Having promised in his maiden speech to make the regeneration of Newhaven a priority, the town’s future now hangs in the balance as the French company that owns the West Beach and the ferry threatens to move its operations to either Shoreham or Portsmouth.

Three years on from the sale of the West Beach to Newhaven Port and Properties Ltd (NPP) Norman Baker and the Lib Dems are in complete disarray over the future of the Village Green and how to re-open land at the West Dyke to the public. Even Lib Dem councillors are frustrated and one has already defected to join the Conservatives as he strongly believes that the MP has let Newhaven down completely. 

Conservative candidate, Jason Sugarman said, “There is evidently distrust within this community and its leaders who have been utterly incapable of making vital decisions about the port and its future. The French port owners are very annoyed by the misrepresentation that has taken place in their name. Why is the beach still closed after three long years of negotiation? Surely, a solution should have been found and introduced by now to give the people of Newhaven some hope for the stability and regeneration of the town.”

Wealden MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Energy, Charles Hendry, seen here campaigning in Newhaven endorsed Jason’s comments, “In Newhaven we are seeing muddled and ineffective Lib Dem policy ‘in action’. Regrettably that has resulted in complete inaction for both Newhaven and the ferry port”.

Jason Sugarman has pledged to make the fight for Enterprise Zone Trust status for Newhaven his priority if elected and is already gaining support from the Conservative Front Bench spokesmen for his campaign.

Jason concluded, “Norman Baker says he is pushing to get more jobs in Newhaven, but what Newhaven needs is delivery and achievement – not empty promises”.

Jason Sugarman, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate opens Seaford’s Conservative Campaign Centre in Sutton Road, Seaford with local activists and supporters.

Stephen Dorrell Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Charnwood visited Lewes to chair a debate alongside Jason Sugarman Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Lewes. Stephen and Jason spoke to a number of local charities discussing how Government can help and support charities deliver the best to their clients without the restraints of Government. From 2006-07 Stephen Dorrell was Co-Chair of the Public Service Improvement Group, established by David Cameron to review policy in education, health, social care and housing.

An intervention by Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Jason Sugarman has helped to save a Newhaven café from closure.

The star café in the High Street was under threat of closure pending a court hearing in April.

The owner Mr Ibo Akyuz was unable to pay the rates to Lib Dem controlled Lewes District Council because of the effects of the recession and they had instigated court proceedings.

 Jason Sugarman heard about Mr Akyuz plight and asked local Councillors Robbie Robertson and his father Cyril Sugarman to persuade the District Council to drop the case and accept delayed payment.

 Jason said “ It is businesses like these that a new Conservative Government would help. We believe in small businesses and shops and will do all we can to support them especially as we rise slowely out of the recession.  For the Lib Dem controlled District Council to instigate court proceedings shows a complete lack of understanding of the plight of many small businesses”

 Mr Akyuz said “I received a court demand for payment of rates from the Libdem controlled District council. Because of the recession and the fact that Newhaven has been so badly let down by the Libdems I would have been forced to close my business. All other bills for rent, gas and electricity had agreed a payment timetable to help me through the recession. The Libdems who run Newhaven would not help me with this so I turned to Jason Sugarman and his council colleagues who immediately assisted me with this problem. He has saved my business by getting the District Council to delay the demand giving me time to pay.

 If Jason Sugarman had not helped I would have been forced to close
my business and we would have had another empty shop on the High Street. We need change in Newhaven and this is why I want to support Jason Sugarman as my next MP for Newhaven as I believe he has the best policies to start recovery in Newhaven”

Everyone across the Lewes Constituency can get involved to solve Britain’s problems

Key manifesto pledges to help improve Lewes Constituency’s quality of life and economy

Big government, high taxes and politicians up in Whitehall won’t solve Britain’s problems, Jason Sugarman, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for the Lewes Constituency said this week, as he welcomed David Cameron’s impressive blueprint for a Conservative Government. Its key message is that everyone across our area should get together and get involved to solve Westminster’s broken politics, fix Britain’s broken society and get our economy moving.

The Conservative plans include:

• Supporting new entrepreneurs, helping the unemployed back into work, and stopping Labour’s new jobs tax.
• Letting public sector workers set up co-operatives to improve the services they provide.
• Giving voters the right to sack MPs found guilty of serious wrong-doing.
• Allowing parents and local community groups to open up and run new schools to raise standards.
• Helping first-time buyers own their own home through a permanent reduction in stamp duty for homes up to £250,000, and giving social tenants across (area) an equity stake in their home for being good neighbours, to help them get a foot on the housing ladder.
• Empowering local residents to stop high council tax rises.
• Giving a locally elected representative responsibility for police budgets and strategies for East Sussex Police, so that people’s priorities for tackling crime come first.
• Letting local people save valued community services like local pubs, parks or post offices from closure, and help supporter groups buy into football clubs.
• Showing how Whitehall and East Sussex County Council spend your money, by publishing detailed figures on spending and contracts online for all to see.

