GidleyWatch

That's all, folks

2006-11-21T16:10:00.000Z

It's the end.
SG is so busy and we have so little time, we have allowed the dust to settle here.
We must draw a formal close, say a final goodbye.
And declare GidleyWatch...

Thankyou to everyone who supported us in those early, heady days, especially Mr. Timothy Ireland.
In the absence of Romsey Rehead if you can't get enough female LibDem MP blogging, we recommend Lynne Featherstone's blog. You might also like Guido, the Monkey or Liberal Democrat Voice.

Farewell, sweet readers, and goodbye.

Disposable nappies

2006-06-29T13:50:00.000+01:00

Having spotted this question put so lovingly by SG, we couldn't not mention it here.

SG: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the time taken for a disposable nappy to decompose.

Ben Bradshaw: The Wisard software tool used by the Environment Agency (EA) in their report, "Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in the UK", assumed a 500 year time boundary for leachate in landfill. The EA therefore concluded that it would take that amount of time for the plastic part of a disposable nappy to decompose. The paper-fluff and faeces should take approximately 100 and 10 years respectively to degrade.

Marvellous. I see some curious people have been keeping the comments alive. I hope this little gem gives you some fresh (or, erm, not so fresh) ammunition.

An early birthday present

2005-03-23T20:47:00.000Z

Congratulations to SG whose blog has been nominated in the Guardian Backbencher's Political Weblog Awards. Naturally, we urge you to go and vote for her.

And put those birthday cards in the post now: SG's birthday is this weekend!

Kennedy launches female-friendly manifesto

2005-02-22T13:59:00.000Z

...according to the Press Association's Andrew Woodcock. As you would expect, SG was pretty central:

Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for women Sandra Gidley added: “Women make up nearly half the working population, but don’t have the flexibility in the way they work to balance family commitments too.

“We would offer new mothers the option of receiving a Maternity Income Guarantee equivalent to the minimum wage of £170 per week for the six months after the birth of their first child.”

SG the dove

2005-02-22T13:56:00.000Z

Vote4Peace is a new website listing 40 specific candidates whom they think should be supported in the coming General Election on the grounds of their opposition of the war in Iraq.

We've picked people we think are honest, brave and sensible regardless of party. They come from Labour and the Liberal Democrats equally, plus a few nationalists. War and peace is bigger than partisan politics.

The list includes Sandra Gidley, hence its mention here.

Vote 2005

2005-02-17T15:23:00.000Z

We are mentioned (even described as "occasionally quite witty" - one to put on the front page permanently maybe?) - on the Romsey forum of Vote 2005.

The site appears to be run by some young Tories, but in a pretty non-partisan way, and is for predicting the outcomes in the coming general election. It has forums for every constituency, but why would you need those when there's Romsey to think about?

A glowing review

2005-02-16T13:57:00.000Z

Tim Ireland of Bloggerheads has reviewed the progress of the small army of MP proxy-bloggers.

GidleyWatch - A shining star in our collection, in that it resulted in Sandra Gidley starting a weblog of her own. The proxy-blog is 6th in Google, 2nd in Yahoo and 3rd in MSN for 'sandra gidley'

Thanks, Tim. We'd like to return the favour by saying Alan Milburn's proxy blog - the one about Alan Milburn - is quite good.

Guido accuses SG of lying

2005-02-16T13:35:00.000Z

"Incendiary" blogger Guido Fawkes has accused a "catty" Sandra of lying. A severe charge indeed.

An earlier post compares SG and her Tory pretender to the throne, although only photographically. Is the suggestion that because they are women politicians looks are their most important feature...?

Sandra Gidley, political heavyweight?

2005-02-06T22:19:00.000Z

We don't know and wouldn't ask, but here's SG having her Body Mass Index measured (that's a tape measure in her hand, by the way). We've seen that stand before and the memory still makes us shudder.

EDM Watch - Part 2

2005-02-06T17:26:00.000Z

Continuing our big list of Early Day Motions signed by SG so far this parliamentary session.

Call barring and premium rate services
Hunting ban and Government assistance (asking what it will be)
Action on AIDS
Carers in the United Kingdom
30th anniversary of the Anthony Nolan Trust (promoting bone marrow donorship)
Public inquiry into Gulf War diseases (that there should be one)
Costs of night-time leisure economy (charging bars and clubs)
Service accommodation
VAT on commemorative headstones (nope, they're not exempt)
Affordable housing in the South East (that there's not enough)
Dog and cat fur (to ban its trade)
Arctic campaign medal
Diabetic blood glucose monitoring strips
Licensing and regulation of prescription medicines
Racism and European football (condemned)
International development news coverage (on the Beeb)
Planning for mobile communications
Illegal meat
Renewable heat obligation
Racism in football (no. 2) (deplored)
National Tree Week (not to be confused with the Tree Day Week)
Child Support Agency ("Boo!")
Supermarket Code of Practice
Identity cards ("suggests that the Home Secretary should place the proposal in a deep Home Office drawer, rather than an overloaded Government in-tray")
Continuing work of Daniel Barenboim and the late Edward Said
London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (backing them)
Targets for the Climate Change Review
ICJ's ruling on Israel's separation barrier (welcomed)
Osteoporosis services
Mental health legislation
Ward Watch campaign (in support of Mind's campaign to improve hospital conditions for mental health patients)

Toogle Sandra!

