Henderson's Highlights - March 2012

Thought for the month

All the best things in life are bad for us in one way or another!

Parliamentary highlights
March was another busy month for me. Although Thamesteel once again took up a lot of my time, I had lots of meetings including with: William Hague to discuss the situation in the Middle East (a number of my colleagues and I are unhappy with the way in which the Palestinian case seems to get a fairer hearing that the Israelis); Charles Hendry and Greg Barker to discuss all matters energy, but in particular wind energy; British Telecom to discuss their programme for rolling out superfast broadband; the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister to be briefed on the current situation in Israel.

With regards to Thamesteel, I joined a number of my Parliamentary colleagues (all Labour members) to talk to a group of union members who visited Westminster to lobby us. I gave them my full support. I also joined representatives from Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council at a meeting with officials from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Communities and Local Government, to discuss Thamesteel and the possibility of setting up an enterprise zone on Sheppey. At the end of the month I took part in a Westminster Hall debate on Thamesteel and my speech can be found elsewhere on this website.

One particular highlight of the month was graduating from the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, for which I received a certificate signed by the Chief of the Defence Staff, general Sir David Richards and a graduation tie that I will wear with pride.

Hypocrite watch
I travel up to Westminster by train a couple of times each week. On one occasion this month I noticed sitting in the First Class portion of the carriage the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Harriet Harman, with two members of her staff. When we arrived at Victoria the trio sloped off towards the taxi rank. Me? I always travel up from Sittingbourne Second Class and then catch a crowded underground train to Westminster, but then I am just a working class boy, who went to state schools before leaving school at 16, unlike Hatty who grew up in a upper-middle class family and went to fee paying St Pauls’ Girls School before going off to York University, where she got a BA in politics. And she has the cheek to criticise David Cameron for being privileged!

On 28th March Parliament started the Easter recess. We are back in Westminster on the 16th April.

Constituency highlights
March was very busy in my constituency. It went something like this...

Business related visits: Arcelor Mittal Kent Wire Ltd (Sittingbourne); Kings Bingo Hall (Sheerness), William Hill betting shop (Sittingbourne); Abbotts Laboratories (Sittingbourne). In addition I held my monthly Blinkss business breakfast meeting. The venue was the Shurland Hotel in Eastchurch and the topic for discussion was tourism. We had 40 attendees, the highest ever!

School visits: Borden Grammar School for Boys for a Q&A session involving students from Borden, Highsted Grammar School for Girls and Fulston Manor.

Meetings: Mark Devlin (CEO of the Medway Maritime Foundation Hospital Trust); Andrew Bowles (Leader of Swale Borough Council); Pete Raine (Director of Regeneration at SBC); Dan Pyke (to discuss his plans for youth engagement on Sheppey); members of the Prison Officers Association to discuss matters relating to prisons; Sittingbourne GPs and Sheerness GPs (separate meetings) to discuss their concerns.

Visits: Medway Maritime to be interviewed on Hospital Radio; Southlands NHS Centre to help promote “Time For A Cuppa” day; Danny Boy Trust Shop (Sheerness); Teynham Carnival Queen crowning; Standford Hill Prison (for tour); Sittingbourne Community College to take part in training with Sittingbourne FC.

Media: In addition to numerous newspaper items I took part in the BBC’s Sunday Politics Show.
Advices surgeries: were held in Upchurch Village Hall, Sheppey College, Teynham Village Hall and an on air session for BRFM.

Cultural highlights
I enjoyed the final of Masterchef and welcomed back The Apprentice and Silent Witness. I finished Stephen King’s novel 11/23/63 and have just started another King new book; The Eyes of The Dragon. A strange book!

Personal highlight
I am on a sponsored diet to raise funds for my local charity Litter Angels and I lost 8 lbs during March.