Cllr James Hockney LLB (Hons)

Today feels very much like an end of an era with the Prime Minister announcing he is resigning.

I remember back in 2005 supporting him to be our next leader. This included being a signatory (as a Councillor) on his campaign website in support of his leadership bid. When he was confirmed as leader I helped distribute newspaper leaflets celebrating the result in Ely Market. It really did feel like the start of a new journey.

During the 2010 campaign, in addition to being a Parliamentary candidate, I was Campaign Support Director in Penistone and Stocksbridge. It was a wonderful experience to have Mr Cameron visit the campaign.

Then in 2011 I was honoured to be asked to contest the Barnsley Central by-election. This included visiting the Prime Minister in his Parliamentary Office (pictured above) after a strong performance in the weekly PMQ’s. On election day I also spoke with the Prime Minister on the phone. On both meeting David and speaking with him on the phone – I was genuinely touched by the kind person he is.

So it is sad news that he announced that he will resign as Prime Minister. But he will leave the legacy of securing the first Conservative majority Government in over 20 years and delivering the first EU referendum in over 40 years – and more importantly leaving the country in a much better place after the spend and debt Labour Government.

I personally wish him well for the future.

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Statement from the Prime Minister today:

“The country has just taken part in a giant democratic exercise, perhaps the biggest in our history.

Over 33 million people from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar, have all had their say.

We should be proud of the fact that in these islands, we trust the people with these big decisions.

We not only have a parliamentary democracy but on questions about the arrangements for how we are governed, there are times when it is right to ask the people themselves, and that is what we have done.

The British people have voted to leave the European Union and there will must be respected.

I want to thank everyone who took part in the campaign on my side of the argument, including all those who put aside party differences to speak in what they believed was the national interest.

And let me congratulate all those who took part in the Leave campaign for the spirited and passionate case that they made.

The will of the British people is an instruction that must be delivered.

It was not a decision that was taken lightly, not least because so many things were said by so many different organisations about the significance of this decision so there can be no doubt about the result.

Across the world, people have been watching the choice that Britain has made.

I would reassure those markets and investors that Britain’s economy is fundamentally strong and I would also reassure Brits living in European countries and European citizens living here that they will be no immediate changes in your circumstances.

There will be no initial change in the way our people can travel, in the way our goods can move or the way our services can be sold.

We must now prepare for a negotiation with the European Union.

This will need to involve a full engagement of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments to ensure that the interests of all parts of our UK are protected and advanced.

But above all, this will require strong, determined and committed leadership.

I am very proud and honoured to have been Prime Minister of this country for six years.

I believe we have made great steps, with more people in work than ever before in our history, with reforms to welfare and education, increasing people’s life chances, building a bigger and stronger society, keeping our promises to the poorest people in the world and enabling those who love each other to get married whatever their sexuality.

But above all restoring Britain’s economic strength.

And I’m grateful to everyone who has helped to make that happen.

I’ve also always believed that we have to confront big decisions, not duck them.

That is why we delivered the first Coalition Government in 70 years, to bring our economy back from the brink.

It’s why we delivered a fair, legal and decisive referendum in Scotland and it’s why I made the pledge to renegotiate Britain’s position in the European Union and hold a referendum on our membership and have carried those things out.

I fought this campaign in the only way I know how, which is to say directly and passionately what I think and feel, head, heart and soul.

I held nothing back.

I was absolutely clear about my belief that Britain is stronger, safer and better off inside the European Union.

And I made clear the referendum was about this and this alone.

Not the future of any single politician, including myself.

But the British people have made a very clear decision to take a different path.

And as such I think the country requires a fresh leadership, to take it in this direction.

I will do everything I can as Prime Minister to steady the ship over the coming weeks and months, but I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination.

This is not a decision I have taken lightly.

But I do believe it’s in the national interest to have a period of stability and then the new leadership required.

There is no need for a precise timetable today, but in my view we should aim to have a new Prime Minister in place by the start of the Conservative Party conference in October.

Delivering stability will be important and I will continue in post is Prime Minister, with my Cabinet, for the next three months.

