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=20 Today: = 22/05/2009=20

Comments

Posted Friday, 22 May=20 2009 at 11:40

I'm taking them = off for the=20 Bank Holiday weekend. Sorry!

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/22#22

Comment=20 Comments so far = 0

What Stephan = said and=20 Martin Bell knew

Posted Friday, 22 May=20 2009 at 10:22

During an = interview on the R4=20 Today programme (and about a dozen times since) I said the = following=20 - ish:

" No Prime Minister has ever had the political = courage=20 to award MPs an appropriate level of pay commensurate with = their=20 experience, qualifications and position; as recommended by = the SSRB,=20 year after year.

Prior to my intake in 2005, = MPs were=20 sat down by the establishment and told that the ACA was an=20 allowance, not an expense, it was the MP's property, in lieu = of pay;=20 and the job of the fees office was to help them claim=20 it."

Whatever opinion you may have about that, and I = have my=20 own, you cannot ignore the fact that this was the system put = into=20 place, because no Prime Minister ever, including my heroine, = has had=20 the political courage to address the issue. Everyone in the=20 political and media world knew it.

At a drinks party = the=20 other evening, I had a conversation with Stephan Shakespeare = the=20 owner of YouGov. I put to him that MPs prior to my intake = had been=20 told for many years that the ACA was in lieu of = pay.

"Yes, we=20 have all known that" said Stephan. "Everyone knows that, the = question is how do you move forward, what will be put in its = place?"

When Stephan said "we all" what he meant of = course,=20 was the political and media establishment.

The BBC = knew it.=20 Every single journalist knew it. The interviewer on the = Today=20 programme this morning, who interviewed me, knew it; and = Martin Bell=20 probably knew it because he was given the same rule book as = everyone=20 else, when he became an MP 12 years ago. He was also, = allegedly, the=20 best friend of the Labour party as detailed in Alastair = Campbell's=20 diaries.

The system was a disgrace, an appalling = disgrace;=20 but it was the system and everyone knew it.

If MPs = prior to=20 2005 were sat down and told "this is your pot of money with = your=20 name on it, and our job is to make sure you have it as it's = really=20 part of your salary," what difference does it make what it = was spent=20 on? They had been told it was their money - their salary. It = was the=20 wrong way to do things; but it was how it was done, and been = done=20 for a long, long time - MPs knew no different.

The = technique=20 deployed by the Telegraph, picking off a few MPs each day, = emailing=20 at 12 giving five hours notice to reply, recording the = conversation,=20 not allowing them to speak, shouting over them when they try = to=20 explain, telling them they are going to publish anyway, at = day 15,=20 is amounting to a form of torture and may have serious=20 consequences.

MPs are human beings like everyone = else. They=20 have families too. McCarthyite witch hunts belong to the = past, not=20 the present. As do archaic, cowardly, methods of = pay.

If MPs=20 are guilty, so are those who knew the system was in place, = including=20 the Telegraph journalists who have now decided for their own = political reasons to expose the system, in a way which = profits the=20 Telegraph, for their own reasons.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/22#22

Comment=20 Comments so far = 1

Winners or=20 Losers?

Posted Thursday, 21 May=20 2009 at 17:04

Just park a couple of = facts for a=20 moment, which you may not agree with but are factual. =
The first is that MPs have always = been=20 encouraged, by whatever means possible, to draw down their = ACA=20 allowance in full. This is because it was upped in place of = an=20 appropriate pay rise.

The rules surrounding = the ACA were=20 deliberately sloppy in order to maximise the opportunity = that MPs=20 had to draw.
This was always = felt to be=20 the safest political method to remunerate MPs, rather than = face the=20 media backlash of a pay rise.

Parliament is in chaos. = The public=20 are angry. The Telegraph has upped its circulation. =
There are 650 members of Parliament. In any = walk of life,=20 in whatever profession, you will find people who are = dishonest. It=20 will always be thus as long as we are all = human!

The Telegraph are uncovering = a few cases=20 of fraud, but not enough, so they are more than slightly=20 embellishing some of the stories. I write as a case in=20 point.

Enter the Barclay = brothers, the=20 billionaire owners of The Daily Telegraph.
Rumour is that they are fiercely Euro sceptic = and do not=20 feel that either of the main parties are Euro sceptic = enough. They=20 have set upon a deliberate course to destabilise Parliament, = with=20 the hope that the winners will be UKIP and = BNP.

A quick online check of the = Barclay=20 brothers and their antics on the Island of Sark is enough to = give=20 this part of the rumour credence.

Another rumour is that the = disc was never=20 acquired and sold by an amateur, but it was in fact a long = term=20 undercover operation run by the Telegraph for some = considerable=20 time, carefully planned and executed; and that the stories = of the=20 naive disc nabber ringing the news desk in an attempt to = sell=20 the stolen information are entirely the work of = gossip and=20 fiction.

These rumours do have some = credibility=20 given that this has all erupted during the European Election = Campaign and turn out is expected to be high with protest = votes,=20 courtesy of the Daily Telegraph, or should I say the Barclay = brothers.

Now, if this is all a = power game=20 executed by the BBs, how would they do that? =
It is a fact that these men are no fools and = are in fact=20 self-made billionaires.
I = would imagine=20 and believe that if any of this is true, they know the = British=20 psyche well enough to whip up a mood of public anger, hence = the long=20 running revelations in the DT.

Where do I get this = from? Well, at=20 heart I am just a cheeky scouser. I like to go into the = rooms of the=20 faceless and nameless in Parliament, sit on their desk and = ask=20 pertinent questions like: who are you? What do you do? I've = made=20 friends with one or two.=20 One in = particular I am=20 very fond of. He is a mine of very astute information; and = whilst in=20 his office yesterday, we chunnered over the 'what is this = all=20 about?' question.

He reckons this is all a = power game. That=20 the British public are being worked like puppets by two very = powerful men. Whipped up into a frenzy to achieve exactly = what they=20 want.

His very poignant words to me = were =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93if=20 any of this conjecture is true, Parliament will become full = of=20 racists, fantasists, and has-been celebrities. We will be = rendered=20 impotent and may never again regain the authority to = withstand the=20 pressure, opinion and whims of the overtly = wealthy.=C3=A2=E2=82=AC

Scary = stuff!

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/21#21

Comment=20 Comments so far = 17

Clarification

Posted Thursday, 21 May=20 2009 at 11:12

I've finished going through all my = receipts and=20 thought I had better make some things crystal = clear:

I do NOT=20 own a home in South Africa.

I do NOT own a home from = which I=20 receive a rental income.

I do rent a home/office in = my=20 constituency which is paid for by the ACA. The Green Book = rules=20 state ' if an MPs designated main home is not in either = London or=20 the constituency the ACA can be used to buy or rent in=20 either'.

There is no stipulation on nights to be = spent in=20 either location.

I chose to rent in the constituency = and not=20 buy.

I do, from my own money, pay for a rental = property I=20 have designated as my main home. It is near the former = marital home=20 where my children were born and went to school; and where my = youngest lived permanently, and attended school until = September=20 2008.

I will buy again when the market settles = down.

I=20 have not used the ACA to buy furniture, sofas, plasma screen = TVs,=20 gardening, decorating, home repairs or any luxury = items.

I=20 did use it to buy a cooker, table dryer, desk, computer = table and=20 storage boxes from Ikea as one off relocation costs in the = first=20 year.

I furnished the house with items from my main = home, a=20 couple of donations from my mother, and beds that I paid for = myself=20 from John Lewis.

I have not claimed the = =C3=82=C2=A3400 per month food=20 allowance.

I have not claimed the =C3=82=C2=A3250 = petty cash each=20 month.

I have purchased and lost two digital cameras = at two=20 garden fetes and broken a Sat Nav.

We have ordered = chocolate=20 biscuits and tea bags with our stationary rather than using = petty=20 cash.

I used a chartered accountant to make sure = that HMRC=20 received my correct tax payments.

That's = it.

The=20 atmosphere in Westminster is unbearable. People are = constantly=20 checking to see if others are ok. Everyone fears a suicide. = If=20 someone isn't seen, offices are called and = checked.

All=20 because this country has never had a Prime Minister with the = political courage to stand up to the British media, and = award MPs=20 the pay rise proposed year after year, by the Senior Salary = Review=20 Board.

Year after year the salary stayed the same; = but the=20 allowances were increased, were called allowances, not = expenses, and=20 MPs were told to use them.

I wonder how many people = are=20 aware, that if you are an MP and divorce, the courts base = your=20 maintenance payments to your husband/wife/children on a = combination=20 of your ACA and your salary.

This is because the ACA = is=20 classed as an allowance, not an expense account, and is = considered=20 by the court as the property of the MP.

An = interesting legal=20 point. One of the confusing facts, which has got us into = this=20 mess.

No MP must ever, ever have to vote for his or = her=20 salary again; and no Prime Minister should ever have the = power to=20 use MPs' pay as a political pawn.

Hopefully the good = which=20 will come from this will be radical reform, which will = prevent such=20 a disaster ever occurring again.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/21#21

Comment=20 Comments so far = 14

Bercow

Posted Wednesday, 20 May=20 2009 at 17:56

A very senior member of the Labour party = has told me=20 that the party, almost en masse, will be voting for=20 Bercow.