2005-01-27T14:10:00.000Z

This is cool.

SG's website

2005-01-26T13:43:00.000Z

We are pleased to see that SG's website has been revamped. It's looking much nicer and we're chuffed to find a link to GidleyWatch.

EDM Watch - Part 1

2005-01-26T13:03:00.000Z

We have neglected our regular Early Day Motion summary (as assisted by edm.ais.co.uk) for too long and, frankly, can't face doing the whole thing in one go as SG's been very busy. So first off, some of those EDM's Sandra signed at the end of 2004.

OFCOM and ITV regional programming
Cystic fibrosis and prescription charges (no charges for people with CF)
Gap between rich and poor
Gap between high and low earners (not be confused with the EDM above)
Impact of VAT on the voluntary sector
Gift Aid and independent museums
Health warning labels of alcoholic drinks (e.g., "Drinking may harm you and others around you")
Slaughter of companion animals for food in China (stroke, don't eat)
Sale of bananas in the Palace of Westminster (Recess Monkey's campaign)
Combined heat and power (to reduce carbon emissions)
Regulations implementing the landfill allowance trading scheme
Canadian seal slaughter (deplorable)
G8 and EU presidencies (for international development)
Darfur
Vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS
Financial Assistance Scheme (insufficiently large)
Abolition of the over thirty months scheme amendment
Food supplements and medicinal products (protection against new directive)
Blue Badge Scheme research
Access to pensions (problems thereof)
Contaminated blood products public inquiry (that there should be one)
Alan Turing (that he was great)
Pensioners' manifesto
Housing (affordability)
Justice for victims of Gulf War illnessess
Patient access to medical technology and healthcare resource groups
Macmillan Cancer Relief's Better Deal campaign (to "stop cancer spreading to people's finances")

Rough sketches

2005-01-21T07:04:00.000Z

Thanks to a comment to the last post and SG's own blog, we find mention of Sandra in several other newspapers' sketches on Wednesday.

Old Man Steptoe without his falsies was more coherent (Daily Mail, Quentin Letts)

Now we reached Miss [Melanie] Johnson. Her first task was to answer a question from a dreary Lib Dem called Gidley (Romsey) who was worried about rampant alcoholism among old age pensioners.

I dare say that if I have a droner like Gidley for my MP when I'm in my 70s I'll tilt the odd elbow, too.

What's the point of being old if you can't unscrew the top off a bottle of Harveys Amontillado at elevenses?

Polish dentists know the drill, where are they? (The Daily Telegraph, Andrew Gimson)

Sandra Gidley (Lib Dem, Romsey) expressed concern about "a growing problem of alcohol abuse among old people", who "don't present such a high profile on Saturday night" as youthful binge drinkers, so tend to be overlooked.

It seems pretty clear to this column what has driven these unfortunate old people to drink. They are suffering from chronic toothache and their feet are killing them, and they cannot find either a dentist or a chiropodist.

Ministers fight tooth and toenail to prove NHS is in rude health (The Times, Ann Treneman)

Sandra Gidley is a Liberal Democrat and, as such, is doomed to spend her days asking ridiculous questions. Yesterday she demanded to know why the alcohol harm reduction strategy had been "sexed down". Why were drunk old people not included? "Is it because this is another example of NHS ageism?" she fumed.

Mel J denied that drunk old people were being ignored. In fact, even as she spoke, there were "interventions in primary and hospital settings to work out how we can target better". She insisted that people "from all ranges" are being helped. I had not realised that people came in ranges.

Sandra Gidley - harbinger of doom

2005-01-19T13:27:00.000Z

Having read (of course) SG's report of health questions yesterday, we were excited to see that Simon Hoggart's Guardian sketch today took the same theme. We quickly glanced through for any mention of La Gidley, and we weren't disappointed:

Teeth become an election issue

Then Sandra Gidley did what MPs love to do, which is to scare the pants off us all. She raised the problem of binge drinking among old persons.

Heavens, Sanatogenpops, advocaat special brew, pints of mild with Horlicks chasers! Very, very slow barroom brawls with Zimmer frames clashing! Ministers clearly have no idea what to do about this menace.

Meanwhile, The Independent's Marie Woolf quotes SG once again.

MPs criticise prosecution's £8,000 payment for Meadow's evidence

Professor Sir Roy Meadow, the paediatrician whose evidence led to the wrongful jailing of Angela Cannings, was paid more than £8,000 of taxpayers' money to testify.
[...]
Yesterday, Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat spokesman on children, said: "£8,000 is an awful lot. Angela Cannings received no compensation. The balance does not seem fair."

Incidentally, the LibDems' website insists that Annette Brooke MP is the party's spokesperson on children and that SG continues to speak on women and older people.

Sandra on Ritalin

2005-01-18T11:40:00.000Z

From an article by Marie Woolf in The Independent on Saturday.

One in 20 children suffers attention disorder

The Liberal Democrat MP Sandra Gidley, a former pharmacist, warned against parents regarding Ritalin as "a wonder drug" that could cure disruptive behaviour in all youngsters.

"Ritalin is regarded as a magic bullet by some parents. It is becoming so widespread that I have had parents in my surgery who regard it as a wonder drug, complaining that doctors are refusing to prescribe it to their children," she said. "In some kids it is because they are eating so many additives in junk food and often what is needed is some low-level intervention from social services to help with parenting skills. In many cases, Ritalin is a cop-out solution to a wider problem."