The Cabinet will meet on Monday, the governor of the Bank of England is making a statement about the steps that the Bank and Treasury are taking to reassure financial markets.

We will also continue taking forward the important legislation that we set before Parliament in the Queen’s speech.

I have spoken to Her Majesty the Queen this morning and advised of the steps I am taking.

Negotiation with the European Union will need to begin under a new Prime Minister and I think it is right that this new Prime Minister takes the decision about when to trigger Article 50 and start the formal and legal process of leaving the EU.

I will attend the European Council next week to explain the decision the British people had taken and my own decision.

The British people have made a choice.

That not only needs to be respected, but those on the losing side of the argument, myself included, should help to make it work.

Britain is a special country.

We have so many great advantages.

A parliamentary democracy where we resolve issues about our future through peaceful debate.

A great trading nation with our science and arts, our engineering and creativity, respected the world over.

And while we are not perfect I do believe we can be a model of a multiracial, multi-faith democracy where people can come and make a contribution and rise to the very highest that their talent allows.

Although leaving Europe was not the path I recommended, I’m the first to praise our incredible strengths.

I said before that Britain can survive outside the European Union and indeed that we could find a way.

Now the decision has been made to leave, we need to find the best way.

And I will do everything I can to help.

I love this country, and I feel honoured to have served it.

And I will do everything I can in future to help this great country succeed.

Thank you very much.”

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The very best of luck to Dan Watkins, the Conservative Candidate in the Tooting by-election tomorrow.

Today I was helping the campaign with eve of poll calls from Conservative Party Campaign Headquarters. What was clear from speaking to the residents of Tooting was how well respected Dan is and what a good campaign has been fought.

His 6 point plan on; 

1. Transport

2. Affordable Homes

3. Young People

4. Community

5. Health

6. Supporting Local Business

Can be found at: www.danwatkins.org.uk/campaigns/my-plan-our-area

Whatever the result tomorrow, from one Parliamentary by-election candidate to another – well done!

I was delighted to attend the Conservative Friends of Bangladesh AGM at the Houses of Parliament last night.

It was a very packed room, so much so, that we were moved to a larger committee room!

In all there are now over 26 CFoB branches across the UK including one in Scotland. Members visited from all over the Country including representatives from Manchester and Portsmouth.

At the meeting I was very pleased to have been elected as the Honorary Secretary to the CFoB board. So I will now have some minutes to type up!

After a very productive meeting with a number of Members of Parliament addressing the meeting (including Anne Main, David McIntosh, Bob Blackman and Mark Field) many of us then went to the local curry house, Millbank Spice.

There will be a by-election soon in Tooting, and I am sure the CFoB will be actively campaigning there!

It has been a real pleasure campaigning for Zac Goldsmith, a strong voice for London. On the three occasions I have met Zac during the campaign he has always come across as a warm and genuine person and his speeches filled with a clear cut message and vision for the future of London.

Whilst making telephone calls at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters, Zac arrived with a stack of pizzas to keep the activist
team going. The Conservative Party really is a united team working together.

His four key pledges are;

Start fixing London’s housing crisis by:

1. Doubling home building to 50,000 a year by 2020 and ensuring development is in keeping with the local area
2. Giving Londoners the first chance to buy new homes built in London
3. Ensuring a significant proportion of all new homes are only for rent and not for sale

Improve the capacity and reliability of London’s transport system by:

1. Ensuring the Night Tube goes ahead, starting Crossrail 2, and growing the rail network.
2. Bringing suburban rail services under the Mayor’s control to increase and improve the service.
3. Protecting the Freedom Pass.

Improve London’s living environment by:

1. Protecting the green belt from development.
2. Tackling air pollution with tougher rules on HGVs, and encouraging greener vehicles and safer cycling.
3. Creating more green spaces and cleaning up local parks so they are safe to visit and enjoy.

Make London’s streets safer by:

1. Protecting neighbourhood police teams and keeping them on the street.
2. Tackling the root causes of crime in local communities.
3. Putting more police on public transport at night.

Today, on the eve of election day, the London Evening Standard endorsed Zac, This cannot be understated as the newspaper reaches about 2 million people a day.