launched a new campaign to protect gardens from the Government's aggressive planning policies. | more
 

Southview School / Special needs education

26 July 2006 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Southview School, a day Special School in Witham for physically and neurologically impaired pupils, to open their new building. | more
 

Victory for Stansted noise victims

26 July 2006 : Article for Essex Chronicle

This week the aviation Minister, Gillian Merron, confirmed that the Government would not resume attempts to remove limits on the number of night flights using Stansted Airport. | more
 

Volunteers’ Week

5 June 2006 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

There are over 28 million people who volunteer their time each year. The Government estimates that half of all people in England volunteer at least once a month. | more
 

Europe and the Regulatory Reform Bill

5 June 2006 : Article for Essex Chronicle

Some weeks ago the Vicar of one of the parishes in my constituency wrote to me with news that the European Union had introduced legislation which would outlaw the construction and refurbishment of the humble pipe-organ. | more
 

25th Anniversary of Carecall

3 May 2006 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

Last week I was delighted to have the opportunity to attend a celebration which marked the 25th Anniversary of Carecall, a service which helps so many elderly and vulnerable people in our community. | more
 

Braintree Rethink Carers’ Support Group

30 March 2006 : Article for Essex Chronicle

Those who are affected by mental health difficulties face a wide range of challenges, not the least of which is getting the right support and advice. | more
 

Antisocial Behaviour

30 March 2006 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

Antisocial behaviour is one of the most important challenges that our community faces. But it is not enough for us to wait for the Government to provide a solution. | more
 

Council Housing

1 March 2006 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

This month I want to address Braintree District Council’s proposals to transfer its housing stock to a new Housing Association. This is an issue which will have very important consequences for many local residents. | more
 

Breast Cancer

27 February 2006 : Article for Essex Chronicle

Last week breast cancer patient Anne Marie Rogers lost her fight in the High Court to force the NHS to prescribe her with the drug Herceptin. Breast Cancer is one of the UK’s biggest killers, and 41,000 women are diagnosed with the disease each year. | more
 

Fuel Poverty

26 January 2006 : Article for Braintree and Witham Times

In the midst of what is turning out to be a very cold winter I wanted to draw attention to the problem of fuel poverty. | more