SG in the Diary

2005-01-13T10:50:00.000Z

The GidleyWatch Team can only aspire to the journalistic heights of the Guardian Diary, so we were naturally chuffed today to see that we may have picked up their nose for a good story.

Last week we wrote, you will recall:

Until then, we lazily refer you to a particularly inventive simile from our favourite read, Romseyredhead:
The press are not stupid and the clash stood out like a lighthouse on speed.

In today's Diary, Marina Hyde relates the same tale:

To Lib Dem Sandra Gidley's weblog next, for a masterclass in the art of the simile. "The press are not stupid," writes the Romsey MP of Mr Tony and Gordon's diary duel last week, "and the clash stood out like a lighthouse on speed." Top work, Sandra. On the off chance you need future assistance mapping one semantic field on to another - or just some speed - do feel free to get in touch.

Purple power

2005-01-07T13:56:00.000Z

A few weeks ago, SG asked Do Fathers for Justice deserve our sympathy?, and pondered thus:

Perhaps they are so engrossed in organising their Santa sit-ins that they have no time to engage with politicians and try and establish common ground.

Apparently not, though - we hear that SG will be meeting with two representative of F4J next week. Hopefully, this will involve some serious discussion of the issues facing fathers separated from their families.

Nevertheless, can we suggest that Sandra not wear her best suit?

Lazy January

2005-01-07T11:33:00.000Z

Happy New Year, GidleyWatchers. We are still recovering from the excesses of Christmas, so apologies for the delay in returning to full steam. Next week: more from the press, our semi-regular EDM update (a hefty job in itself as SG has signed dozens since the new session started), and,if you're lucky, a review of 2004.

Until then, we lazily refer you to a particularly inventive simile from our favourite read, Romseyredhead:

The press are not stupid and the clash stood out like a lighthouse on speed.

A quick pair from the Telegraph

2005-01-04T13:59:00.000Z

Watchdog attacks bungled care fee tests for the elderly (17 December 2004)

Bungled means tests for long-term care fees were fiercely criticised by the Health Service Ombudsman yesterday.
[...]
Health Minister Stephen Ladyman [...] claimed that "good progress" had been made on the review, despite the DoH missing a series of self-imposed deadlines.

But Sandra Gidley, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for older people, said: "This highly critical report must ring alarm bells for the Government."

Health officials come under fire over bungled means testing (18 December 2004, Money supplement)

The Health Service Ombudsman criticised the Government this week for bungling long-term care fees means tests – for which it has set aside £180 million compensation.
[...]
Sandra Gidley, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for older people, said: "This highly critical report must ring alarm bells for the Government."

Wiki wiki wah wah

2005-01-04T13:46:00.000Z

Wikipedia's entry on SG can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Gidley

Pull up a Pugh

2004-12-01T16:13:00.000Z

We have spotted Pugh Watch and felt honour bound to bring it to the attention of our gentle readerfolk.

Belying its title, this is partly a personal blog for one Russell Hughes, but it spends sufficient time webstalking John Pugh, LibDem MP for Southport, to warrant mention here.

EDM Watch

2004-11-29T13:37:00.000Z

Three Early Day Motions (nod: edm.ais.co.uk) that SG sneaked into the back of the net before the end of the last parliamentary session...

Vanunu and nuclear diasarmament (calls for the decommissioning of Trident)
Death of Daniel Morgan (calls for a public inquiry)
OFCOM and ITV regional programming (calls for an OFCOM rethink)

...and one new EDM:

Make Poverty History in 2005 campaign

More Spikey

2004-11-15T21:16:00.000Z

Spiked-online.com (the website name is a coincidence) discusses the aforementioned launch of the Spikey.

Bottling up for the party season

Assembled journalists and cameramen were told about the hidden threat in Britain's clubs. MP Sandra Gidley said that the government was 'in denial' about the issue, refusing to recognise its seriousness.

Beaten by Gidley? Let us know!

2004-11-15T20:23:00.000Z

For all the Tories reading, I've promised Andy that this will be a Nokes-free post, after my last attempt at a desription of Ms. Nokes frightened the pigeons somewhat. So feel free to read on...

We want to hear from people who've been beaten by Gidley.

No, we don't want 2001 Romsey loser Paul Raynes, or even 2000 by-election loser Tim Palmer's recollections of being beaten by Sandra*; painful though we're sure they are. Tim, you might remember was the Dorset farmer 'technically' born in London; and Paul was, well, a bit of a nobody really (we didn't keep any of his 2001 leaflets, and he wasn't that memorable)

We really want to hear from people who've been beaten by Sandra at.... badminton!

Yes, that's right, badminton. Sandra, according to the official LibDem website, plays a 'tough game of badminton'.

Being watchers of the great woman, we'd expect nothing less than a tough game from her at anything she tries her hand at. But exactly how tough is the on-court Gidley?

If you have recollections of being thrashed by Gidley, let us know! It doesn't matter how long ago it was - all stories are welcome. Photos even more so.

Scrolling the lists of all party parliamentary groups we were alarmed to read that there currently isn't an All Party Parliamentary Badminton group - despite there being a boxing group, and two on football.

Seizing the intiative in a way that only GidleyWatch can, we've contacted the Badminton Association of England (in glamourous Milton Keynes) to suggest that they consider setting one up (with Sandra playing a leading role, obviously). We also cheekily suggested that if their current Patron, HRH The Prince Andrew, Duke of York ever hangs up his shuttlecock, Sandra might be a good replacement.

