On Saturday Jason launched the Conservative’s campaign for the Town Council By-Election.

The local Conservative candidate Dave Neave is well known to many people of Newhaven through running his car repair business D & M Motor Company in Quarry Road Newhaven, for the last 25 years. He is also secretary of Newhaven Shore Angling Club.

Dave said “For as long as people can remember Newhaven has been run by the Liberal Democrats at Town and District Councils and what have they achieved? I will be campaigning to re-open the breakwater and sandy beach as I know personally how much these contribute to the local economy by attracting visitors from outside the area. They also were a great source of enjoyment to disabled persons”

“I also feel very strongly about the regeneration plans for Newhaven and I want to be part of the process. I want improvements for local businesses and shops and I also want more jobs for Newhaven residents”

Jason added “I am delighted that Dave is standing in this by-election. He is a great candidate and after only one mornings’ campaigning it is obvious to me how desperate Newhaven is for a change from the present political stranglehold. One Conservative will not change the situation overnight but it will allow residents to see the different, more effective approach that we can introduce to the Town Council and I hope that if Dave is successful on 5th June it will help us create a landslide at the next programmed election”

The by-election will be held on Thursday 5th June in the Meeching Ward and is caused because a liberal democrat former Councillor failed to turn up for any Council meeting for over 6 months and was therefore excluded as a Councillor.

Jason today expressed concern at new figures which warn that 5 million families across Britain could be at risk of defaulting on mortgage payments and losing their home.

The analysis, conducted by The Spectator magazine using data from credit agencies, shows that over 2200 households in Lewes Parliamentary Constituency have a ‘sub-prime loan exposure’, and may be now struggling with debt.

This comes as the latest official Government figures show that over 17,800 homes across the South East Region were hit with repossession orders last year, with 93 orders being issued by Lewes County Court. The Bank of England has also warned that banks and building societies are planning to cut back their lending further in coming months.

The crisis in the credit market is reducing the availability of cheap loans and mortgages, hitting people on the housing ladder and those not yet on it. This year, 1.4 million mortgages will come to the end of their fixed rate periods. As interest rates are higher now than they were two years ago, this could add £200 to the average monthly mortgage bill, placing yet more pressure on severely stretched family budgets.

Conservatives are calling on mortgage lenders to do more to help these families by:
• Contacting home owners 3-6 months before the end of their fixed rate mortgage period,
• Offering free financial advice, and
• Not imposing sudden hikes in repayments.

First time buyers are suffering from the credit crunch too, as mortgage lenders are demanding larger deposits. In response, Conservatives are calling for stamp duty to be abolished for first time buyers, for homes up to £250,000.

Jason said: “This week has brought more worrying evidence that under Gordon Brown, our economy is built on debt. Labour’s record is one of economic incompetence.”

“Over 2000 families across Lewes area are now exposed to the possibility of losing their home. With many households facing soaring bills as their fixed rates come to an end, mortgage lenders should do more to help home owners with the soaring cost of living and help reduce the hardship under Gordon Brown’s Government.”

New figures this week reveal that the tax take from council tax bills have more than doubled under the present Labour Government. Locally the tax take by Lewes District Council has soared by an estimated £25 million under a Labour Government and a Liberal Democrat District Council. The news comes as new council tax bills are being sent out by Lewes District Council.

Across the South East Region Council Tax has risen by £2.55 billion under this Labour Government. This is the biggest cash rise of any region in the Country. It even exceeds the rise in London where Councils such as Fulham and Hammersmith have managed to cut council tax bills under careful management and efficient use of resources.

Jason says, “In percentage terms our Region’s rise under this Government of 162% is second only to the South West (168%). By Contrast the North East and North West Regions have had rises of only 107% and 101%. This illustrates how this Government have favoured the North of the Country to the detriment of the South.
Under Gordon Brown, council tax has been turned into the ultimate stealth tax – with taxpayers left to foot the bill imposed from Whitehall. People are paying more and getting less.”

“Whitehall must stop imposing unfunded burdens and regulations on town halls. But people power is also needed to control council tax. Conservatives will give local residents the power to veto high council tax rises through local referendums.”

“I remember when I was on the Lewes District Council I always argued for better value for money for Council Tax payers against the controlling Liberal Democrats. Under our proposals we will place local taxpayers back in control of town hall finances.”

Caroline Spelman, Conservative Party Chairman, introduced members to the idea of Friends of the Party at a lively meeting in Lewes on Monday where she met with senior members of the Lewes Constituency Party.

Mrs Spelman told members about the brand new way of becoming a member. She explained “by becoming a Friend, you will be helping us campaign for the change people in the Lewes Constituency really want. Donate as much or as little as you like, and help us to get rid of this incompetent Labour Government at the next election.”

“As a Friend you will receive a weekly newsletter and regular updates on how to get involved in your local community- for example in one of our Social Action Projects. You will also get access to our new Affinity Programme, which will give you discounts on a great range of products.”

Mrs Spelman said “This Constituency has been transformed over the last 18 months to become a well organised and enthusiastic Conservative Organisation. They can now give excellent support to our local Councillors and in particular to the candidate Jason Sugarman whenever an election is called. We intend to win Lewes.”

This is the third Shadow Minister to visit our Constituency this year. This demonstrates that the Conservative Party regards our Constituency as very important and shows the local people that voting Conservative in the next election will really make a difference for them.

