2008 News

Helen remembers those in our armed forces past and present 9th November 2008

Helen attended the Remembrance Day Service in Kingston. She was honoured to lay a wreath on behalf of the Kingston & Surbiton Conservative Association in memory of those who lost their lives in war. As this year marks the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War this year’s Service was particularly poignant. It also served as a reminder of the risks being taken by current service men and women.
Helen said, "We must never forget the sacrifices made for us by servicemen and women. My grandparents’ generation risked their lives to secure freedom for their children and grandchildren. The memory of their sacrifice must live on. Remembrance Day is also a reminder of the bravery of our troops serving around the world today".

Local business people discuss credit crunch challenges with Helen Whately 20th November 2008
Local businesses are looking for support from government to help them survive the credit crunch. Increases in service charges, the cost of 'empty rates', access to Small Business Rate Relief and the complexity of employment legislation were just some of the topics discussed at the Kingston and Surbiton Conservatives' business breakfast on Thursday. Helen Whately spoke about how businesses' demands on Government have changed in the last few months, with the call for reduced Government interference and red tape now largely drowned out by the calls for intervention. Businesses want help from Government but without the hindrance of expensive bureaucracy and form filling in order to access it.

The discussion also covered broader economic issues such as the role that downturns play in the economy and whether the Keynesian approach being espoused by Gordon Brown will result in a trickle down effect to small businesses. The difficulty for SMEs winning contracts from the public sector, due to the complex procurement processes and apparent preference for well known providers, were raised as barriers. The proposal for a proportion of public sector spending to be directed to SMEs gained widespread support from the group, but just making public sector procurement more accessible and affordable for smaller businesses would be a step in the right direction. The debate was fuelled by a delicious breakfast served by Hotel Bosco, with Cllrs Howard Jones and Nick Kilby in attendance to answer questions about local council policies.

Helen criticises South West Trains for increasing train fares despite the credit crunch 22nd November 2008
Train fares in the New Year are set to go up by an inflation busting 7.2% as South West Trains press ahead with new fare increases, despite the looming recession. After eleven years in charge of our railways, the Government has totally failed to get costs under control. Now fifteen thousand local commuters face yet another fare increase. Not only are passengers paying more, but they have to put up with extreme overcrowding.

Season tickets and other regulated fares will rise by 6%, while unregulated fares could rise by 7.2%. The news was greeted with dismay by Helen, who has been working to get South West Trains to move forwards on station rezoning. Helen criticised the Government for allowing these outrageous fare increases at a time when families are struggling to pay the bills. The fare rises are particularly unacceptable as most commuters have no other way of getting to work. Helen has written to both South West Trains and the Department of Transport urging them to stop these massive rises in train fares and tackle the overcrowding.

Brown's Tax Bombshell will fall painfully on Kingston 28th November 2008
The Government's response to the recession will push Kingston's residents further into the red. The 20bn temporary tax giveaway is just a cover-up for 40bn of permanent tax rises which will hit us in 2010/11, just after the next election. Those tax rises average at 1,500 for every family in Kingston.

Helen is dismayed that Gordon Brown's reckless spending over the last ten years has put us in this position. She is outraged that teachers, nurses, doctors, police officers - anyone who earns over 20,000 will be hit by at least a 1,500 tax bill in the near future. She said "Gordon Brown has been irresponsible with the country's finances for the last decade. Gordon Brown is mortgaging our future to try and safeguard his."

Helen welcomes a new school for North Kingston 3rd December 2008
Parent's in North Kingston have, after ten long years of campaigning persuaded that Council that North Kingston needs a new secondary school. Local Conservatives, including Councillors Nick Kilby, Cllr Dennis Doe, and Parliamentary Candidates Zac Goldsmith and Helen Whately, are glad to have been able to support parents in this campaign.

Helen has supported the campaign since she became the candidate and said "This is good news. A new school in North Kingston will ease the pressure for places at Hollyfield School and shorten the journeys for hundreds of children to and from school. The commitment of Kingston's parents has paid off, it shouldn't have taken the council so many years to act, but better late than never."

Wrens discuss war work with Helen
Helen joined the Kingston Wrens today at their monthly meeting. She was truly inspired by their war time stories. Their experiences range from serving as a Naval cook, to operating a radio service for the D Day landings and breaking German codes at Bletchley Park. Helen spoke to them about how the role of women in both world wars transformed the future career opportunities for women, except in parliament where we still have so few female MPs.

During the event some of the Wrens raised concerns about the impact of Gordon Brown's interest rate cuts on pensioners' incomes, high council tax and the Governments dismissive attitude towards pensioners. Helen and the Conservatives want to raise the basic state pension and cut taxes on savings. Helen said “We owe them and all others who served during the war a great debt of thanks. In practical terms, that should include making sure they can afford to pay for heating in this very cold weather.”