We'll let you know what we hear from the Badminton Association is due course. In the mean time, send us your stories of being beaten by Sandra!

*unless it was at badminton, lads.

News from The Publican

2004-11-11T22:32:00.000Z

MP speaks out on drink spiking

An MP has accused the trade of not doing enough to fight drink spiking in pubs and clubs.

Despite ongoing efforts to push responsible retailing, Sandra Gidley, MP for Romsey in Hampshire, believes the drinks industry should make more funding available for protective devices and awareness.

Speaking at the London launch of Spikey, a product designed to stop consumers having bottled drinks spiked (pictured), she urged licensees and the government to get involved in the issue, which she believes is largely ignored.

“I’m the only MP in Parliament who raises the concerns of drug rape,” said Ms Gidley. “Corporate social responsibility is a buzz phrase at the moment but people spent time looking at environmental issues when we should be looking to save the dignity of the people who are drugged without knowing it.

“Clubs are likely to adopt it but spiking happens in pubs too and we need licensees to get involved. The government also has its head in the sand on this; we need to be doing more.”

More from the press

2004-11-11T21:52:00.000Z

One from PA News:

Blair boost for good health in older people (2 November)

Prime Minister Tony Blair was given some exercise tips for later life today as he helped launch a new report claiming older people are now healthier than ever before.
[...]
The Liberal Democrats said that the Government had failed to meet the overwhelming majority of targets it set in the NSF for older people.

Sandra Gidley, spokeswoman for older people, said: "This is damning evidence of the Government's failure to provide for the health and social care needs of Britain's vulnerable elderly.

"It's high time that the Government admit that they have failed to reach their own targets set out in the NSF.

"Action needs to be taken to give older people the rights and equality they deserve - a start would be to include a new single equality body in this month's Queen's Speech."

And a number from This Is Hampshire:

Main Post Offices now face the axe (3 November)

Just when they thought it couldn't get much worse. Days before a massive consultation on the future of 12 of the region's urban post offices ends, those fighting to keep vital community services have been rocked by yet another bombshell.
[...]
In Romsey the branch is in Church Street. MP Sandra Gidley said she would fight the closures,

She added: "Romsey Post Office provides an invaluable service to the community and must stay open. If it does close then people will have further to travel and will not have local access to services such as renewal of car tax and passport checking.

"It is pie in the sky to believe that supermarkets and other large concerns will want to take over these businesses when all the evidence is to the contrary."

Web-raging Yanks! (5 November)

It seemed an innocuous comment about an election several thousand miles away.

However, Romsey MP Sandra Gidley has enraged Americans with her Internet statements about George Bush's re-election to the White House.

The Lib Dem spokesman for older people and women wrote on her website diary: "I find it totally incomprehensible that a thinking public should re-elect him at all."

In a matter of hours she was bombarded with more than 50 messages, many from furious Americans. Ranging from the abusive to the witty to the plain-speaking, the e-mails flooded in from all parts of the States.

Less than 12 hours later backbencher Mrs Gidley posted another diary entry on her website, called a 'blog'.

It read: "I was somewhat taken aback by the comments on the previous post - hey guys, it was only an opinion! Am new to this blog lark but I realised that I had effectively been 'flamed'.

"What I will concede is that I was not entirely surprised by the result but was surprised by the strength of the popular vote, and being a Brit I struggle to understand it."

The website, www.romseyred-head.blogspot.com [sic], was only launched two months ago by former chemist Mrs Gidley.

Every day she uploads diary extracts onto the Internet, ranging from her opinions on the gambling bill to her thoughts about Saturday night pop competition, X-Factor.

The election 'post', added at 11.43am on Wednesday, said: "I have made it clear that I wanted Kerry to win but I was never sure that he could actually pull it off.

"I always thought that it would be very close but what has really depressed me is the huge increase in the popular vote for Bush. I find it totally incomprehensible that a thinking public should re-elect him at all. Can't see that there's much sport to be had in Prime Minister's Question Time on the back of this."

A spokesman from the London-based American Embassy told the Daily Echo: "Many Americans may have taken offence but I would be very surprised if, upon reading the subsequent comment, they would think anything other than that she is a thinking person interested in engagement and discussion.

"I take a very American perspective on this whole thing. While my countrymen may be angered or may disagree with the opinion, it's our belief that every individual should have freedom to say what they think."

Church to be replaced (5 November)

CHURCH officials have announced a GBP 1million scheme to replace North Baddesley's All Saints' Church - half a century after the original one was built.
[...]
The first vicar of All Saints' Church, the Revd Ian Hamel-Cooke is due too attend the anniversary service along with Romsey's MP Sandra Gidley, borough mayor Neville Whiteley and Romsey's mayor Dorothy Baverstock.

Romsey post office not on closure list (5 November)

Royal Mail officials have denied Romsey Post Office is heading for the chop in a nationwide review of high street branches.

The Post Office's chief executive David Mills confirmed he is writing to every MP in the country to reassure them about the long-term future of branches such as Romsey's Church Street branch.
[...]
Issuing a 'hands off Romsey Post Office warning, the town's MP, Sandra Gidley, said: "Romsey Post Office provides an invaluable service to the community and must stay open. If it does close then people will have further to travel and will not have local access to services such as renewal of car tax and passport checking.