It means they can do the honourable thing = and vote=20 for a Conservative and not be seen to be partisan, = "because Bercow's not really a Conservative = anyway".

He said that the reason Michael Martin had = failed=20 was because he had become isolated, he had no friends. The = reason=20 Labour wont vote for Frank is because, he reckons, Frank is = already=20 isolationist and has no friends and therefore is already out = of=20 touch with the House.

I asked him how that logic worked as John = Bercow=20 could be described as isolationist also. "Ah, yes, but that = doesn't=20 matter because he's a Tory"?

Eh?

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/20#20

Comment=20 Comments so far = 7

That's = Life

Posted Wednesday, 20 May=20 2009 at 17:36

I met Esther Rantzen = when I took=20 part in Question Time in Birkenhead. She had=20 just left the jungle. It appears that she may miss it as she = wants=20 to jump back into another.
Not being familiar with the lovey dovey = actorish world, I=20 made a huge faux pas with Esther.
My=20 first mistake was to assume that she was as nice a person in = real=20 life as she appeared to be on the telly.
Wrong.
Sitting in the make-up chair, having arrived = early, she=20 burst into the make-up room, having arrived late (actorish = trait=20 No1).

She stood menacingly next to = the chair,=20 almost demanding to be made up. I was on the verge of = ripping off=20 the gown and hot footing it out of the chair; however, the = firm but=20 gentle hand of the make-up lady pushed me back down as she = sweetly=20 told Esther to take a chair, and wait her turn. She then = whispered=20 in my ear, she's a pro, don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t let her = bully you. (Actorish trait=20 No2, the star of the show gets her make-up done first and is = almost=20 always a bully).

Esther obviously = thought she was=20 the star.
Her grasp of issues = was scant;=20 however, she had obviously decided that a good way to get a = cheer=20 was to use every question as an opportunity to attack MPs. = (Actorish=20 trait No3 they blag it well).

I almost let her have it on = the show when=20 she made a huge mistake, and then looked confused. She spoke = about=20 an issue and then said, =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93like here in = Liverpool=C3=A2=E2=82=AC . David Dimbleby=20 made a very cutting comment as she was obviously looking at = the=20 crowd waiting for the applause that never came. I wanted to = say,=20 =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93we aren=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t in = Liverpool Esther, it=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s Birkenhead=C3=A2=E2=82=AC = , a big deal=20 if you live on either side of the Mersey. I thought better = of it and=20 didn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t.

Hindsight is a = wonderful=20 thing.
I am afraid that = Esther=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s bid=20 at politics is a rather transparent attempt to eject herself = into=20 the public eye once again, and probably to get some work on = the back=20 of it.

Jeremy Brier the Conservative = candidate=20 has been working his backside off to unseat the highly = unpopular=20 Margaret Moran; and given the feed back on the street, he = could well=20 have done it.

Esther=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s arrival on the scene=20 will split the vote and guarantee Margaret Moran a return = back to=20 Westminster.
Listen to = Jeremy=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s=20 explanation of this on the Victoria Derbyshire show.=20
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00khjbg/Victoria_Derbyshire_= Prime_Ministers_Questions_20_05_2009/
Esther's answer on=20 Newsnight when asked if she was going to stand was: = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93It depends on=20 whether the people of Luton want me?=C3=A2=E2=82=AC =

No Esther, = that=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s what the people=20 decide at a General Election =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C you have to decide whether you are going to = stand.=20
Politics = isn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t showbiz, it=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s life;=20 and if Esther thought the celebrity jungle was tough, she = ain't seen=20 nothing yet.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/20#20

Comment=20 Comments so far = 10

Frank = Field

Posted Tuesday, 19 May=20 2009 at 16:35

I got to know Frank well during the = abortion debate.=20 I am also the person who persuaded him to blog :)

He is a man of huge = integrity, decency and=20 compassion. He is also well liked and respected by = everyone. He=20 may be a Labour MP, however, I am sure he is going to be my=20 choice.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/19#19

Comment=20 Comments so far = 9

Speaker = Martin

Posted Tuesday, 19 May=20 2009 at 14:52

I was sat close to him. I hated it. = Totally hated=20 it. The election for a new Speaker will now kick off in = earnest and=20 will dominate this place for weeks to come.

It just doesn't feel appropriate to blog = about=20 Boscombe Down today. I will leave it as something for = the=20 weekend.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/19#19

Comment=20 Comments so far = 3

Swiss = Cheese

Posted Tuesday, 19 May=20 2009 at 13:45

For the sake of = Parliament, I hope=20 that Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg will walk in = front=20 of the cameras, and announce that whatever recommendations, = which=20 Sir Christopher Kelly may propose, will be abided by, to the = letter.

And that when the time comes, whatever the = reaction=20 of the media, that they show strength, unity and leadership = and keep=20 to their word.

One of the causes of this mess is that = every=20 time the Senior Salary Review Board makes a proposal, every = Prime=20 Minister ducks it, including my heroine, Margaret=20 Thatcher.

What is happening today is the Swiss cheese = effect.=20 It's not simply the performance of the Speaker that has = brought us=20 to where we are, or successive Prime Ministers, or MPs; it's = a=20 combination of circumstances, a multitude of holes and = tunnels,=20 which have all led to the same place.

I was shocked = at the=20 Speaker's performance yesterday. He is obviously a man in=20 distress.

I hope my readers will forgive me for not = rushing=20 in to enjoy or relish the downfall of an otherwise good and = kind=20 man. Sometimes I am appalled at the lack of human kindness = displayed=20 in Westminster.

For his own sake and that of his = health, he=20 needs to do what he is about to do.

I don't think = there is=20 anyone in Westminster who doesn't feel shocked at the = position in=20 which we find ourselves.

The Speaker as the = sacrificial lamb=20 is not enough.

The three party leaders need to map a = way=20 through to a moral, honest, accountable high ground = together, and=20 fast.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/19#19

Comment=20 Comments so far = 3

Update

Posted Monday, 18 May=20 2009 at 16:44

Nadine has landed safely and = enjoyed it=20 immensely (if a little = shaken)!!

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/18#18

Comment=20 Comments so far = 6

Message from=20 Nadine

Posted Monday, 18 May=20 2009 at 12:46

Nadine will not = be blogging=20 now until tomorrow as she is at RAF Boscombe Down = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C weather is=20 apparently windy!

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/18#18

Comment=20 Comments so far = 1

Will the = Queen be=20 next?

Posted Monday, 18 May=20 2009 at 11:36

I'm afraid that = I really=20 don't support the motion to remove the Speaker.

I've = said=20 before that the Speaker's position and authority should be=20 un-challenged. Over hundreds of years we have had good and = bad=20 Speakers, nice and nasty, competent and useless.

It = is the=20 only position, along with that of the Monarch, which I = believe=20 should remain un-challenged in order to carry the authority = needed=20 to execute the role with dignity whilst commanding=20 respect.

It has been over 300 years since a = Speaker was=20 last challenged.

The speaker's chair holds the line = in=20 Parliament. We MPs dare not defy a speaker's ruling: that = may all=20 change now. The Speaker holds us in check, not always an = easy=20 task.

Speaker Martin, on behalf of all Speakers to = come=20 after him, must defy this motion and fight to retain = the chair,=20 whilst treading the fine line of deciding when would be the = best=20 time for him to go, and letting the House be = aware.

If this=20 motion succeeds where will it stop?

Will there ever = again be=20 any respect for tradition and heritage? For the procedures = enshrined=20 in stone, brought about by Cromwell and abided by = since?

Will=20 the Queen be next?

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/18#18

Comment=20 Comments so far = 15

RAF Boscombe = Down and=20 operation Hawk

Posted Sunday, 17 May=20 2009 at 16:40

An early start = tomorrow as=20 I head for RAF Boscombe Down to meet my Air=20 Commodore.

Tomorrow is = operation Hawk=20 day.

On Friday = morning I had the=20 official medical (including the undignified pot!) and was = measured=20 up for the ejector seat. I only just made it within normal = ranges.=20 If my arms had been a fraction shorter we would have had to = abort=20 this very important mission. And I would have been happy to. = Being=20 able to reach the ejector seat button is something I have to = be able=20 to do.

I was also told = I=20 couldn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t lose any weight this weekend = as again, I just made it=20 into normal ranges. If I do lose any weight and did have to = press=20 the ejector button, the seat would tumble over and over. I = have to=20 be weighed again just before we go up. So, = I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m sat here eating a=20 packet of Club biscuits.

I will be sat = in the front=20 seat and flying at up to 600 miles per hour and during the = low level=20 sortie, at only 2000 feet. That is going to be=20 something.

I will also be = wearing an=20 anti G suit. For anyone who doesn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t = get that, sat here, I am at=20 G1.

When we turn we = will go up=20 to G4 =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C 5 which means my body weight = will increase by 4- 5 times and my blood will = drain from=20 all my vital organs down into my = boots.

The anti G suit = will=20 inflate at this point applying pressure balloons against my = legs and=20 stomach and will push the blood back up. I only have a low = blood=20 pressure anyway and so I reckon there could be a chance I = will black=20 out at this point. Good job the test pilot will be in the = rear and=20 in control!

When you are in = space you=20 are at negative G which is why you are=20 weightless.

Can you imagine = what it was=20 like for our WW2 pilots who had to use the Valsalver = movement when=20 breathing to push the blood back = up?

