2009 News

Helen Whately’s Primary School campaign recognised in Westminster Hall debate 4th March 2009

Helen Whately, the Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for Kingston and Surbiton, was recognised in a Westminster Hall debate yesterday for her campaign on the need for more primary school places in the area. During a debate in Westminster Hall Nick Gibb MP, Conservative Shadow Minister for Children, Schools and Families, highlighted Helen’s work, stating: “Parents in Kingston are concerned and they blame the council. Of course, they take into account all the other factors, but parents’ concerns have also been raised by Helen Whately, who has been campaigning with the parents the hon. Gentleman mentions to raise the profile of the problem and to put pressure on Kingston council to fix the immediate crisis and put in place plans for long term-solutions.”

Helen said: “ I welcome the use of a Westminster Hall debate on primary school places to raise the profile of the issue. However, by calling this debate Ed Davey has conveniently distracted from the fact that it is his party at Kingston Council who presided over the debacle in primary education in our area. What local people will want to know is what impact these words will have here in Kingston and Surbiton. The current situation is unfair on teachers, unfair on parents and, most importantly, unfair on the children whose education is at stake. So far, over 150 local people have signed the petition to Kingston Council calling for more local primary school places. I welcome the council’s announcement of extra places for this year, but we are still collecting signatures for the petition because it also calls on them to put in place a long term solution. They must make sure the crisis isn’t repeated again next year. As I have said previously, the start of a child’s education is incredibly important – during these formative years it is imperative that their education begins as smoothly as possible. I am grateful to my colleague Nick Gibb MP for highlighting my efforts, and those of concerned parents here in Kingston and Surbiton, to see this situation rectified.”

Helen Whately to present Primary Schools Petition at 31st March Council Meeting 25th March 2009 
On behalf of local parents, Helen Whately, the Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for Kingston and Surbiton, will present the 'Local Schools for Local Children' petition at the Council meeting on 31st March. Over 250 signatures have been received so far. The 'Local schools for Local Children' Campaign, run by Surbiton parents, is in response to the continuing crisis in primary school capacity in the Borough. Last year there was a shortfall of 200 places until the council put in place last minute 'bulge' classes. This year the shortfall is around 300 places, and the council's attempts to anticipate extra numbers still fell short. The ongoing use of temporary bulge classes is leading to overcrowding which is unfair on children and their teachers. The campaign is intended to put pressure the council to take action to avoid a repeat of this next year and for this action to be a proper long term solution not another inadequate short-term fix.

Responding recently to her campaign being highlighted by Nick Gibb MP in a Westminster Hall debate, Helen said: ‘Over 250 local people have signed the petition to Kingston Council calling for more local primary school places. I welcome the council’s announcement of extra places for this year, but the campaign calls on them to put in place a long term solution. They must make sure the crisis isn’t repeated again next year. As I have said previously, the start of a child’s education is incredibly important – during these formative years it is imperative that their education begins as smoothly as possible.’ The Petition will be handed in a meeting of the Council of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to be held at the Guildhall, Kingston Upon thames on Tuesday 31 March 2009 at 7.30pm. The petition is open for signatures up to 30 March, and can be found on the council website

Conservative Shadow Minister for Business, Mark Prisk MP, condemns Government red tape during his visit. 30th March 2009
Mark Prisk MP, Shadow Minister for Business, joined Helen Whately, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Kingston and Surbiton, in Surbiton last week to meet local business people and discuss the challenges they are facing. Helen introduced the discussion by raising some of the problems small businesses are facing today and how she is keen to hear from the local business community. Helen, who has recently returned to work following the birth of her son, George, stated that “Local businesses are vital to the community. Businesses can lose out in the political process because they don’t have votes. Mark Prisk’s visit to Surbiton to meet business people here is a sign that local businesses would be listened to by a Conservative Government.”

Mark Prisk, who has first hand experience of running his small business prior to being elected to parliament, generated debate on the challenges small businesses face. He reinforced the Conservative Party’s commitment to promoting and enabling entrepreneurship. Mark highlighted the need to foster a culture of success in business in the UK and provide an appropriate regulatory environment that is not a burden on business, as the Labour Government has created. Business owners in the audience confirmed how the burden of over regulation is making running a business increasingly less attractive. The view from several business people present was that employment legislation may well work well for larger businesses but much of it is not suitable for the smaller ones, which actually employee the majority of employees. The audience also confirmed that recently set up Government schemes to assist small businesses during these difficult economic times is not only just not working, but a complete failure. After the meeting Mark Prisk said “I valued the open discussion with business owners from Surbiton and the local area. It confirmed what I have heard from so many business people – that this Government has stifled innovation and hampered businesses by overwhelming them with red tape. Even Gordon Brown’s rescue schemes to help businesses through the recession have so much red tape that they are almost impossible to access.

Schools petition presented to Council 31st March 2009
Today, Helen Whately presented a petition with 283 signatures to Kingston Council. The petition called for ‘Local schools for Local Children’ and urged the Council to find long term solutions to Kingston ongoing lack of primary school places which has dogged the borough for the past two years. At the Council meeting Helen said:
I am presenting this petition for Local Schools for Local Children on behalf of local parents. Most of the parents who have signed this petition live in Surbiton where the campaign was launched, but the support also extends to Kingston, Tolworth, New Malden and Chessington where parents share these concerns. The petition has received 383 signatures. The petition called on the council to: Add places in local primary schools to ensure no Surbiton child starting school in 2009 has to travel for more than 30 minutes (on foot or by public transport) to get to school. Adjust admissions policies to make schools take into account how far a child will have to travel if they don’t get offered a place at their nearest schools. Add capacity in the local area for the long term to make sure that this problem doesn’t keep happening every year.

Parents welcome the steps taken by the council to address the first of these points, providing places in bulge classes located where there is most need. However, let no one suggest that this should be seen as something to celebrate. Parents have still gone through months of worrying and schools have been made to take on extra classes against the wishes of parents and, I believe, teachers.