"The problem is that Royal Mail have not thought through how to run a business in the 21st century and have not adapted to the changing lifestyles of the public. At the head of the business there is a narrow mindset which has complained about the erosion of existing services but has not actively embraced new ideas or devised ways of attracting new business."

She added: "It is pie in the sky to believe that supermarkets and other large concerns will want to take over these businesses when all the evidence is to the contrary.

"The closure of rural post offices under the Conservatives was a scandal but the further closures under Labour are nothing less than a national disaster."

MPs' costs add up to GBP 170,000 each (5 November)

The area's [Andover's] three sitting MPs - Sir George Young, Michael Ancram and Sandra Gidley - cost their constituents around £170,000 each for the year ending March 2004.

The financial cost of the three MPs, includes how much they claimed in allowances for the year ending in March.

All MPs representing seats outside central London are entitled to claim for additional allowances to cover the costs of staying overnight away from their main home - for the purpose of performing parliamentary duties up to a maximum of GBP 20,333.

Messrs [sic!] Young, Ancram and Gidley claimed £16,757, £14,428 and £19,719 respectively.

Incidental expenses paid to meet the cost of accommodation and equipment for surgeries, other office services and certain travel and communications can be claimed up to a maximum of £18,799.

Messrs Young, Ancram and Gidley claimed £18,799, £16,111 and £18,739 respectively.

The biggest item in the MPs expenses is the cost of paid staff.

The maximum amounts available depends on where the MPs constituency is.

On this account Sir George claimed £68,023, Mr Ancram £67,916 and Mrs Gidley £67,891.

Travel expenses ranged from £6,486 for Mrs Gidley to £6,909 for Sir George up to £8,874 for Mr Ancram. MPs living furthest from London tend to have the highest travel costs.

Improvements to A36 in New Year(5 November)

New Year congestion is on its way to Wellow as highway bosses continue their efforts to fit more safety measures on to the accident-wracked A36 and carry out resurfacing at the same time. The trunk road linking Southampton with much of the West and Wales has already been the scene of considerable safety work including the installation of speed cameras and the accident rate has dropped dramatically.
[...]
Romsey MP Sandra Gidley has also been in contact with the Highways Agency and said it was disappointing that the work had not been completed, as planned, by the end of this year. But she added: "It would have been stupid to disrupt traffic to put the safety measures in and then disrupt it again for the resurfacing.

"I have asked the Highways Agency to do all it can to minimise disruption to residents and businesses and I have asked for additional signing, with flashing lights, on the approach to the village from the west."

Hospitals cash crisis talks (8 November)

As health bosses struggle to make GBP 15m of savings, MPs grill NHS trust chief executive to demand answers about the financial crisis.

Two Hampshire MPs are today demanding answers from Southampton health bosses as to why they have sunk so far into the red.
[...]
Former health minister John Denham blamed bad management, and demanded a meeting with health bosses.

He wanted to know why the trust was so severely in debt, despite receiving record funding from the government.
[...]
Taking a different view on the matter, however, Liberal Democrat MPs Mark Oaten and Sandra Gidley both firmly believed the financial crisis faced by both Southampton's NHS trust and Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare Trust, was down to a gap between healthcare funding in the north and that in the south.

Clippings

2004-11-09T22:42:00.000Z

Hilda quits fags - at 80 (Manchester Evening News, 3 November)

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said older people wanted the same things from life as everyone else and the keep-fit classes showed they were determined to stay active, healthy and independent.

But Liberal Democrats were not impressed [by the Government, this seems to mean - GW] and spokesman [sic], Sandra Gidley, MP, said the government had failed to meet most of targets it set for older people. She added: "New research by Age Concern found 30 per cent of people felt the level of prejudice against older people was higher than five years ago."

The website RedNova.com also mentions SG:

The first week of November heralds Britain's second Ask About Medicines Week - an initiative to encourage partnerships between users, carers and professionals.
[...]
Other events, at community pharmacies with health minister Rosie Winterton and Liberal Democrat MP and pharmacist Sandra Gidley, are planned.

Lazy journalism?

2004-11-09T22:37:00.000Z

The Telegraph's Football Diary appears to lift an anecdote from SG's blog.

"James who?" asks blushing MP

Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat MP for Romsey, in Hampshire, was joined at her table during a Prince's Trust function at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium by one of her constituents.

"I felt rather daft when this young man plonked himself down next to me after shaking hands with everyone else at the table, and I asked who he was," she says. "I thought he looked vaguely familiar, but I'm not into football. He very modestly pointed out his name in the programme. It was then I realised I was sitting next to a local legend: James Beattie. Clang."

At least Sandra knew who he was once she knew his name. I'm still none the wiser...

Press round-up

2004-10-28T01:21:00.000+01:00

Tories demand action on child health (PA News, 20 October)

Liberal Democrat Sandra Gidley said she was concerned that the NSF [the Government's National Service Framework (NSF) for Children, Young People and Maternity] did not seem to have targets, just standards.

"I'm a little bit worried that there won't be a political imperative to produce this," she added.

She said she accepted it was down to Primary Care Trusts to develop the services as they saw fit but "there's quite a lot of leeway".

The onus should be on the PCT to have a one or two-year plan for implementing NSF.

But, she added: "I very much welcome the support for normal childbirth ... I also particularly welcome the emphasis on women from disadvantaged communities."

