Newcastle Conservative Future was priviledged to to host an evening with David Mundell MP, which proved extrememly informative and interesting. David spoke on a variety of issues including the position of Scotland and the SNP, the environment, Britain's place in the EU, etc. A summary of the main points are below (it's paraphrased from memory, so don't take this as an exact quote):
On Scotland and the apparent rise of feelings for Scottish Independence:
David commented that he feels that there is no such rise, and that people are merely tired of Labour. David commented on the fact that people who want a change of Government vote for the opposition, as was the case in 1997. The SNP make up the main opposition for Scotland, and it is this wish to oust Labour that means people would vote for them.On the apparent rise of Scottish Nationalism, David commented that people in Scotland are confused as to what 'Independence' actually means; whether it merely means greater autonomy within the Union, or complete independence altogether.
On tuition fees and the inconsistency between English and Scottish Universities:
David stated that tuition fees in Scotland have not been abolished, and have in fact been postponed until after graduation. One worry that Scottish Universities have is that when top-up fees are introduced in England, they will be at a disadvantage, because they will not have the same resources as their English counterparts.
On the future of Britain's involvement in the EU, and also the apparent increase in support for UKIP:
David stated that David Cameron and the Party are Eurosceptic, but that the Party is not committed to a withdrawal from the European Union. People who switch their support to UKIP risk seeing Gordon Brown pursue a pro-European agenda and another Labour victory. David said that he supported a referendum for an EU constitution in Britain.
On public transport in Britain and the state of the railways:
David acknowledged that privatisation of the railways was handled badly, although ultimately was the right course of action. The privatisation of the railways in the 1990's was done in such a way as to leave the railway industry over-complicated and difficult to run. David also stated that the Conservative Party is investigating high-speed rail links within the UK including the possibility of a mag-lev train, and also networks such as the Shinkansen in Japan and the French TGV. Another point which David raised was the use of the railways for freight, and that independent freight lines should set up to ease congestion.
On the smoking ban in Scotland:
As an MSP, David told us that he voted against the smoking ban as he "doesn't like banning things" however he admitted that despite his opposition, his mind has been changed and he now sees it as a good thing. He did say that it has set up a more al-fresco culture within Scotland despite the weather. One area that is suffering is the Bingo industry who are struggling to maintain customers within their venues due to the ban.
On reforming the House of Lords:
David stated that in Parliament, it is the House of Lords that help bring in serious legislation within the UK, and it is the House of Lords that make sure it is examined with a fine-toothed comb. Although he supports an elected House, David told us that it was not the Lords that was the problem but the Commons, especially when people like Blair hold the Commons with such contempt. Most of the labourious work nit-picking and fine-tuning policy was done in the Lords and we're lucky to have them.
On Menzies Campbell:
David was very fair on Ming, he said that his performances at PMQ's are largely down to the fact that as a QC, the Jury didn't heckle him like in the Commons and he wasn't used to it. Also his position in the Commons means that he sits opposite some of the more aggressive Labour MP's. However, he did point out that at some point Menzies is actually going to have to comment on some form of domestic policy for a change, and he won't get away with such silence forever.
On the relationship between Blair and Brown:
David pointed out that their body language shows their loathing for each other quite clearly in the Commons. There is no small talk and they barely even look at each other, and when Blair is answering questions on cash-for-peerages, or Iraq then Gordon does not turn up and leaves him to it. However, David accepts that Gordon Brown will be the next Labour Party leader as any other decision would split the Labour Party. David stated that it is always difficult for someone to follow such an omnipresent figure as Blair and gave examples of Attlee after Churchill and Major after Thatcher - the analogy of Gordon and Major is striking.
NUCF with David Mundell MP
Today, Newcastle CF was visited by David Willetts MP to discuss the issue of education and skills. David had a tour of the Marine Science and Technology Department and looked at the resources and apparatus available to students, and afterwards had a discussion session with students. A summary of some of the main points is shown below. Again it is paraphrased from memory so don't take this as an exact quotation - I wouldn't want to get anybody into trouble.