This is a = picture of me=20 with American pilot, Derek, who normally flies a T38 in the=20 US.=

We are stood in = front of a=20 framed picture which contains a folded American flag. = That=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s pride=20 for you. Something we need to work hard at getting back in = this=20 country. Cleaning up the MP allowance system would be a good = start.

We will blog a = few naff=20 pictures from the blackberry early, as once again, = I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2ve lost my=20 camera. Budge, an ex pilot is taking me down in the morning = with his=20 camera and so we will post the better pictures later. We = also hope=20 to put a video on You Tube, if allowed.=20

I am taking an = anti emetic=20 before I go up and apparently it will take all day for me to = recover.

I really = can=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t believe=20 I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m doing this and so hope I = don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t bottle out before take off.=20

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/17#17

Comment=20 Comments so far = 20

Mail On = Sunday

Posted Sunday, 17 May=20 2009 at 00:16

Have an article on me today which is just = a joke. I=20 haven't owned a holiday home in South Africa or owned a home = in the=20 Cotswolds since marriage split. As I have said over and = over, I rent=20 two homes. They probably got that information from the = register=20 which I probably havent up-dated but they really should have = just=20 asked me, they phone often enough!

They have written a dis-jointed article = which I=20 found difficult to understand, goodness knows how anyone = else would=20 be able to.

In one para they state, 'she rents a = property=20 in the Cotswolds just 100 miles from her constituency in=20 Bedfordshire'. Meaning what exactly?

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/17#17

Comment=20 Comments so far = 18

Sky = News

Posted Saturday, 16 May=20 2009 at 23:16

Have = deliberately mis-led=20 people today.

Which is a = shame. Until=20 today it was the only news channel I trusted, not=20 anymore.

During their = news round up=20 they had a full screen picture of me with the words = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9Cclaimed=20 =C3=82=C2=A318,000 for second home whilst only owning=20 one=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2.

All day I = telephoned to tell=20 them that since my status became single I = don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t in fact own any homes, I rent = two. The=20 second of which is paid for by the ACA and the other by=20 me.

It made no = difference. The=20 truth did not make good=20 television.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/16#16

Comment=20 Comments so far = 10

Contact with = the enemy is=20 certain...

Posted Saturday, 16 May=20 2009 at 22:28

The Classical = Brits was more=20 amazing than I can say.

I sat next to Fergal Sharkey, = remember him? He's now the CEO of UK Music and spending some = of his=20 time working with councils to open music and recording = studios for=20 kids who have a passion for music and who want to get into = the=20 industry but are trapped within the prison of poverty = and=20 seemingly un-attainable aspiration.

The photo is of = Fergal=20 and I and, at our feet paying homage to Fergal and my new = shoes is=20 John Wittingdale MP, Chairman of the Culture media and = Sport=20 Select Committee.

How can I explain what its like to = be sat=20 only feet from Placido Domingo and Katherine Jenkins as they = sing=20 the wonderful duet, A Mother's Wonderment?

Jose = Carreras,=20 Jonas Kaufmann, Alison Balsom, The Priests, Faryl Smith, = they were=20 all there.

The high spot of the night was something a = bit=20 special.

A distant memory from my childhood is of my = Nana=20 playing a Liberace LP and a particular tune.

Last = night I=20 watched Lang Lang and Herbie Hancock play Rhapsody In Blue = on back=20 to back pianos. It was incredible, I'm at a loss for words = to=20 describe how wonderful it was, and suffused with = nostalgia.=20 Whist watching in both awe and rapture, my memory brought a = little=20 extra to the performance. The smell of a Battenberg=20 Cake.

Iain ,despite being = slightly=20 in awe of Jonathan Ansell who was also on our table, behaved = himself. Well that was until I told Jonathan that Iain had = all his=20 'records' (Iain's words, not mine) and could Iain have his = photo=20 taken with him?

Iain went all flirty and silly at = this point.=20 Can't imagine why.

Jonathan had been nominated for = the album=20 of the year award which was won by the Scots Dragoon=20 Guards.

A young Sergeant, a drummer and a piper = came=20 onto the stage and played the spine tingling Amazing=20 Grace.

When they finished the young Sergeant = began his=20 speech of thanks.

Rather than the usual list of = people to=20 thank, he chose to spend his moment on the stage = encapsulating in=20 just a few words the importance of public support for all = our=20 serving personnel.

He spoke of the message they = receive when=20 serving abroad just before leaving the base on an=20 assignment.

The message may say 'contact with the = enemy=20 un-likely' or 'probable'. However the dreaded message is = 'contact=20 with the enemy is certain'

He then told us what it is = that=20 makes it possible for a soldier to carry on when he has = received=20 that message.

"It=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s not the = training or=20 professionalism, or commitment. It=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s = knowing that they=20 have the support of the people back at home, willing = them on=20 and supporting them."

Amongst all the glitter and = glitz of=20 the evening what none of us sat there knew was that at that = moment a=20 young man, having possibly received that message and having = lost his=20 life in combat, was being flown back to RAF Lynham and to = people=20 waiting at the gates to bring him = home.

I had a lovely = night out,=20 rapidly followed by 24 hideous hours. It was only tonight = whilst=20 thinking on all the good wishes I have been sent from people = today=20 and all of the support that I have had from friends and = neighbours,=20 my local party and association, my Chairman, staff and = colleagues,=20 that I realised what I have had to put up with is as nothing = to what=20 those boys do week after week after week.=20

I suppose in my = job contact=20 with the enemy is certain on a daily basis, but at least, = armed with=20 just the facts, I live to fight another = day.

Blogging on = upcoming trip to=20 RAF Boscombe Down tomorrow.

Jonathan Ansell, = moi, and a=20 dippy Iain :)

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/16#16

Comment=20 Comments so far = 3

The Other=20 Place

Posted Saturday, 16 May=20 2009 at 08:29

I had hoped that = I could=20 retain some of my private life and keep it just that, = private. It=20 appears that this is now = impossible.

The Telegraph = has every=20 right to ask questions and to hold politicians to account = for the=20 way they spend public money. But their reaction when I told = them I=20 would publish my response to their allegations on my blog = was=20 revealing. It appears that the general public is only = entitled to=20 hear the Telegraph=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s version of the = truth if they pay for a copy=20 of the Telegraph. They also felt it necessary to phone CCHQ = with=20 veiled threats about what they could do to me in the future = if I=20 dared to post the letter they sent to me on my blog before = they=20 published their own article in = today=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s newspaper. I am afraid that=20 the Telegraph doesn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t appear to get = the =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9Cnew media=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2. If anyone=20 is going to publish anything about me, I will do it myself, = first.=20

Yes I do claim = for my second=20 home in Bedfordshire using my ACA. I rent it. I never felt=20 comfortable buying using tax payers=20 money.

I felt it very = necessary that=20 I should commute from my constituency to London on work=20 days with the rest of my constituents, in the cattle truck = trains,=20 in the jams and delays even though I leave early in the = morning and=20 don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t arrive home most days until = gone midnight, long after my=20 fellow morning commuters are in = bed.

But, yes, I do = have another=20 home. It was where I went to after I had finished my = Parliamentary=20 and constituency work and changed into a mother and looked = after my=20 girls. I lived in my main family Cotswold home until my = marriage=20 broke down in 2007. The family home was then sold. I then = rented a=20 home in the Cotswolds where my daughter went to school and = where my=20 ex husband looked after her from Monday to Thursday during = school=20 and Parliamentary term time. He then moved out before I = arrived=20 back and spent his time with a significant other and I = stayed=20 in the home, which I paid for from my own money. Sometimes, = on the=20 very late week nights I stay in London, at my own=20 expense.

During = Parliamentary=20 recesses, when I am not in the constituency or the = Cotswolds, I take=20 my girls abroad. The rest of the time during weekends I = finished=20 work and spent my time in the Cotswolds preparing the = week=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s meals=20 for my daughter, washing and ironing school uniforms, = changing=20 sheets, checking homework, and leaving to drive back to = Bedfordshire=20 when she was in bed late on a Sunday night when I had = finished=20 packing her school and PE bag and hanging the = week=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s=20 uniforms on her wardrobe door, just before my ex husband = came back=20 to take over.

I never wanted = my=20 constituents to think that I had another prime = responsibility other=20 than Bedfordshire and Parliament; maybe I should have been = more=20 open.

My daughter was = due to start=20 boarding school in September but instead she started at a = school in=20 Bedford. At the weekends = we go back=20 to the Cotswolds together, or, if I have to work such as = this=20 weekend, we stay in Bedfordshire. =

During the = Parliamentary=20 term time, it is unusual for me not to have a constituency=20 engagement.

I spend more = nights away=20 from my constituency home than I spend in it and I use it = for the=20 purpose of my work. I do, however, retain the right to have = my=20 daughter, or daughter=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s with me = depending on who is with me at the=20 time. It may = only be a=20 second home, however, it is a = home.

So, to my = constituents and=20 no one else, I am sorry. My crime is that I = haven=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t owned up to=20 you that I don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t always live here = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C that I have a private life,=20 which has not always run smoothly. I = couldn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t work harder for=20 Bedfordshire than I already do - I have given it almost = every day of=20 my life since you elected me. In politics, my constituency = always=20 comes first, but in my private life my family does. I = can=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t=20 apologise for that. What sort of person would I be if I did? =

By trying to = protect my=20 girls and keeping the circumstances of my marriage break up = private=20 and the arrangements for looking after my youngest daughter = in the=20 family, I realise that I am in fact arousing=20 suspicion.

