Join our campaign to make sure the Post Office services stay in the area.

Press coverage in the Herts Advertiser here.

And in the St. Albans Review here.

Ways you can help:

• Attend the petition table at Southdown today (29-11 -08) - or offer for next weekend
• Print off copies of the petition attached here and obtain signatures
• Forward this information to people you know who could help
• Do some door knocking
• Leave forms in pubs and clubs etc

Get in touch for more info!

Dear Editor,

I am sure that most readers across Comet Country will be pleased to see that the Government has decided to award a new contract for the continuation of POCA (the Post Office Card Account) to the Post Office. The National Federation of Sub Post Masters had previously said that without POCA, 3,000 Post Offices would be at risk of closure.

As a direct result of this decision by a Labour government it is likely that local Post Offices, including one at Willian, will remain open. Indeed with 2,250 POCA holders in the area this is good news for all local Post Offices.

I am delighted that the government has listened to what most people, from all parties, have been saying and I would like to thank everyone who has stood up and made their voices heard. Indeed the POCA decision, combined with the £1.7billion of Post Office subsidies shows central government understands how important Post Offices are.

With the economic crisis beginning to take its toll, people are feeling worried about their finances. Therefore the fact that Post Offices, often the only providers of banking services in local areas, have been supported in this way is very welcome.

Yours sincerely

Oli de Botton

Labour Party Parliamentry Candidate, Hitchin and Harpenden

Article published here in the St. Albans review.

I have just spent two weeks working on the Obama campaign in Pennsylvania. Read my Guardian pieces about the experience here.

I was featured in an article about up and coming politicians. Read it here.

Article published here in the St. Albans Review.

Dear Editor,

I was disappointed to read last week that GPs in Herts are continuing to suggest that polyclinics will lead to local surgery closures (Doctors calls for support, p.8). They will not. In fact there are no polyclinics planned for Herts. In reality they will be introduced in London areas where there are gaps in provision caused, in part, by an acute lack of group practices. Thankfully we do not have those concerns in Herts.

What the Darzi review of the NHS did propose was 152 GP-led health centres, one in each PCT, which will be additional to existing provision. These centres will be open from 8am-8pm, 7 days a week and will provide a minimum of 2.6 million extra appointments a year across the country. The review also proposed to establish at least 50 new GP practices in under-served areas. I assume that Herts Doctors are not opposed to these proposals since they will help make services more personalised and accessible and will not replace any existing surgeries.

Thanks to the hard work of Doctors, Nurses and other health professionals combined with the sustained investment from a Labour government, there is a good range of health provision in the area. We have excellent group practices across the county and there are two planned walk-in GP centres at the Hemel Hempstead and QEII hospitals, to complement existing services. I think, therefore, that it is time to end the scaremongering about polyclinics and stick to delivering better health outcomes for the public.

Yours sincerely,

Oli de Botton

Labour parliamentary candidate for Hitchin and Harpenden

Dear Editor,

I was surprised to read last week (p.3 the Comet) that Conservative rising star, Oliver Heald MP, was so adamantly opposed to the proposed wind farm at Benington. Mr Heald’s position seems at odds with that of his leader, David Cameron, who gave a high profile speech on the 16^th June where he praised wind turbines and said Britain “can’t afford not to go green.”

Mr Heald is of course right to point out that local residents should be properly consulted when new developments are built, but he fails to acknowledge that if we are going to reduce our debilitating dependence on oil that effects everyone in the community, we need to invest in renewable energy sources.

It appears that we are seeing once again that the Tories prefer salesmanship to leadership. On the one hand they claim to be the champions of green causes and on the other they shy away when real decisions have to be taken. Indeed we can all see that just by saying you have gone green, doesn’t make it so.By contrast this week Gordon Brown has emphasised his detailed plans to invest in nuclear and green energy and showed that he has the determination to tackle climate change head on.

At a time when we’re all feeling the pinch from rising food and fuel bills, we need politicians with the bravery to invest in clean energy sources - which is the only way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and save the planet from dangerous climate change.

Oli de Botton

Labour Parliamentry Candidate for Hitchin and Harpenden

Dear Editor,

I was frustrated to learn that the Conservative North Herts District Council has categorically rejected government money for free swimming for the under 16s and over 60s. This is in stark contrast to neighbouring authorities such as Stevenage and other areas around the country who are working hard to support the initiative for the benefit of their communities.  

The scheme, which is backed by £140 million of central government money, is designed to encourage exercise at a time when there are increasing concerns about obesity and the sedentary nature of society. The Conservatives themselves have highlighted the issue. In a speech just this summer David Cameron spoke of “people who eat too much and exercise too little”.  What’s more, according to official NHS statistics published in January this year, 16% of 2-15 year olds and 24% of adults were classified as clinically obese.So after the great success of Team GB at the Olympics and at a time when we are all inspired to get moving by local gold medallists such as Victoria Pendleton, I think the council should think again and make this scheme work. 

Yours sincerely 

Oli de Botton

Labour parliamentary candidate for Hitchin and Harpenden

Labour PPC Oli de Botton expresses “deep concern” at the planning application for a car park near the village of Cockernhoe

Oli de Botton today urged North Herts District Council to ensure that the proposed 268 vehicle car park for Luton Airport be refused planning permission. The car park will be situated on a piece of land on the road servicing the village of Cockernhoe. Not only is the proposal a threat to green belt land, increased volumes of traffic will also have an impact on the air quality in the area.

In addition, the proposed car park poses the risk of increasing traffic on roads which at present do not have adequate traffic calming measures. On Crawley Green Road, for example, there is a downhill section which is hidden from view for drivers approaching Luton Town centre - there is a school crossing for Wigmore Primary School but there is no zebra crossing, pedestrian lights or zig zag lines to prevent parking. Any increase in traffic on this road will only enhance road safety concerns.

Oli said “I have been contacted by a number of residents who want to make sure their local area doesn’t become a car-park for holidaymakers.”

“At a time when we should be trying to reduce our collective carbon footprint, we don’t need new ways for people to park and fly.”

“North Herts District Council will need to work with Luton Borough Council to ensure a thorough consultation is carried out and that the views of local residents are fully taken into account.”

Oli continued, “All local people want to make sure the area stays beautiful and safe, I only hope North Herts District Council has the resources and appetite to ensure this planning application doesn’t slip through.”

“At a time when the Conservative run council and the local MP are expressing anger at proposed green belt housing plans (see ‘MP’s anger at secret building discussion’, the Comet 13/3/08 p.2) and claim to be doing everything in their power to stop Luton Airport expansion, I think it is important that this planning application is given the attention it needs to ensure local residents don’t suffer.”

Details of the planning application can be found on the North Herts website. The reference number is 08/00269/1. Please note: the planning application has not been submitted by Luton Airport itself.