Ampfield school supporters won't give in (Romsey Advertiser, 22 October)

Romsey's Member of Parliament Sandra Gidley is considering sending a letter of protest to Schools' Minister David Miliband over the impending closure of Ampfield Primary School.

Hampshire County Council's education executive member Don Allen last week decided to close the Church of England primary school after its numbers had dropped from 67 to 23 inside two years.
[...]
Commenting on Councillor Allen's decision, Mrs Gidley said: "Firstly, if he had already decided to close the school, was it worth having the consultation anyway? And secondly, what is the point of having a committee if it can be overruled by one person?" She described the county council as being "very opportunistic" in opting to close the school so soon after its numbers had dropped and before the effects of moves to improve it had been studied.

The team of governors, parents and staff involved in the recovery measures were, she said, very dedicated and she added: "I don't think they have been given a chance." She also took issue with Mr Allen's comments that there was alternative Church of England provision in the area and said that as far as she knew, they were all full. Mrs Gidley said she would be speaking to the school's chairman of governors, Tony Knight, with a view to writing to Mr Miliband "to see if the proper processes have been followed."

Rising menace of conmen who prey on elderly (Sunday Express, 24 October)

The number of elderly people falling victim to distraction burglaries by bogus callers has jumped by 20 per cent under Labour.
[...]
Liberal Democrat spokeswoman Sandra Gidley, MP, said: "It is shocking that so many elderly people are becoming targets of such a horrible crime. The Government must do more to raise awareness of this crime and promote security schemes for the elderly such as the British Gas password scheme."

Meter scam crime soars (Sunday People, 24 October)

Burglaries by crooks who pose as meter readers have shot up 20 per cent since Labour came to power.

Figures obtained by the Lib Dems show that distraction burglary cases have increased from 15,526 seven years ago to 18,664 last year.

And most victims are trusting pensioners who let in bogus officials.

Sandra Gidley, the Lib Dems' Older People spokeswoman said: "It's shocking."

She wants the British Gas password scheme to be expanded.

Additionally, various local and national papers detailed SG's expenses as part of tables of MPs.

Make your own minds up

2004-10-28T01:09:00.000+01:00

Bloggerheads' Tim Ireland emails to alert us to the fact that Caroline Nokes' blog is still in the Yahoo cache, allowing us to compare the two contentious blog posts.

A little snippet from Caroline on 19th October:

Later on in the afternoon I attended a meeting at the County Council to discuss the South East Regional Plan. It is very disappointing that when the leader of the County Council invited the Lib Dem MPs for the area to attend a similar briefing they declined.

I think in all honesty they can have no idea of the potentially devastating impact of regional planning on Hampshire. Their policy calls for spatial planning to be done at a regional level, and it is that regional dimension that is demanding either a 20% or 40% increase in the rate of house building in Hampshire. That will see possibly 600,000 more homes in the County - how can anyone think that is either appropriate or sustainable?

SG responded the same day:

Recently she made a snippy little comment that "It is very disappointing that when the leader of the County Council invited the Lib Dem MPs for the area to attend a similar briefing they declined."

Um actually she should get her facts right. An invitation went out at relatively short notice and most of us had constituency engagements which we were reluctant to turn down. The meeting was an all party one and was cancelled because of general "lack of interest". As the vast majority of Hampshire MPs are Tory I really don't think my opponent is in any position to take the moral high ground.

She has also completely overlooked the fact that MPs have numerous sources of information at their disposal and not just the County Council.

In future any such silly and ill-informed comments will be robustly challenged.

Handbags at dawn?

My name is not Sandra

2004-10-26T22:44:00.000+01:00

We never like to blog about ourselves (who are kidding...?), but we think we should put the record straight as there has been some speculation on SG's blog that we either work for her or (bizarrely) are her. Yes, the whole team.

Sandra, for her part, declares this is nonsense. We can categorically confirm that we are not Sandra and we do not work for Sandra. Our self-appointed task is to GidleyWatch, not GidleyBe, and we shall continue to do so independently and fearlessly. We are volunteers, not paid to stalk any MP let alone SG, and do this for (some sort of perverse) fun.

So there.

Can you spot the mistakes?

2004-10-26T22:34:00.000+01:00

Geoff Meade's story from PA News has a number of errors. Can you spot them? Here's a clue for the biggest: Sandra doesn't work in Brussels.

Last-Ditch Attempt to Win Approval for EU Commissioners

Frantic last-minute efforts were going on in Strasbourg tonight to stop MEPs voting out the new team of European Commissioners.
[...]
All eyes were on Liberal Democrat MEPs, also deeply split on what to do. Their leader, Graham Watson, indicated he would back the new Commission, but admitted he could not guarantee the votes of his fellow Liberal Democrats.
[...]
Scottish National Party Euro MPs Ian Hudghton and Alyn Smith and Plaid Cymru’s Jill Evans also said they would be voting against the new Commission.

Liberal Democrat MEPs Sandra Gidley and Sara Ludford will too, in protest at Mr Buttiglione’s views on women.

Ms Gidley said: “His views that women are only there to have children and that the family should only be protected by the man are intolerant and discriminatory. His actions make him unfit to hold the post of EU Commissioner for Freedom, Security and Justice.”

Romsey at War - it's Blog-Spat!

