I had a really constructive time at this weekend’s Conservative Spring Forum. I managed to meet with some of the key players in the Shadow cabinet and sound them out about Derby and the issues that affect the City.
Grant Shapps MP (Shadow Minister for Housing)
spoke in great detail about how we can improve the housing stock across the country. In return I told him that Derby was the right place to start and we desperately need our housing situation sorted out. He’ll be so much more proactive and energetic as a Housing Minister than the Labour’s current incumbent – Margaret Beckett
Andrew Lansley MP (Shadow 
Secretary of State for Health) was incredibly well informed about the opening of the City’s new Hospital and spoke for sometime about how many of the lessons learnt could be spread across the country. I highlighted that it hadn’t all been perfect and there were still some nagging transitional problems like the rainbow nursery to sort out.
Greg Clarke MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change)
talked loud and clear about the need to reform our energy networks to take on the challenges of climate change and energy security. I told him about the infrastructure heritage of our City and how we’d be the right place to look when seeking the right sort of people to man a new “green economy”.
It was great to get the chance to talk to these people. The passion and expertise they’ve brought to their briefs in incredibly reassuring. I know they’re the right team for the country and the Conservatives in Derby will make sure that they never take their eye off our City.