Jason Sugarman said:

“We won’t get the Lewes constituency’s economy moving with Gordon Brown’s jobs tax – we need to help local firms create jobs. We won’t solve our social problems with more big government from Labour – we need to build a Big Society where families are strong and our communities are safe. And we’ll never change politics if we leave it all to Westminster politicians – we need to give people across our area real power and control over their lives.

“At this election, local residents face a choice: five more years of Gordon Brown’s tired government making things worse, or Conservatives who will get the country moving.”

As LibDem Transport spokesman and local MP, Norman Baker, proposes an expansion in rail spending that appears to be contradictory to Vince Cable’s planned budget cuts, Tory candidate Jason Sugarman has been openly critical of what he says is an ill-advised announcement.

Jason stated, “Having looked carefully through the proposal, the Lib Dem’s sums just don’t make any sense. How can anyone have identified the precise sum of £3bn as being 90% of the 2013/14 budget? Labour hasn’t actually announced how much they would make available to the Department for Transport for that period.” Even the Transport Select Committee acknowledges the importance of the major roads network, having recently published a report* which concluded that the major roads infrastructure is critical to the generation of economic growth. Their report went on to say that maintaining investment in our major road network must not be put on stand-by because only a relatively small proportion of journeys could be transferred to rail. Jason concluded, “By announcing that funds would be diverted into rail improvements the LibDems will penalise every motorist in the country. The Liberal Democrats’ rail pledge lacks any credibility. The huge expansion in rail spending that Norman Baker has announced today is entirely at odds with Vince Cable’s plans to cut the deficit. Their sums just don’t add up.”

Jason was also dismayed that, when questioned on the effects that such cuts, should they take place, would have on businesses that depend upon road transport or the wider economy, Norman Baker had no answer. This presumably means that Mr. Baker’s opposition to upgrading the A27 to dual carriageway through the constituency to reduce accidents and improve safety continues unabated.

Photograph-Jason Sugarman at Lewes Station with Theresa Villiers Shadow Secretary of State for Transport

*Source – Transport Select Committee, The Major Road Network, 30 March 2010, p34.

Talking to local residents in Kingston about issues that concern them.

Campaiging  with the local support team

Greg Clark MP Conservative Shadow secretary of state for energy and climate change visited Lewes on Friday 9^th April to meet with Jason Sugarman, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Lewes to learn firsthand about our problems with flooding – showing once again Jason & the Conservatives seek action rather than words to bring resolution to our problems.

This is just the first week of the election and I am sure many of you have begun to feel fed up with the 24hr news coverage of this election.

In the Lewes constituency we have got off to a flying start with our first 72 hrs of rapid campaigning throughout the constituency. This week I have been in Newhaven, Seaford, Polegate and  Lewes. We are receiving a tremendous response. People are desperate for change in this country they cannot stand another 5 years of Gordon Brown desperate government. We are in debt so that we all owe an extra £14,000 for each man, woman and child in this country. In European terms only Greece is in as much trouble as us. We need a government that can get our economy back on it’s feet and start looking after what David Cameron describes as the “ignored generation”. Those that work hard, do the right thing, pay their taxes and look after their families. For too long this government and the LibDems have been making excuses and intefering with all our lives. Too much legislation, a bloated state employing far too many civil servants on gold plated pensions at our expense.

In the coming days and weeks I need your help. Delivering, canvassing, getting our vote out. As ever we cannot rely just on those that always help us we need some new faces and support to get us through this election. David Cameron has an uphill struggle to make sure Gordon Brown does not win and he needs the Lewes Constituency to be behind him in on the Government benches. I know there is immense pressure on all our time. Think for a moment about a elderly lady I met in Newhaven yesterday. She ran up to me in the street and gave me a cheque for £100.00. She could not afford it but wanted my campaign to win because as she said ” we need the Conservatives to get our country back on it’s feet again”.  She had just lost her husband as he had been badly treated by the NHS. The billions Gordon Brown had spent on the NHS had not improved anything from her experience. For her sake we need to win this election and get rid of the LibDems from Sussex. As she said “they will just let Labour in again”.

For the sake of all of our families, our children and parents please come out and fight with me to make sure we return the Conservatives to power and have some common sense back in politics again.

Please contact the Campaign Centre at Arlington on 01323 489289 /Kirsty Fenton 07789 795461 or kirsty.fenton3@btinternet.com if you can deliver, help with canvassing or support on election day. It is a long haul and we desperately need your help.

Best wishes,

Jason