John Hemming's Web Log

Its that time of year again. Normally I don't comment much about local issues on my weblog as we issue leaflets to residents in Yardley. However, I will do this on this occasion (as I did last year). Casework and the office The last case reference of 2009 was 13945. Previous year ends were: 2008: 9836, 2007: 7763, 2006: 5597. The number has increased in the last year. Casework is very important as not only can we resolve issues for people, but also I learn what is going wrong in the real world - as opposed to the Westminster bubble. There remain odd decisions made by the various governmental bodies although it does not seem to have got much worse over the year. The advice desert is also still an issue. The team has run smoothly without any big changes although we moved away from alternating people in London with Martin being now full time in London. Neil also continues to help with the APPGOPO. Yardley Bakeman House having been dealt with we now have Wheeldon house being improv...

The link is to a summary of the research on adoptive parenting performed by Alan Rushton and Elizabeth Monck. It is also possible to order the more detailed research book from BAAF amongst other routes. During the quiet period of Christmas I have read the book. The book itself looks at the question as to whether a specific form of advice for adoptive parents is of any substantial benefit. What is, however, important about the book is not just that question, but other aspects. Social Care is an area which has very few randomised trials. What that means is you cannot really be certain as to whether the approaches taken in individual cases are one which one would expect to reliably produce positive results. It is reasonably well known that adopting a child from care is more difficult than adopting a child from birth. Often the parents feel abandoned by the system and a very large proportion of adoptions from care break down at some stage with the child returning to care. There has bee...

Reigate and Banstead BC, Earlswood and Whitebushes Con 391 (37.9; -12.8) LD Steve Keith Oddy 313 (30.4; +6.6) Lab 161 (15.6; -0.7) UKIP 125 (12.1; +2.8) BNP 41 (4.0; +4.0) Majority 78 Turnout 16.38% Con hold Percentage change is since May 2008. Party defending seat: Con. Cause: Resignation. Great Sankey PC, Whittle Hall LD Matt Newton 573 (63.0) Con 336 (37.0) Majority 237 Turnout 11.99% LD hold. Party defending seat: LD. Cause: Resignation

Bedford BC, Kingsbrook LD Andrew Gerard 661 (49.4; +3.1) Lab 370 (27.6; +3.5) Con 150 (11.2; -9.2) Others Ind 85 / Ind 73 (11.8; +11.8) [Green (0.0; -9.2)] Majority 291 Turnout 13% LD hold Percentage change is since June 2009. East Dunbartonshire UA, (Ward number 3) Bearsden South LD Ashay Ghai 1110 (29.4; +3.0) Con 1261 (33.4; +9.0) SNP 783 (20.7; +1.6) Lab 626 (16.6; -2.7) [Green (0.0; -5.1)] [Others (0.0; -5.7)] Turnout not known. LD gain from Con. Percentage change is since May 2007. Stage 1: Ashay Ghai LD 1110 Rachel Higgins Con 1261 Fiona Grace McLeod SNP 783 Manjinder Shergill Lab 626 Stage 2 elimination of Shergill: LD 1306 Con 1381 SNP 972 Stage 3 elimination of McLeod: LD 1770 Con 1499 Hastings BC, St Helens Con 609 (40.7; -17.9) Lab 550 (36.7; +12.5) LD John Tunbridge 210 (14.0; -3.2) BNP 93 (6.2; +6.2) Others (English Democrats) 36 (2.4; +2.4) Majority 59 Turnout 37.4% Con hold Percentage change is since May 2008. Nuneaton and Bedworth BC, Camp Hill Lab 670 (47.1; +17.0) BN...

The link which is also here is to my expenses claimed up to and including Q1 2009-10. There is an error in the 2008-9 papers where some documents have been scanned more than once, but that is obvious if you compare the pages and the document reference numbers. People will be able to note that the last time I made a claim for anything relating to my second home in London was on 31st March 2009. As people know I took the view that the country needed to make economies. That, therefore, was a simple economy to make.

Redcar & Cleveland UA, Ormesby LD Ann Wilson 1084 (73.5; +12.4) Lab 210 (14.2; -5.0) UKIP 103 (7.0; +7.0) Con 77 (5.2; -14.4) Majority 874 Turnout 29.55% LD hold Percentage change is since May 2007. Thanet DC, Dane Valley Lab 318 (34.2; -3.9) LD Bill Furness 260 (28.0; +28.0) Con 222 (23.9; -19.7) Ind 130 (14.0; -4.4) Majority 58 Turnout 17.0% Lab gain from Con Percentage change is since May 2007. Deal TC, North Deal Con 529 (33.2) Lab 337 (21.2) LD Nathan Sewell 198 (12.4) Majority 192 Turnout 21.26% Con gain from Lab

Having a peer in the Tory Party whose tax arrangements are unclear (step forward Lord Ashcroft) is not that surprising. However, having a parliamentary candidate who is a "non domicile" is surprising. The FT's Westminster blog points out on Richmond Park Conservatives Website That they say: 6. Tax the Super Rich and “non-domiciles”. The over-seas population, living in this country, would make a financial contribution to it. Tax loopholes for the super rich would be closed by reducing the complexity of the tax system. This will pay for the previous two measures. This is not just good news for Susan Kramer MP, but also a real challenge for David Cameron. Are his MPs really committed to the country?

The link is to a recent judgment in which para 10 says: I think it important to remember when one is looking either at the independent assessments by social workers or at applications under section 38(6) of the Act that one needs to be child focused. It is not a question of the mother's right to have a further assessment, it is: would the assessment assist the judge in reaching a conclusion or the right conclusion in relation to the child in question? And on this particular issue it does seem to me that the judge was exercising a discretion and doing so appropriately on all the facts available to him. He thus reached a conclusion which I cannot for myself say in any way is plainly wrong, and since he has based himself on the latest authority on the point and considered the matter carefully, I, speaking for myself, cannot say either that he has erred in law and would dismiss the appeal in relation to a further social worker assessment. This is a decision of the court of appeal which...