2004-10-22T13:15:00.000+01:00

In the yellow corner, our beloved Sandra G, on her third outing, following successful bouts in 2000 and 2001. In the blue corner, new challenger Caroline Noakes, an unproven, untested Tory who fancies her chances of taking Sandra's belt (well, seat).

What am I going on about? It's the remarkable spat between Sandy and Cazza, and it's all about our favourite things - blogs!

Our beloved Sandra's weblog has come in for some criticism from Tory opponent Caroline Noakes. In fact the front page of this week's Romsey Advertiser is full of the spat between Romsey's leading lady and the pretender to her crown!

To cut a long story short, Caroline said something nasty about Sandra, who then put the facts right on her blog. Caroline then accused Sandra of 'demeaning her office' by launching a personal attack on her!

As ever, GidleyWatch wants to bring GidleyWatchers the full story, setting out both sides of the argument with our customary fairness and panache. We think Cazza (who does have a wonderful footballer's wives style quality about her) is referring to Sandra's posting on Tuesday October 19th (My Opponent Blogs Too!).

Sandra claims that Cazza has been just as bitchy about her, but to our absolute astonishment, we've found that Cazza's blog has dissappeared! Yes, that's right, vanished, gone, caput. Look for yourselves! It's such a shame, cos we did love reading little insights into Cazza's life. Hoping this might only be a temporary setback, we checked out Romsey Tories website to check the link to Cazza's blog was still there - but it isn't. It's vanished too!

So we've emailed Cazza , asking her to put her blog back up unedited, so the people of Romsey can compare what Romsey's leading ladies have to say about each other - that way we can judge for ourselves. Perhaps you'd like to email Cazza too? Her address is caroline@royperry.org

If Cazza won't put her blog back up, perhaps GidleyWatch will have to do the people of Romsey a service by doing a 'negative story count' on both women's websites. A quick glance suggests that Cazza might have more to fear than Sandy about that!

Sandra's cash

2004-10-21T17:42:00.000+01:00

For the first time, details of members' allowances have been published. We've extracted SG's figures for reference. The figures after the slash represent the possible maximum, e.g. £10,000/£20,000 represents £10,000 claimed of a maximum possible £20,000.

Year	2003/4	2002/3	2001/2
Additional Costs Allowance	£19,719/£20,333	£19,722/£19,722	£10,638/£18,009
London Supplement	£0/£1,574	£0/£1,527	£0/£1,507
Incidental Expenses Provision	£18,739/£18,799	£18,191/£18,234	£16,057/£18,000
Staff Costs	£67,891/£64,273-£74,985	£61,464/£61,980-£72,310	£42,823/£60,000-£70,000
Members' Travel	£6,486	£7,408	£5,881
Members' Staff Travel	£167	£664	£311
Centrally Purchased Stationery	£1,579	£1,492	£1,286
Stationery: Associated Postage Costs	£3,468	N/A	N/A
Central IT Provision	£1,936	£1,936	£1,936
Other Costs	£0	£0	£1,500

Sandra Gidley's blog

2004-10-19T23:28:00.000+01:00

We've been linking to it for a while but in case you still hadn't noticed: SG has her own blog. It's called Romseyredhead and can be found at romseyredhead.blogspot.com.

And we think it's jolly good.

EDM Watch

2004-10-19T23:04:00.000+01:00

Courtesy of edm.ais.co.uk, Early Day Motions signed by SG in the last week or so.

Cystic fibrosis and prescription charges (that there shouldn't be any)
Supporting people initiative (maintaining funding)
Food Justice Strategies Bill
Stamp duty (to raise tax threshold)
University of Ulster swimming pool (closure of)
BT payphone closures
Ban on cold calling for property maintenance and improvement (in favour of)
Rural mail collection (concern at proposed reduction of)
Nursing Standard Nurse 2004 Awards, 2nd November 2004
Interns' network best practice guidelines
Bio-power fuels (and, erm, cooking oil in particular - we really don't know, ask Paul Keetch, he proposed it)
Death of Mr Ken Bigley
UK arms to Sudan (to close brokering loophole)
Guide Dogs for the Blind "Open Your Doors" campaign (making spaces accessible to guide dogs)
Energy efficiency commitment
Young People Now Positive Images campaign (for fairer and more positive representation of young people in the media)
Pension credit and travelling abroad (against unfairness in the rules for those travelling abroad)
Ruling Out Abuse campaign (against verbal abuse of healthcare staff)

SG was also a sponsor of International support for sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The Hampshire press

2004-10-16T11:43:00.000+01:00

SG has poppsed up in a host of stories across the local press in the last few weeks.

From the Southampton Daily Echo

We can account for each and every penny of extra GBP 30m (8 October)

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust chiefs opened their books to the Daily Echo to prove that the additional funds were used on essential costs. They were fighting back after coming under attack from Southampton Itchen MP John Denham, who blamed its financial crisis on bad management.
[...]
Romsey Liberal Democrat MP Sandra Gidley said she was not convinced the problem was due to bad management. "Nearly every health trust in the south east is struggling," she said. "Why do we consistently struggle in this part of the country while other areas in the north seem to have no problem?"

Which path now for Tories? (8 October)

But the battle in rural parts of Hampshire, in and around the New Forest, is likely to be much more fascinating. Growing disillusionment with Labour means some seats are set to be straight and hotly contested - fights between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives. The Tories are hoping to capture the prize scalp of Lib Dem front-benchers Sandra Gidley (Romsey) and Mark Oaten (Winchester), both defending relatively slender majorities. Mrs Gidley has a lead of only 2,370 votes. Mark Oaten's majority is 9,634.