Gray’s primary school in Newhaven was visited recently by Jason and Jim Paice MP, the shadow Agriculture Minister.

They had come particularly to see the vegetables, flowers and herbs grown by the children, in tractor tyres supplied by Roger Foxwell, a local farmer. The tyres are a convenient and safe way of holding the earth in sufficient quantity to grow plants.

Roger also highlighted the publication provided for schools by the NFU which encourages schools to source local ingredients and promote healthy eating.

Jim said: “All too often, children believe that food is produced in plastic bags in supermarkets. These children loved getting their hands dirty and also enjoyed eating the crops that they’d grown.” Jason added “It’s great seeing local farmers taking the time and trouble to help in school projects. Gray’s is an attractive and dynamic place to learn, and our local farmers are helping to make these children’s education even more outward looking and inter-active.”

After twenty years of the current flood defence scheme, the need to continuously shore up and move the shingle around Seaford Beach is now starting to cause widespread local concern in it’s accessibility and safety for users.

In short, Seaford Beach is a shadow of what it once was and is undoubtedly now starting to undermine both Seaford’s and the wider Lewes District’s future economic prosperity.

Seaford Beach has no artificial protection from the full fury of the sea, and due to Newhaven West Arm blocking replacement shingle from the west, is slowly but continuously losing shingle. This means that at least twice every year huge diggers and lorries are brought in to try to reshape the beach at considerable and increasing year on year cost.

Jason recently visited the beach to see for himself the problems.

Jason said “It was really helpful to see the beach problems and talk to local people who are very concerned about the future of the beach. It is becoming hazardous now for users and often parts of the beach are so steep it cannot be used by swimmers, fishermen and walkers easily and safely. My concern is that unless a proper long term solution is found someone could be trapped or injured. It is a nonsense to employ huge diggers and lorries at least twice every year to try to reshape the beach. This strategy should no longer be considered acceptable.”

Jim Skinner, a resident of Newhaven and Seaford for over 45 years, who has taken a great interest in the beach problems, particularly over the past few years, explained the problems to Jason. He explained that the beach now consists of two parts. A top compacted unwashed part used twice a year by diggers and lorries as a means of moving the shingle around, and a mobile lower part. Each is separated by a steep escarpment which only the fittest can safely negotiate. The elderly and young families in particular are increasingly finding it hard to use the beach in safety.

Unless a more permanent and robust sea defence strategy can be found it will always be necessary for shingle repositioning and replacement to be undertaken at an ever-increasing cost.

Jim has started a petition calling for a proper investigation into the problem to find a cost effective safe solution, which returns the beach to an all year around community amenity it once was. The petition already has in excess of 1100 signatures. Jim said “I am very pleased that Jason and local Conservative Councillors responded so quickly and positively to my request to become involved in this issue which is so important for Seaford.”

Jason has joined local people from Seaford in the fight to prevent the Environment Agency destroying the beautiful and iconic Cuckmere Valley.

The Environment Agency plans to flood the Cuckmere Valley by breaching the embankments allowing the incoming tides to swamp the valley with seawater and by non-clearance of the river mouth, which will cause flooding upstream and will endanger the A259. When visiting the site Jason Sugarman said “This deliberate flooding will mean the loss of four footpaths in the beautiful valley which will decimate the local tourist trade. These age old meanders are a recreational and educational resource for generations of students and local families, that will be lost under mudflats.”

Charles Peck the East Dean District Councillor on Wealden District Council persuaded his colleagues on the Environment Scrutiny Committee to oppose the Environment Agency’s Plans. He said, “One of the most photographed views in the Country will be lost forever, and for what? The EA must recognise that they have a duty to protect the Environment – not destroy it”

Shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth paid a visit to the constituency last weekend and it was great to get his backing.

In a speech to party members he noted how my “strong campaign on the Newhaven Incinerator proves Jason’s commitment to protecting the local environment”. It’s a great boost to get such support from the shadow cabinet.

We held the first of what I hope will be many Conservative Action Days on Saturday. We’ve already done a few smaller action days - including one against Labour’s NHS cuts - but this was event was on a different scale with more than 30 activists taking to the streets of Lewes and Newhaven.

We spent the morning in Lewes, distributing leaflets in Landport as well as meeting and greeting people in the town centre. We also gathered signatures for a new petition calling for improvements to the parking regime in the town - something that gained widespread support from the people we met. Our mobile campaign unit was also out in the town and got lots of interest.

In the afternoon we headed to the centre of Newhaven and to Denton, where the focus was on my call for the creation of a Newhaven Development Corporation to bring more investment into the town. You can read more about this in our latest In Touch magazine, which is being distributed across the constituency as we speak.

It was a great day and signalled the official start of our campaign to get results for our area. Norman Baker and the Lib Dems have had more than a decade now to get results for our area but have failed to deliver. Where are our flood defences? Why aren’t our roads safer? Why is Lib Dem Lewes District Council still missing its recycling targets year after year? Our area deserves so much better. It’s time for results. It’s time for an end to Lib Dem failure.

Today, Thursday 1st of November will be remembered as the day of the General Election that never was.

Had Gordon Brown not run away from calling it, by midnight tonight Lewes could have had a new MP, one who delivers results.

The election may have been cancelled, but the need for results certainly isn’t!