I = don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t have much more to=20 say other than the posting of this blog will humiliate my = daughters,=20 but what else can I do? I have to make sure people = understand that=20 not everyone has a life which runs to plan. It really = isn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t always=20 a wonderful life and as a mother you just have to do what = you have=20 to do.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/16#16

Comment=20 Comments so far = 54

The Daily=20 Telegraph

Posted Friday, 15 May=20 2009 at 16:02

Here=20 is my letter from the Telegraph and my = reply.

There=20 is one thing I know about me better than anyone else. I = never do=20 anything I know to be wrong and I have common sense by the=20 bucketful.

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL =

Dear=20 Nadine Dorries,

The=20 Daily Telegraph is investigating the expense claims made by = MPs=20 under the Parliamentary additional costs allowance system = since the=20 2004/05 financial year.

We are=20 considering publishing an article in = tomorrow=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s newspaper (16th=20 May 2009) which will contain details of your expense=20 claims.

We are=20 aware of the provisions of the statutory instrument passed = by=20 Parliament last July and will therefore not be publishing = members=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2=20 addresses or any other details which could compromise=20 security.

However, as a matter of legitimate public interest = and=20 concern, we intend to publish the following details about = your=20 expense claims under the Additional Costs Allowance. We = would invite=20 you to respond to the following points.

1. In=20 2006 you claimed for the cost of a hotel stay on New Year's = Eve and=20 another just a few days before Christmas, when the House was = not=20 sitting. Please can you explain why you felt this was an = appropriate=20 use of public funds.

I have = never=20 spent a New Years Eve away from my daughters and I have = never=20 spent it in a hotel, ever. In fact, New Years Eve 2006 is = when I=20 held a party and cooked a 12 bird roast and I blogged the = entire=20 evening. Anyone reading this can check it=20 out.

The Telegraph = has an invoice=20 charged to MR N Dorries, which was submitted, but never = paid. I=20 don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t actually submit the invoices, = my PA does, and = that one may=20 have been submitted in error, In error - because I = never=20 stayed at any hotel on New Years Eve ever if it = had ever=20 been paid it would have been refunded IMMEDIATLEY. What may = have=20 happened is that someone who is not a member of the Carlton = Club may=20 have booked a room in my name, friends do, however; my = other=20 point is that I am not even sure the Carlton Club is open = over Xmas=20 and New Year?

The fact is = though that an=20 invoice was submitted from my office, for a room I = didn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t stay in,=20 which is obviously an error and no money was paid to me for = that=20 invoice.

2. You=20 also put in several hotel bills that included minibar = drinks. Please=20 can you explain why you felt this was an appropriate use of = public=20 funds.

Oh that the = Carlton Club=20 had mini bars in the rooms, it does not. If I ever bought a = drink in=20 the Carlton I paid cash. For = some=20 reason they are still listed on the invoice,=20 however, they were not paid. I have not, to my knowledge ever received public = funds to=20 buy alcohol for either myself or visiting guests and = constituents=20 and do not think it would be an appropriate use of public = funds. If=20 that is the case and I am very happy to be proved wrong then = I will=20 not hesitate to refund. To think that that you could accuse = me of=20 behaving like a journalist shocks=20 me.

3. When you = moved out of=20 your flat in Westminster, the fees = office=20 demanded repeatedly that you repay the =C3=82=C2=A32,190 = deposit but you did=20 not and eventually they docked your rent claims in order to = recoup=20 the money. Please explain why you did not repay the deposit = when=20 asked.

Because=20 the landlord was seriously dodgy and refused to pay back any = of the=20 deposit. The flat was left in an immaculate and pristine = condition.=20 Despite my threats of legal action which would have cost = even=20 more, I eventually gave up. I lost the = =C3=82=C2=A32,190 as a=20 result of renting a flat in order to carry out my job. a = months=20 salary. The fees office should not have taken the money from = me they=20 should have chased the landlord for it. In fact, I want = that=20 money back! I will also ask my PA to post first = thing on=20 Monday morning the correspondence between myself and said = dodgy=20 landlord who doesn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t return deposits = at the end of=20 tenure.

4.=20 Your file shows that you twice demanded that the fees office = make=20 "urgent" payments of several thousand pounds to your bank = account=20 and when one did not arrive immediately, a member of your = staff rang=20 and told them to "sort it out". Please explain why you felt = this was=20 appropriate.

5.=20 Your file also complains of a "lack of co-operation" in = completing=20 the ACA forms correctly and complying with their requests = for=20 information about your addresses. Please explain why you did = not=20 co-operate with the fees = office.

Answer to both = above=20 questions I am afraid result as a total lack of frustration = towards=20 a department which is frequently overworked and = understaffed. The=20 fees office continuously loses invoices, leases and = payments.=20 Sometimes I am thousands of pounds out whilst waiting to be = paid.=20 When I am told I can=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t be paid = because they have yet again, lost=20 the invoice, I sometimes lose my rag. = I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m sorry. I know I=20 shouldn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t, = it=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s just that I have other more important things = to=20 do and few hours to do them = in.

I emailed the = fees office=20 with my change of house details at the same time as I told = them to=20 my whip in 2008.

6.=20 Land Registry records show that your former family home in=20 *************was sold in 2007. You have announced publicly = that you=20 have separated from your husband. Since then the only = address on any=20 of your files is your rented house in Bedford, on which you are = claiming=20 ACA. On this basis, we have reason to believe that you only = live in=20 one home and are therefore ineligible to claim an allowance = for=20 running a second home. While you have our assurance that we = will not=20 print your address, please state exactly where you consider = your=20 main home to be and in what way you are eligible to claim = the second=20 home allowance.

I have no = intention of=20 exposing every detail of my private existence, what little I = have,=20 on this blog. However, needs must. I rent a = house/office/=20 surgery in my constituency. This house is used in connection = with my=20 duties as an MP. For example =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C this = weekend I have had meetings=20 all day Friday. I am presenting to a patients group in=20 Barton-Le-Clay surgery on changes in the NHS tonight. I am=20 canvassing Saturday and attending a church service on Sunday = and=20 then after the church service writing a speech for the = Police and=20 Crime Bill to be delivered next=20 week.

On the weekends = I have free,=20 and during the recess, I go somewhere else. I am not = publishing the=20 address. I gave it to my whip and emailed it to the fees = office in=20 2008. I spend most of the holidays abroad, all of which can = be=20 confirmed. My children stay with me when I am in the = constituency,=20 where I go my girls go, however, one also lives in London and one=20 is at Uni. This has not always been the case. I now spend my = late=20 nights in London. At my own=20 expense.

I keep the dogs = at the=20 constituency address as I am often there on my own and it = confuses=20 them being moved around. When I am not in the constituency,=20 especially during the long summer break, we have a house = sitter, at=20 my expense. Again, this can be confirmed.=20

During term time = I spend the=20 majority of weekends in the constituency as my job tends to = be seven=20 days a week, as detailed above. My youngest daughter has = attended a=20 school in Bedford since last = September. Up=20 until September she attended a school = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9Csomewhere else=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2. My=20 eldest daughter had a term time job during the last year in = the=20 constituency before commencing work in London in a PR=20 firm.

My doctor, = dentist and=20 recent hospital treatment have all recently been undertaken=20 =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9Csomewhere = else=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2.

We do=20 not presently see the justification for all of these claims = under=20 the rules or spirit of the rules set out in the = Parliamentary Green=20 Book. These stipulate that enhancing property is not allowed = and=20 that purchases which are "extravagant or luxurious" should = be=20 avoided.

What on earth = are you=20 talking about? Enhancing property?? Extravagant luxurious=20 expenditure???

Please=20 could we receive your comments by 5pm today so that they can = be=20 given due weight in our inquiries and properly reflected in = any=20 article we decide to publish. Please could you also inform = us if you=20 do not wish to comment.

You have my = comments now. I=20 will refute any accusations you wish to make against me, = myself.=20 Given that we all know the so called = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9Cchandelier; was in fact a=20 paper lamp shade with glass beads hanging from the bottom = you will=20 excuse my not trusting you to give me a fair shout.=20

Many=20 thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing from you = shortly.=20 I can be contacted on ******or=20 ***********@telegraph.co.uk

Yours=20 sincerely,

You = are very welcome,=20 anytime.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/15#15

Comment=20 Comments so far = 81

Powder and=20 Paint

Posted Thursday, 14 May=20 2009 at 14:13

Waiting for a meeting = to start with=20 David Cameron, George et al, and thought I would quickly = powder my=20 nose.

David came into the room behind me, and I just = clocked=20 him in the mirror before he leaned over my shoulder, and = asked: "Is=20 that Gordon's make-up you're using?"

As if! His shade = is much=20 darker than mine.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/14#14

Comment=20 Comments so far = 3

From = Within...

Posted Thursday, 14 May=20 2009 at 12:45

Within what or where you may ask? = I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m not sure,=20 but maybe this is what Hell feels like. It is so, so, awful, = so=20 depressing, so shocking. I just want to put my head under a = duvet=20 and come out when it=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s all = over.

I have my accounts ready to be examined by = the=20 scrutiny committee David has set up. I = can=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t wait. I have felt=20 sick in the pit of my stomach for days.

