Letter from Parliament - Jim Dobbin MP

It’s a funny old world. Gordon Brown and Alastair Darling will be recognised for taking the correct decisions on the banks and economy during the global economic downturn which is the reason for the improved financial figures, the upsurge in the construction industry and the increase in manufacturing. They invested to stimulate the economy and to keep people working.

However their foresight will be ruined by the Con Dem budget which is certain to create unemployment and halt progress in the construction and manufacturing sectors. David Cameron and Calamity Clegg will be recognised for taking the wrong decisions in their austere budget. Growth will be choked and misery will follow.

Calamity Clegg was at the dispatch box for PMQs last week while Cameron was in America. He is Deputy Prime Minister speaking on behalf of the Con-Dem Government especially at the dispatch box in the House of Commons. This X Factor novice thinks he can make announcements on government policy in a personal capacity and get away with it. In his first disastrous performance he made several gaffes. Bring back Charlie Kennedy… Ming Campbell…anybody!

Calamity Clegg has no control over his thinking or his utterances.

Let’s not forget Michael Gove’s shambolic handling of the schools’ investment programme or Crispin Blunt’s wish to allow serious offenders in prison to party into the night and it looks like there are early signs of madness in the Con Dem Ministerial ranks.

Let me pay my respects to a well known Rochdale citizen Dorothy Greaves who died recently. For many years she was the leading local expert on the Rochdale Co-operative Movement. As a Co-op member of Parliament I got to know Dorothy well and I always valued her knowledge and advice. She will be sadly missed by the movement. It’s timely that the Heritage Lottery Fund has made a grant of £1.5 million to re-develop the Rochdale Pioneers Museum. The Co-op movement is an international movement and celebrates the U.N. Year of Co-operatives in 2012. The Co-op Movement and the Labour Party have been sister organisations for many years and I am proud to be a Labour and Co-op MP sharing their values.

Locally I enjoyed the Sports Awards evening by Link4Life where every age group was represented and received certificates for their success and involvement.

On Saturday 17 July I had a fantastic evening’s entertainment at Oldham Coliseum where the talented Middleton Popstars put on a superb show, thanks to Anne Marshall who puts her heart and soul into helping these youngsters of all ages produce such a polished performance. They obviously enjoyed every minute on stage and it was a pleasure to watch. She organises up and coming talent from all backgrounds and deserves the full support of the local community and especially the local Council.

I played host to ten youngsters and adults who visited me in the House of Commons as part of a London Trip. It was organised by Edward Smethurst from Ashworth Road.

I had a brief meeting with Greater Manchester MPs and the Police authority and later with the Board of Management of Manchester Airport about future trends. I think it is vital to get an understanding of how, why and where decisions are made that affect everyone’s lives.

After visiting St Gabriel’s Cof E and Moorclose Tenants Joint Fun Day in Middleton I went on to take part in Castleton’s Carnival. It was good to meet up with old acquaintances among my constituents and hear their views at both events.

I returned to London for the last few days before breaking up for the Summer recess.