I’d like to congratulate the winner of the London Mayoral election. Boris Johnson was by far the best candidate, and I am very glad that Londoners have chosen change tonight. I have no doubts he will make an excellent Mayor of London. Londoners have made there minds up on Gordon Brown’s New Labour party.

Well done Boris. Tomorrow the task of changing London for the better begins.

I’d like to thank the voters of Ancoats and Clayton last night. Last night, the Conservative vote trebled in Ancoats and Clayton. Voters across Manchester and Britain voted against Gordon Brown. I am incredibly proud that 334 voters in Ancoats and Clayton, the highest Conservative vote in decades in the region, trusted me with their future.

While I am dissapointed that I have not beaten Gordon Brown’s New Labour candidate in Ancoats and Clayton, I am incredibly humbled by the excellent result in Ancoats and Clayton. Tonight voters in Ancoats and Clayton, as well as in Manchester and Britain as a whole, have voted against his tax rises on the poor to pay for tax cuts on the well off; Gordon Brown’s rise in Debt in the economy as a whole, causing rising prices of fuel and food; the Gordon Brown who has ignored your view on the European Constitution by renouncing his promise for a referendum on this issue.

Unfortunately, there are no local elections in Ancoats and Clayton next year. However, all voters in Ancoats and Clayton can vote against Gordon Brown in the European elections in June 2009. And whenever Gordon Brown gets the bottle to call a general election, we will fight, we will win, and Britain will get the changes it deserves.

At the last election, all three parties stood on a platform of a referendum on the European Union Constitution, which will transfer significant powers from Britain to Brussels. In Manchester, all three parties stood on platforms of that referendum.

Out of the five Manchester MPs (including Wythenshawe and Sale East), only one of Manchester’s MPs stood up to the platform he was elected on. Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Manchester Blackley stood up to the Government Whips, and voted as he was elected to do, to allow the people a referendum on the EU Constitution. This is more than could be said of the rest of Manchester’s MPs - Gerald Kaufman (Manchester Gorton) and Paul Goggins (Wythenshawe and Sale East) voted to reject a referendum for the British people, as did Ancoats and Clayton’s MP, Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central). John Leech, the Lib Dem MP for Manchester Withingon followed the Lib Dem whip, and…abstained! It asks the question what the point of the Lib Dems really is.

 While the Conservatives, 20 ‘Other’ MPs, 29 Labour rebels, and 13 Lib Dem rebels supported the motion, the Labour and Lib Dem whips prevented the will of the British people being expressed. Congratulations to Graham Stringer, bringing principles back to the Labour benches.

Yet again, Manchester has been let down by Gordon Brown. Manchester spent £240,000 on the bid to win the £300m regeneration package, but Brown has now said No. Local MP, Hazel Blears has completely failed to offer new alternatives, just more renouncement’s, more spin. When will New Labour stop promising to people and start delivering?  This is yet another example of Labour letting Manchester down.

Last year I highlighted the plight of the residents of Eccleshall Street. They were promised to be moved to better accommodation, with development on the further houses. However, due to Health and Safety legislation, they are now in limbo, the planned development has been scrapped,and the residents of Eccleshall Street uncertain of their future.

The council, including Deputy Council Leader Jim Battle, an Ancoats and Clayton councillor, have been unable to offer an acceptable move for the local residents. It is very unfortunate that the three New Labour councillors in the area have been unable to help the residents in the area.

As reported recently in the MEN, in a worrying development, the terrific Affleck’s Palace appears to be under threat. I first discovered Affleck’s when I was a student at Manchester University, and I’m horrified about the potential threats to it. As a candidate for part of the Northern Quarter, Affleck’s represents what is great about the Northern Quarter with its vibrant and diverse business.

Conservative City Centre Spokesman Rob Adlard will be writing to the parties involved in this case. To support the campaign you can sign the online petition or contact either Rob at robadlard@yahoo.co.uk or myself at dave@dave4ancoatsandclayton.com. Hopefully together we can save this gem in the heart of the Northern Quarter.

David Bean, an excellent local West Didsbury Conservative, has today launched his online campaign to win his ward at this years local elections in Manchester. David, a good friend of mine, was recently selected to stand for the Didsbury West Ward, and anyone who has met him will know that when elected this May, he will make an outstanding councillor.

Following on from Faraz Bhatti joining us yesterday, we are proving to be the only alternative in Manchester to the current New Labour-Lib Dem consensus which currently dominates the council. This May, we will have a superb slate of candidates for the electorate of Manchester to choose, offering a liberal, progressive choice to the failure of the New Labour led administration. To read about his campaign, just visit his website, Vote Blue Go Bean, www.votebluegobean.com.

http://www.manchesterconservatives.com/index.php?sectionid=3&pagenumber=150 

I’d like to take this opportunity to give a warm welcome to Faraz Bhatti, the new Conservative Councillor in Manchester. Faraz will make an excellent addition to Manchester’s Conservative team. Faraz was seen a rising star when he won his Whalley Range Ward. However, he stated the ‘inward looking’ and failing to oppose the Labour Council which is wasting a lot of council money.

However, while he joins a progressive, forward-thinking party, Lib Dem Council Leader Simon Ashley replied in a negative Punch and Judy manner, stating he has “shafted his ward colleagues and shafted the party”. Liberal Democrat activists, Councillors and Parliamentarians across the country are joining the real alternative given by David Cameron’s Conservative Party. We remain the only alternative to the discredited Labour Government. I am very happy that Faraz has seen this, and together we will be standing up for the people of Whalley Range and Manchester as a whole.

A Happy New Year to all in 2008.

 http://www.democracyforum.co.uk/conservative-party-general-issues/44422-tories-hit-rock-bottom.html

I was recently directed to a disgusting website. It is a vile attack on the new group for Gay Conservatives, LGBTory, as well specific attacks on a number of Conservative Future members. I find it sad that in this modern world people think as the way as “Mikeuk”, otherwise known as Mike Smith, the UKIP Candidate for Portsmouth North, does. While I would prefer not to have a Labour MP for that constituency, I am certainly glad that Mike is not shouting his backward views in Parliament (then again, not as if he came close, as shown by the results - see http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/portsmouthnorth)