I am watching people, that I have come to = respect=20 and like over the years, on the edge of tears and = distraught; and=20 there is nothing I can do to help.

I thought that the whole business of Sky = flying over=20 Stewart Jackson=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s house (MP for = Peterborough) was really=20 awful.

Of course, what the paper = didn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t say was that the=20 house is an absolutely normal three bed detached house in an = urban=20 road that just happened to have a big garden, which = obviously=20 prompted the previous owners to install a swimming pool. The = paper=20 also didn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t mention that the house = has been used for ten different=20 community fundraising activities, including the local = children's=20 hospice; or that when the swimming pool cover is taken off, = Stewart=20 invited the local children and neighbours to use = it.

They didn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t mention = how Stewart spent ten years=20 fighting to win the Peterborough seat, working part time and = renting=20 one room in a house. His daughter slept in a Moses basket on = the=20 floor. Or how much money both he and his wife raise for = local=20 charities.

One after another, people I know to be = compassionate=20 and hard working are falling like flies. I should have been = on a=20 visit to the National Grid with Elliott Morley this morning. =

I will not judge or condemn: each person = will have=20 to face their own demons, family and constituents. I am = thankful for=20 the committee that David has set up. It represents the = equivalent of=20 an audit and I will be so relieved to be given = 'officially=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2 a bill=20 of clean health. I feel as though my word is no longer = enough. I=20 hope Sir Christopher Kelly takes note and recommends a = yearly=20 expenses audit, as a key part of whatever process he = proposes in his=20 report. And to anyone who wonders why I didn't speak out = about=20 flipping etc, I had no idea!! It never crossed my mind that = such a=20 thing was possible; and if you had told me people were doing = it, I=20 would have had trouble believing you.

The damage which has been caused to = Parliament is=20 immense. If the BNP come out of the local or European = elections a=20 happy party, it will be a desperately bad day for democracy. =

Today is the first day that if someone = asked me what=20 I did for a living, I would be ashamed to say that I was an = MP.=20 That=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s a big deal for me. It feels as = though a baying mob is out=20 there ready to tear us apart: guilty or not.

On a lighter note, I'm off to the = Classical Brits=20 tonight. I am taking Iain=20 Dale with=20 me. I'm not sure what Iain thinks of classical music. When = chatting=20 to him just now you would have thought he was being taken to = the=20 dentist!

We had a lovely letter in the constituency = office=20 today. It was a donation of =C3=82=C2=A3100 for our fighting = fund. I don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t=20 know who the donor is as I have an arrangement with the = office that=20 I don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t think I should and therefore = they don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t tell me and I=20 don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t ask =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C however, this particular=20 donor sent me a personal message. He asked the office to = tell me to=20 take a fiver out of the =C3=82=C2=A3100 and buy some = chocolate=20 biscuits!

I also know that he reads the blog. Thank = you so=20 much. You made me smile this morning, which takes some doing = at the=20 moment, believe me.

We had a very important debate yesterday. I will blog a simpler = description of=20 the case soon.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/14#14

Comment=20 Comments so far = 7

Urgent=20 letter..

Posted Wednesday, 13 May=20 2009 at 15:19

Every MP has = been issued=20 with a letter from Andrew Walker, Director General of=20 Resources.

As I blogged = only the other=20 day, it confirmed my worst fears. The letter states that the = person=20 or persons who sold the disc to the Telegraph for a reported = =C3=82=C2=A3200,000 may still have it and re sell for = further=20 gain.

The letter also = states that=20 almost every personal detail relevant to me, including the = bank=20 account details of my staff was included on the disc have = been sold,=20 and may be again.

We have been = given the=20 number of someone who can provide help re financial security = but=20 basically, it means all change. =

After late votes = last night,=20 on my way home, a lady walked up to me and shouted whilst = jabbing=20 her finger at me =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93you are = disgusting=C3=A2=E2=82=AC . I felt very scared = and=20 vulnerable. She had obviously been drinking. I understand = the public=20 concern and anger, however, I am afraid that too many people = are too=20 keen to see bad behaviour where there = isn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t any and have almost=20 whipped up the public anxiety.

It=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s time for a little=20 calm I think and well done to Anne Widdecombe, on the Today=20 programme this morning. She was absolutely bang on with a = big dollop=20 of common sense.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/13#13

Comment=20 Comments so far = 14

A special=20 case...

Posted Tuesday, 12 May=20 2009 at 17:53

Great meeting = with David=20 Cameron today at 2pm. Totally abated my fuming=20 anger.

Not so very long = ago I was=20 having lunch with a journalist. When it came to time to = order drinks=20 I asked for sparkling water. The journo looked surprised, = ordered=20 the water and then ordered a bottle of =C3=82=C2=A348 wine = from the menu, and=20 then asked the waiter not to take the cork=20 out.

I realised that = he was=20 taking the wine home, on expenses. I feebly muttered = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93I hope your=20 editor doesn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t think I have expensive = taste in wine?=C3=A2=E2=82=AC To which he=20 replied, =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93the editor never sees the = receipts=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=20 .

This same = journalist has=20 been heaping scorn on MPs over the last few days!=20

I will say what = I have=20 always said; there are 650 of us here. Most who have given = up half=20 of our lives to get here and appreciate what an absolute = honour and=20 privilege it is.

Most of us live = a normal,=20 frugal existence and struggle to pay the bills, just like = everyone=20 else. The majority are honest. The majority do not deserve = to be=20 treated with the scorn and anger which is being heaped upon = us. But=20 we are.

David = demonstrated fantastic=20 leadership today. He has taken the issue by the horns and = laid down=20 ground rules which every honest MP was screaming out for.=20

It would never = in a million=20 years cross my mind to buy a house with tax payers money, do = it up=20 and then sell for a profit and buy another. Not only would = it never=20 cross my mind, but I had no idea anyone else was doing it! = Hazel=20 Blears may not have broken any rules, however, to operate a = property=20 development company on the side using the allowances system = was=20 outrageous and totally different in both intent and=20 purpose from someone who had made a genuine mistake. = Just for=20 the record, I have not bought any property with my = allowances,=20 despite being innundated with 100% mortgage offers the first = month I=20 became an MP. It just never felt very comfortable to=20 me.

My day has been = spent with=20 Barristers, for one reason and another. Tomorrow I have a = very=20 complicated constituency case which I am presenting to the = Ministry=20 of Justice in Westminster Hall, and therefore have no time = to blog=20 until after it is over. I will post the speech once = delivered. I=20 don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t often take constituency work = into the chamber; however, this=20 is a very special case.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/12#12

Comment=20 Comments so far = 12

In = defence

Posted Tuesday, 12 May=20 2009 at 09:38

I = don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t have time to do=20 it now; however, I absolutely will be blogging in defence of = hard=20 working MPs. Hard working but wimpish. =

The media are = inciting the=20 public to behave like a baying mob =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C = much of the time on=20 mis-information.

There is a MASSIVE = difference between=20 the minority of MPs who have used public money to personally = profit and=20 the majority who = haven=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t.

Back=20 later...

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/12#12

Comment=20 Comments so far = 14

The Best=20 Speeches...

Posted Monday, 11 May=20 2009 at 21:10

Are the ones = which are never=20 given.

I thought my = speech which=20 laid into the Equality Bill (or = Harriet=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s leadership bid) was=20 pretty good, even though I say so myself, however, although = written=20 on Sunday, my day off, it has not seen the light of=20 day.

I plonked myself = down in the=20 chamber for a seven hour stint with good intention, but then = the=20 doorman slipped me a note to inform me that I had = constituents in=20 the gallery and could I go and see=20 them.

I asked Mr = Speaker, who it=20 has to be said was not in the best of moods, could I go, = lets just=20 say he preferred me not to.

I weighed it up. = Constituents who had travelled all the way from = Bedfordshire, or a=20 speech. No prizes for who won.

I then had = another note to=20 say that eight MPs were visiting from the Kenyan Government = and=20 could I slip out to have a chat about the war in Iraq, the = Kenyan=20 Judicial service, Somalian Pirates and Obama = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C obvious why they=20 chose me then.

Two hours later, = I suppose I=20 can understand why I wasn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t flavour = of the=20 chamber.

Putting my = speech in the=20 nearest bin, I decided to look to where I was needed most. = Having=20 been a qualified nurse I chose to spend my time removing = razor=20 blades form clenched fingers, mopping brows, buying G and Ts = for the=20 tearful and joined in the general rant about how disgraceful = it was=20 that the Telegraph are not accepting explanations or the MPs = side of=20 the story.

Like they say in = the media,=20 why let the = truth=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C2=A6..

They have = problems? Not one=20 of them bombed on Question Time? In normal circumstances = they would=20 have been looking after me, not the other way around.=20

Anyway. I am = very concerned.=20 I think my staff may have bought chocolate biscuits with the = petty=20 cash. I swear to God that not one has passed my lips; = however, I=20 have seen the wrappers in the bin. I know = I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m=20 next.

I should worry. = I could be a=20 Lib Dem. They are nowhere to be seen. Rumours are flying = around here=20 that they are very worried indeed. Apparently, and I repeat = that I=20 believe this is just a rumour, they pay their associations = 3k a kick=20 to deliver leaflets from their office allowance. No wonder = most of=20 them are never here!!!!

