Firstly, let me thank all the people who have sent messages of support during the time since last Friday. I’ve had letters and emails from all the active Residents’ Associations in Surbiton Hill and many Borough organisations and individual constituents expressing sympathy and thanks.
We move on. The Conservative Party in Westminster has gone into coalition with the Liberal Democrats for the welfare of the country, and because they couldn’t form a stable government on their own. My views on the Liberal Democrats are well known. All views are, however, open to be modified by experience and I hope that experience of Messrs. Clegg, Huhne, Laws, Alexander and Cable in office will lead to a modification on my part.
I wish the Coalition government well. Let us hope that the Lib Dem ministers will put national interest before party interest and that the party itself will grow up at last! So far, so good – but but there will inevitably be strains in both parties in the months and years ahead.
However, our country faces very grave difficulties – graver than many have been willing to acknowledge, so, in Churchill’s words ‘Let us go forward together!’
PaulJ's bench.......... 