Give me a = chocolate=20 digestive to defend any = day!

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/11#11

Comment=20 Comments so far = 4

At the end of = the=20 day...

Posted Sunday, 10 May=20 2009 at 21:34

Back in = Bedfordshire. Early=20 start in the morning.

I thought I = would reflect=20 on the start of the day and just how beautiful some things=20 are.

This morning I = went for an=20 early walk, at 6.30am. It=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s hard to = stay in bed on a sunny morning=20 when less than 60 seconds from the bedroom door the foals = were=20 already playing.

This little = curious foal=20 came closer to say hello. Her mum popped her head = protectively over=20 her back and I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m sure I hear her = whisper =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93careful darling, I=20 think she=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s an MP=C3=A2=E2=82=AC = .

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/10#10

Comment=20 Comments so far = 2

What = If?

Posted Sunday, 10 May=20 2009 at 13:40

I know = it=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s all about=20 expenses, but forgive me.

What if David = Cameron=20 called for a vote of no confidence in Brown during the Post = Office=20 vote? Would the Lib Dem=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s and other = minority parties vote with us?=20 Would the 56 Labour rebels? Would the Blairites? Would that = mean we=20 would win and force a general=20 election?

If the = Blairites and Labour=20 rebels didn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t vote with us and voted = for Brown this would mean=20 that they would in effect be voting to keep Brown for the=20 duration.

Seems like = that=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s a win=20 win for us.

Is that what = David really=20 means when he says he=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93pulling the plug on Brown=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=20 ?

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/10#10

Comment=20 Comments so far = 14

Stolen Goods=20 II

Posted Saturday, 9 May=20 2009 at 17:53

My concern with = regard to=20 the stolen disc has nothing to do with the issue of expenses = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C=20 it=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s one of = privacy.

My personal = details,=20 including credit card numbers, bank account details, home = address,=20 signatures, family details and IDs have all been sold to the = Daily=20 Telegraph, and who else? Terrorists, pro-abortion extreme = groups, Al=20 Queda, BNP?

My home has = already been=20 'flagged' by Bedfordshire Police , as a result of threats to = my=20 personal safety and that of my staff. Both the House of = Commons=20 Police, Met and Bedfordshire have had to deal with a variety = of=20 problems, including people turning up at the House, because = that's=20 where they know they can make contact with = me.

That=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s why I think it is=20 an offence. I feel vulnerable and as though my privacy has = been=20 totally invaded. Anyone who wanted them could have had my = expenses=20 in July, I have nothing to hide. I just want the basic right = to keep=20 my personal details private. That and not wanting to have to = move=20 house, which I now feel I will have to = do.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/09#09

Comment=20 Comments so far = 27

Princess=20 Harriet

Posted Saturday, 9 May=20 2009 at 13:07

I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m in the Cotswolds.=20 Removed from the stench of Westminster and the = pleasurable=20 distractions of my constituency. I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m = breathing in air which is=20 free from political pollution, other than the odd whiff of = horse=20 manure.

I may be free = from the=20 distractions, but not from the work as I sit here and write = a speech=20 to be delivered on Monday during the reading of the Equality = Bill.

Smart move by = Harriet. The=20 Bill could have been written by a union shop steward. I = would=20 imagine it=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s fairly easy for her to = announce that she has no eye=20 on Gordon Brown=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s job when she has = that Bill tucked under her arm.=20

Drawing = together nine major=20 laws, the Bill is as loud and as comprehensive an appeal to = the=20 unions and Labour party members for the top job as you could = possibly imagine. The only way in which Harriet could = make her=20 intentions clearer, would be to stand on the step of No=20 10 whilst stamping her foot and clenching her fists = shouting at=20 Gordon =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93I want your job!=C3=A2=E2=82=AC =

The most = controversial=20 element of the Bill will allow employers to take = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9Cpositive=20 action=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2 in order to guarantee that = they hire more women and ethnic=20 minority employees. Music to the ears of the=20 left.

You have to = hand it to the=20 woman, she is one smart behind the scenes=20 operator.

Business = leaders have said=20 that the Bill will be an unwelcome burden. Oh come on = business,=20 what=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s up with you? Anyone would = think you were in the midst of a=20 recession and fighting to keep the jobs of the employees you = already=20 have. You should welcome this massive tome of bureaucracy, = impending=20 legislation and red tape. It=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s just = what you need from the=20 Government during these difficult times. = Isn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t=20 it?

I cannot = believe that as=20 the Bank of England announce they are to pour another 50 = billion=20 into the economy in order help us through the third wave of=20 financial crisis, as Iran moves another week nearer to being = nuclear=20 ready; in a week when more of my constituents lost their = jobs than=20 any other since I became the MP, that I have to sit here and = write a=20 speech about equality in the = workplace.

This in itself = highlights=20 how out of touch the Labour party is with the events faced = by people=20 day to day, and by the close of business on Monday, when = Harriet=20 becomes the princess of the unions, = Harriet=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s true leadership=20 intentions.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/09#09

Comment=20 Comments so far = 11

Stolen = Goods

Posted Friday, 8 May=20 2009 at 13:17

I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m still in the Commons.=20 Sleep would be good after my overnight trip on the = Caledonian=20 Sleeper, which is a misnomer, it = doesn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t sleep.=20

It jerks and = jolts and=20 squeals and stops what appears to be every few hundred = yards, sleep=20 it does not.

I have just said = goodbye to=20 Alameda school from = Ampthill, in my=20 constituency. They have been on a commons visit. The = education=20 department offered to find another MP to stand in for me, = but I said=20 no.

Apparently the = education=20 dept lady watched question time last night and was more than = a=20 little alarmed to realise I was still in Dunfermline at 11pm = and=20 meeting a school in Westminster this morning. The Caledonian = sleeper=20 may not sleep, but it is reliable and does get you into = Euston for=20 7am.

Talk here is = obviously the=20 Telegraph and cabinet expenses story, however, I = can=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t help making=20 one small observation =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C surely the = Telegraph is in possession of=20 stolen goods?

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/08#08

Comment=20 Comments so far = 32

Mass = deterrent

Posted Friday, 8 May=20 2009 at 11:53

The former = Postman, Alan=20 Johnson MP, criticised me, the former nurse, during the = Swine Flu=20 statement in the chamber = yesterday.

Johnson, who if = he had his=20 way would have us all walking round wearing face masks and = anti=20 viral suits, omitted some very important information from = his=20 statement.

He = didn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t mention that the=20 epidemiology, which has been used to judge the possible = fatalities=20 from Swine Flu, has been derived from Mexico.=20

Or that = that the=20 statistics conclude that you have a 2% greater = chance of=20 dying from this flu, as opposed to any other. You may think that = this is=20 good reason to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds = delivering a=20 leaflet to every home telling people how to handle a sneeze = ,and=20 closing down schools and nurseries, creating an air of mild = panic. I=20 don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t.

We could all do = with bearing=20 in mind that Mexico = City is a=20 city of 20 million. That half of those people live in = poverty=20 and have no access to medical care or drugs, not even a GP. = Given=20 those circumstances, it is a miracle that the figure is only = 2%; and=20 if anything demonstrates just how mild this virus is, and = how able=20 we are to deal with it.

People die from = flu every=20 year in this country, period. It=20 happens.

Maybe the = Government are=20 hoping that creating an environment of panic will detract = from the=20 very serious issue of Government meltdown. If they are, the = papers=20 are falling for it.

Time for a few = journalists=20 to toughen up, and start injecting a bit of common sense = into their=20 writing.

This is not a = national panic=20 or a state of emergency. A Prime Minister who has lost the = respect=20 of his own party is.

I = don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t think there was a=20 single Conservative in the Question Time audience last = night! After=20 I had a round of applause, the Liberal, Lord Steele, thought = he had=20 better remind the audience that I was a Conservative; and = despite=20 the fact that he knows me very well indeed, referred to me = as the=20 =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9CConservative = representative=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2- just to remind the=20 audience!

When I referred = to King=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s=20 Cross I was obviously talking about 7/7, a day I will = remember as I=20 was on the platform that morning. And I did want to = emphasise that=20 we aren=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t going to use Trident as a = weapon of mass destruction but=20 as a weapon of deterrent =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C but it = didn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t quite come out like=20 that because you just don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t get the=20 time!!

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/08#08

Comment=20 Comments so far = 35

Nervous=20 jitters!

Posted Thursday, 7 May=20 2009 at 14:00

On the train to = Edinburgh for=20 Question Time. Apparently, the Scottish audience are = really=20 tough. No one can remember the last time a Conservative got = so much=20 as a ripple from the audience. Great - Really looking = forward to=20 this!

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/07#07

Comment=20 Comments so far = 33

Something=20 Lovely

Posted Wednesday, 6 May=20 2009 at 21:37

Every now and = then, MPs are=20 invited to a posh =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9Cone = off=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2 occasion. On May 14^th I=20 am attending the Classic FM Brit awards, and I cannot=20 wait!

Tonight I = overheard a very=20 prestigious MP tell a lovely = story.

A few weeks ago = he was=20 invited to a film premier. Never having been invited to = anything=20 like this before he accepted, and took his=20 wife.

This is how he = told the=20 story; =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93we were invited to the after = show party. The room was=20 bursting at the seams with beautiful young ladies all in = their=20 20=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s and early = 30=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C all obviously used = to this kind of=20 lifestyle, and do you know, I turned and looked at my wife = who is 50=20 and thought to myself, that without any question whatsoever, = she was=20 by far the most beautiful woman in the room=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=20 .

So who says politicians = aren=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t nice?=20 What a lucky lady J

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/06#06

Comment=20 Comments so far = 6

Question Time = and Swine=20 Flu =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C2=A6Again

Posted Wednesday, 6 May=20 2009 at 12:12

There=20 was an interesting article on the Times=20 Online , which=20 was written by the science editor. He wrote about the = effectiveness=20 of closing schools as a method of controlling a pandemic; = and he=20 referred to two recent studies to support his article. He = also made=20 the point that controlling and limiting the pandemic = provided the=20 time required to produce a = vaccine.

I=20 would imagine it's quite obvious that closing schools would = be a=20 good way of limiting the transfer of infection. However, as = the=20 Mexican ambassador will confirm, the real danger to the = public has=20 been the hysterical over-reaction of the=20 media.

In the=20 last few years, we have seen a couple of serious = virus=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2 hit=20 universities and schools in the guise of meningitis and = mumps.=20 Neither the universities nor schools were closed. The = symptoms and=20 effects of both are at best unpleasant and at worst=20 fatal.

The=20 symptoms of swine flu don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t appear to = be worse than those of the=20 common cold. We can still produce a vaccine, especially for = the more=20 vulnerable; however, the best prophylaxis against future = strains of=20 the virus is for people to build up their own immunities, = naturally,=20 and now.

Hundreds of thousands of people die every year from = the flu,=20 usually as a result of secondary infection. It really is = time to=20 calm down. I stick to my position yesterday. The best thing = we can=20 do for our kids is not to close down their schools and = disrupt their=20 lives, but to carry on. They will surely be stronger and = healthier=20 for it in the long run.

I'm on Question = Time with=20 Bruce Anderson tomorrow night. Remember this ? Flip=20 !!

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/06#06

Comment=20 Comments so far = 4

May 6th = Public Meeting -=20 Cancellation

Posted Tuesday, 5 May=20 2009 at 16:59

Due to = unforeseen=20 circumstances related to compulsory Parliamentary attendance = for=20 business which will run all night, the 6 May meeting will = have to be=20 postponed.

I = realise that this=20 is short notice and attendees have taken time out of their = busy=20 schedules; however, I am committed to the issue of = preserving the=20 heritage of Mid Bedfordshire and we need to establish the = three=20 committees.

I = intend to=20 rearrange the meeting during a Parliamentary recess to avoid = any=20 further clashes with Westminster business.

My = office has been=20 trying to contact everyone who kindly = RSVP=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2d; once again, my=20 apologies

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/05#05

Comment=20 Comments so far = 0

Question Time = and Swine=20 Flu

Posted Tuesday, 5 May=20 2009 at 16:51

Oh my!!! I = think it=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s=20 fair to say that I have been well and truly slaughtered by = the=20 comments on my last blog with regard to=20 twitterers.

Maybe I should = just give=20 up and go with the twitter flow J

I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m on Question Time=20 this Thursday; I hope a question comes up with regard to = swine=20 flu.

I cannot = believe that we=20 have schools and nurseries closing =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C = it is=20 madness.

The Minister = for public=20 health should stop schools from closing. Far better everyone = catches=20 the virus now, and builds up their own anti-bodies whilst = it=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s=20 still relatively weak, and presents as = nothing worse=20 than a cold.

Viruses are = much=20 cleverer than we are. Smack this one with Tamiflu and it = will mutate=20 and re-group itself, just in time for a nice winter outbreak = when it=20 will be far stronger, more resistant, and really cause us = problems.=20

It will hit = business=20 with a huge cost in terms of lost days; and of course the = cost to=20 the NHS and Government will be incalculable. Is there no = common=20 sense anywhere within this = Government?

Or is Gordon = hoping=20 enough schools will close in order to declare a state of = emergency=20 and cancel the Euro elections?! I = wonder.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/05#05

Comment=20 Comments so far = 8

Twitters

Posted Monday, 4 May=20 2009 at 19:59

There are new = tweeters=20 joining the list of, err, twitters by the=20 day.

In discussion = over lunch=20 today the conclusion was reached that twitters use = twittering, by=20 and large, to moan and complain. It=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s = a virtual gnashing of the=20 teeth, or beating of the chest. A cyberspace = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9Cwell I=20 never=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2.

When = it=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s not even that interesting = the=20 majority of twittering is mundane to the point of = =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9C who in the=20 name of Bill Shankley cares=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2? =

I exclude from = this=20 observation those who use twitter to enhance their existing = online=20 presence and do restrain my comments to the individual = twitterer. I=20 suppose I should exclude people like Sarah Palin from this=20 observation also. We all know that it is highly un-likely = she writes=20 her own twitters, gaffes being totally impermissible even = when the=20 race for the White House is four years off.=20

A friend showed = me his=20 twitter =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9Cfeed=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2 = this weekend. A cure for insomnia if I ever saw=20 one. Did I really want to know what three hundred followers = made of=20 the film =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9CIn The = Loop=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2. One opinion would do. I have absolutely=20 no interest in knowing that someone had to take a roast = dinner=20 around to her grandmother=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s house on = behalf of her parents whilst=20 visiting on Sunday. A lovely, personal family thing to do. = But share=20 it with five hundred people? I think not.=20

Twittering has = to be a=20 symptom of a dysfunctional society. You know the one = I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m talking=20 about; when people don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t talk to, = care about, help, consider or=20 even interact with each other anymore. A survey last week = found that=20 the average Briton has three good friends. = That=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s the=20 dysfunctional society I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m talking = about. The one where it seems to=20 me people are creating their own online virtual communities = and=20 friends.

Three good = friends will be=20 down to one in ten years as a whole generation of children = who=20 should have been kicking a ball around and building dens, = take to=20 the streets and discover that they = don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t know how to cope, lacking=20 the ability to share or socially interact. Largely due to = spending=20 their childhood on an X box or a lap top. Maybe twitter is = where=20 they will turn to for comfort.

At my daughters = birthday=20 party this week 60 good and close friends turned up. People = she has=20 known since nappies, playgroup, school and university. She = doesn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t=20 twitter to any of them. She may spend hours running up her = phone=20 bill, but at least she and her friends still know how to = talk to,=20 care for and laugh with each other. She was disappointed = only 60=20 could make it as another 20 or so are in various far flung = places=20 travelling.

Whilst psycho = analysing=20 twitter over lunch, we came up with some things you just = wouldn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t=20 dare twitter, ever, ever. Especially if you were an=20 MP.

Unfortunately, = although=20 hysterically funny and almost necessitated the assistance of = a Para=20 Medic, due to an inhaled strand of spaghetti, I just = can=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t repeat=20 any of them

Anyway, safe to = say, I=20 shan=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t be joining the legions of = twitters any day soon. I'll just=20 stick to blogging and bore you all to death with that=20 :)

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/04#04

Comment=20 Comments so far = 29

Tainted = Lies

Posted Saturday, 2 May=20 2009 at 17:53

I have just = arrived home=20 from the dedication of a stained glass window at Harlington=20 church.

The window is = in memory of=20 the late Rev Ivor Clemitson MP, the former Labour MP for = Luton East,=20 and depicted, amongst other things, the church of St=20 Margaret=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s in = Westminster, Westminster=20 Palace and Big=20 Ben.

I = will scan a=20 picture of the window in on Tuesday.

I read one of = Ivor=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s=20 favourite New Testament readings. =

Most of us use = the NIV=20 bible these days, however, Ivor=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s = favourite was the King James,=20 and I have to say that I felt as though I was reading=20 poetry.

I read from = St = Paul=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s=20 letter to the Philippians 4 = 1-9.

Here is a small = excerpt to=20 show you what I mean.

Finally, = brethren,=20 whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, = whatsoever=20 things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever = things are=20 lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be = any=20 virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. = Those=20 things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, = and=20 seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with=20 you.

Isn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t that=20 beautiful?

Today was the = first time I=20 had to stand in front of a large audience since Smeargate. I = had no=20 idea how much of an ordeal it would be. I almost felt = unworthy to be=20 stood in church reading at such an occasion even though = every word=20 which had been written about me in the email was a pure lie = from=20 beginning to end. I felt as though everyone was thinking the = old=20 =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9Cno smoke without fire = thought=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2.

Some of the = ladies were=20 lovely when I went into the Parish Hall afterwards for tea, = but I=20 even found that tough and pathetically, = couldn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t go in without=20 Kelvin (Hopkins MP) to hold = onto.

I realised = today that I may=20 feel tainted for some considerable time and whilst stood in = church,=20 I thought = hateful=20 thoughts about the people who made me feel this=20 way.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/02#02

Comment=20 Comments so far = 11

Trident

Posted Saturday, 2 May=20 2009 at 11:44

I have just watched last = nights=20 Newsnight whilst waiting to go and open a church window = (note to=20 self; take screwdriver) it suddenly occurred to me that both = Patrick=20 Mercer and Nicholas Soames were using a rhetoric which = was in=20 the style of men who were truly preparing to = govern.

In fact,=20 if you didn't know they were in opposition, you could be = forgiven=20 for thinking they were indeed already in = government, so=20 seriously are they contemplating the task ahead.

I'm = sure all=20 these men commenting on Trident are absolutely right, and = what would=20 I know? I'm just a girl on the backbenches who relies too = much on=20 instinct, however, I=20 think I must be the only person who doesn't want the Trident = programme to be cut.

The major spend, 15billion, = isn't going=20 to kick in for another 15 years. Who knows where we will be = by=20 then?

Could we have predicted 9.11 or Kings Cross 15 = years=20 ago? Could we have foreseen that we would have been at war = in=20 Iraq = and=20 Afghanistan?

How=20 can we possibly predict today what threat the future may = hold? Has=20 anyone listened to the words of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the leader = of = Iran=20 just lately?

We frequently witness the zealous rise = in=20 Islamist fundamentalism in this country and abroad, to the = dismay of=20 all who are not, including the vast majority of the peaceful = Muslim=20 community.

It must be obvious to all that there will = be=20 little common ground between a faction which wants to see = anyone who=20 is not an Islamist wiped of the face of the earth, and = just=20 about every other religion in the world, including=20 Christianity.

I am sure there are other ways, and I = wait to=20 be educated, however, it seems to me that a priority of any=20 government is to keep its people safe - not be aggressive or = war=20 like - just keep people safe.

I can't think of any = better way=20 of doing that other than with the threat of deployment = of=20 Trident missiles, which cannot be intercepted once=20 launched.

I'm not being hawkish here, I just want to = know=20 that one day when I die, a nuclear sub will be prowling = silently=20 under the water, to the knowledge of all, keeping both my = kids safe=20 in their beds and the beliefs of billions intact.=20

I = don=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t think 15 billion=20 is too much to ask for that when we have a government today=20 wasting=20 trillions!

I also believe = we ask too=20 much of our troops in terms of what we expect from them in=20 situations of conflict. Evidenced from the condition of the = boots to=20 vehichles and tanks in Iraq.

If=20 we cut back on Trident was does that say to our very own = heroes?=20

Anyway,=20 what do I know? I am definitley on safer ground talking = about=20 hospitals than nuclear subs!

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/02#02

Comment=20 Comments so far = 25

The great Roy = Orbison

Posted Friday, 1 May=20 2009 at 17:41

I am about to = move away=20 from the desk and start preparing for my eldest daughters = birthday=20 and so blogging will be light over the weekend. I have a = busy week=20 coming up next week and so I am going to spend my weekend = relaxing,=20 visiting places like this =20 http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-fi= ndaplace/w-snowshillmanor/ = and=20 generally chillin=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2 out in the = Cotswolds. That is after I have=20 finished the rest of my constituency duties which will be on = Saturday afternoon.

Earlier in the = week I=20 entitled a blog, the touch of your hand. It was obviously = from the=20 Roy Orbison song, Crying, which I = haven=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t been able to get out of=20 my head since it popped in when thinking of a blog=20 title.

Maybe = it=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s because I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m=20 from Liverpool and grew up with the Beatles as my background = music,=20 and had to sit on the steps and watch my mum and her friend = Anita=20 screaming as the Beatles flew into Speke = Airport - I=C3=A2=E2=82= =AC=E2=84=A2m not=20 sure, however, I do have a passion for music from that era,=20 especially the American Crooners. I also, for some weird = reason,=20 have Roy Orbison and the Beatles enmeshed as one in my = memory =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C as=20 though they were a band of five. =

Anyway, someone = has just=20 text me the You Tube link to the original Roy Orbison = recording of=20 Crying and other Roy greats. Does anyone = sing with=20 that much passion anymore? The same friend has told me that = Roy=20 Orbison=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s = mother=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s name was = Nadine.

Well I never. = Reckon I=20 might pick up a Roy CD over the=20 weekend.

Have a good one = everyone.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/01#01

Comment=20 Comments so far = 10

Stats..

Posted Friday, 1 May=20 2009 at 14:42

Ive just been sent my stats = for April.=20 I really couldn't be less interested. However, total hits -=20 539,724.

I suppose it was a busy=20 month.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/01#01

Comment=20 Comments so far = 5

A dead=20 weight..

Posted Friday, 1 May=20 2009 at 14:08

I=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2m=20 between appointments in the constituency, looking out at the = sunshine and feeling = down.

I've=20 just said goodbye to a lovely constituent. He cannot = bear to be=20 on benefits and has a job. It=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s = paying him =C3=82=C2=A311,000 pa. He manages=20 to pay rent, council tax, bills and maintain his car. If he = didn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t=20 have the car he couldn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t work. = However, there isn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t any money=20 left over for food. He buys his food on a credit card and = each week=20 the debt is mounting up. He has now begun to have panic = attacks when=20 he enters a supermarket as he cannot bear the guilt he = experiences=20 at buying his food on a credit card. He told me to blog his = story.=20 Very soon he may have to turn to benefits as the car = won=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t carry=20 on for much longer and he can=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t = afford a new one. As we all know,=20 that=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s the point at which he will = fall into the poverty=20 trap.

One=20 after the other I hear a different story. A year ago people = used to=20 come to me to complain about issues which really = weren=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t worth=20 complaining about. Now each story has an element of absolute = desperation.

I hope a=20 general election comes = soon.

I hope=20 we scrap the NHS data base, the ID card scheme and = regional=20 assemblies within days. I hope we take a scythe to every = penny spent=20 on public services which has nothing to do with keeping = people well,=20 educated and safe and I really hope that the people of this = country=20 are ready and have the stomach to take that which must be = done in=20 order to restore prosperity. I hope we clamp down on = immigration and=20 operate a ruthless point=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s based = system based on the=20 skill need of the country. I hope we radically amend = our=20 relationship with the EU and claw back some of the massive = subsidies=20 we hand over and use that money to benefit people like my = very=20 unwell and unhappy=20 constituent.

People=20 need to start adopting a war time mentality. The cause is no = less=20 important. The prize is the restoration of our country, its=20 viability, our pride and position, our status and=20 worth.

It=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s=20 going to be really very hard indeed. I just hope people are=20 ready.

To cheer=20 myself up I have remembered an exchange I had with a = colleague=20 yesterday.

A=20 Minister with whom I get along very well and I, often meet = behind=20 the computers in the member=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2s library = and have a=20 chat.

Yesterday we were discussing the boxes of expense = forms which=20 each MP has to verify before=20 publication.

Exchange=20 went like this. N is me=20 obviously.

N=20 =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93Have you had any other MPs expense = slips in your boxes=C3=A2=E2=82=AC ?=20

M=20 =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93Loads, some have had the slips of a few = different MPs in their=20 boxes=C3=A2=E2=82=AC

N =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93X=20 had the receipts of five other MPs in his box which quite = clearly=20 displayed credit card numbers, his home and constituency = address and=20 telephone numbers=C3=A2=E2=82=AC =

M =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93I=20 had a dead MP in mine=C3=A2=E2=82=AC =

N=20 =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5=93Gosh, your box must be big. How did you = get it upstairs=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=20 ?

N was then=20 splattered with a mouthful of tea M had just attempted to=20 drink.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/01#01

Comment=20 Comments so far = 5

Julian Lewis=20 MP

Posted Friday, 1 May=20 2009 at 12:39

Julian Lewis = has to be one=20 of the nicest MPs in = Parliament.

Well respected = by MPs in=20 all parties - he is incredibly hard working, diligent, kind, = articulate, intelligent, thoughtful - I = can=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t think he has a=20 single enemy in the House.

Smearing = isn=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2t always=20 confined to high office. Julian has been through the most = horrific=20 time with a Liberal Democrat opponent in his constituency = and things=20 have got so bad that last week, Julian secured an end of day = debate=20 in the chamber in order to highlight the smear campaign he = has been=20 subjected to.

It is a tribute = to Julian=20 that many MPs, having already worked a 15 hour day, stayed = behind=20 for the debate.

The details are = here.

http://www.julianlewis.net/antics_detail.php?id=3D11<= o:p>

Lets hope that = someone in=20 the local party realises the damage this man is doing to the = political process and has him = replaced.

Politicians and = potential=20 politicians will never earn the respect of the public until = they=20 behave in a way which earns that respect.=20

It is time for = a new=20 austerity in many things, expenses, the economy and even=20 behaviour.

http://blog.dorries= .org/Blogs/2009/May/01#01

Comment=20 Comments so far = 9

Click on the = blue arrows to=20 see blog entries for previous months

=20

May

<= /TR>

ACIDity.co.uk

Comments

Posted Friday, 22 May=20 = 2009 at 11:40

What=20 Stephan said and Martin Bell knew

Posted Friday, 22 May=20 = 2009 at 10:22

Winners=20 or Losers?

Posted Thursday, 21 May=20 = 2009 at 17:04

Clarification

Posted Thursday, 21 May=20 = 2009 at 11:12

Bercow

Posted Wednesday, 20 May=20 = 2009 at 17:56

That's=20 Life

Posted Wednesday, 20 May=20 = 2009 at 17:36

Frank=20 Field

Posted Tuesday, 19 May=20 = 2009 at 16:35

Speaker=20 Martin

Posted Tuesday, 19 May=20 = 2009 at 14:52

Swiss=20 Cheese

Posted Tuesday, 19 May=20 = 2009 at 13:45

Update

Posted Monday, 18 May=20 = 2009 at 16:44