Have a heart, NHS (11 October)

A CAMPAIGN has been launched to save vital treatment received by heart patients across Hampshire.
[...]
Romsey Liberal Democrat MP Sandra Gidley, said it was short-sighted to axe a service that has significant long-term benefits.

"If we are serious about the NHS being a health service rather than a sickness service we must not concentrate purely on the acute care issues," she said.

From the Romsey Advertiser

Report backs call for new primary school (8 October)

Romsey could have a brand new primary school after all - but the days of a village school in Ampfield could end in less than two years.
[...]
Ampfield's disappointment at the recommendation was outlined by its chairman of governors Tony Knight, who said: "The sudden reduction in the number of children was due to a failure of leadership leading to nearly two-thirds of the children being taken elsewhere. Sadly, it has provided an opportunity for the local education authority to close a rural village school and save the additional costs of running such a school."

He also pointed out that there was "unanimous support" from the community, from the parish council, from the borough council and from Romsey MP Sandra Gidley for keeping the school open.

Speed cameras curb carnage on A36 (15 October)

SERIOUS accidents on the notorious stretch of the A36 through Wellow have been brought to a dramatic halt since the introduction of controversial speed cameras.
[...]
One of the prominent campaigners for a package of safety measures on the accident-wracked road was Romsey MP Sandra Gidley, who said: "This is brilliant news, but I'm not complacent about it and we do need the additional safety measures which still have to be installed.

"But I have noticed that the traffic through Wellow has been travelling more slowly. Previously, I was consciously keeping my speed down, but when I go along that stretch now, I don't have to think about it so much because the vehicle in front is normally obeying the speed limit.

"And this does indicate that speed cameras are not just a revenue-earner. They take a lot of flak, but this shows that they serve a useful purpose."

Popular councillor mourned (15 October)

POPULAR and respected borough councillor Jack Kemish died, aged 71, at his Romsey home this week.

A well-known figure in town, Jack had been a tireless organiser of Romsey Carnival before becoming a councillor. He was the moving force behing the project to give the town a new bandstand and lobbied hard for the town's treacherous pavements to be repaired. Jack became ill shortly after his re-election to Test Valley Borough Council last year but despite a major operation in July 2003 followed by two courses of chemo-therapy he continued to work from home as often as he could.
[...]
Romsey MP Sandra Gidley said of Jack: "He had his beliefs and he stuck to them. He was someone who felt very strongly about retaining the character of Romsey and was involved in and around the town before he became a councillor. He will be remembered with a lot of fondness."

How much is Sandra worth?

2004-10-08T09:07:00.000+01:00

Now there's an easy way to keep track...

Sandra Gidley's speech

2004-10-07T16:54:00.000+01:00

The full text of one of SG's conference speeches is available via Guardian Unlimited.

Surveillance

2004-10-07T13:11:00.000+01:00

LibDem "election guru" Lord Rennard in Hartlepool on 30 September, briefing SG down his mobile phone on the line to take if the by-election came up on Question Time.

And we thought these politicans just knew instinctively.

Seat targeted

2004-10-06T17:40:00.000+01:00

What's the difference between Sandra Gidley and a fox?

One is a small, cunning, ginger creature being pursued in Hampshire by angry hunters keen to rid themselves of it in the name of bloodsports.

And the other's a fox.

Fox-hunting strategy could see battle for Gidley seat (Basingstoke Gazette, 29 September)

Romsey is on a hit-list of seats being targeted by fox-hunters.

Huntsmen and women are being urged to support candidates - mainly Tories - who will repeal a hunting ban.
[...]
Mrs Gidley's seat is being targeted because her majority is so slim - just 2,370 votes.

Four Hampshire hunts face the chop if a ban goes ahead.

The choice of seats is certain to provoke Liberal Democrat accusations that hunt supporters are acting as a wing of the Conservative party.
[...]
The election strategy was compiled by Jeremy Sweeney, a professional lobbyist, who has no political affiliations and does not hunt.

He believes it is possible for the hunt vote to influence the outcome in many seats in the same way as it swung opinion against Jackie Ballard, the former anti-hunt Liberal Democrat MP in Taunton, at the last election.

Romsey seat on hunt hit list (Romsey Advertiser - and others, 1 October)

Romsey MP Sandra Gidley could face a concerted effort by hunt supporters to unseat her at the next general election.

Campaigners plan to target the Romsey constituency as part of a bid to unseat anti-hunting MPs in marginal seats across England and Wales.

Campaigners angered by Government moves to ban hunting with hounds have drawn up a list of 50 rural constituencies which have strong hunting communities and an MP who voted for the ban.

According to The Times newspaper on Monday, the Romsey constituency is on the list.

Only constituencies where the MP has a majority of less than 10 per cent of the electorate have been put on the list.
[...]
Liberal Democrat Sandra Gidley has always voted for a ban.

With a majority of 2,370 votes, she could be vulnerable if large numbers of constituents are influenced by the planned pro-hunt campaign.

Mrs Gidley said she was not worried by her inclusion on the list. "We'll fight the election and people will judge it then," she said. "I'm just getting on with the job I do the best I can."

She said her constituency was only semi-rural. "I've had hundreds of letters asking me to support a ban but just over a dozen saying hunting should be allowed to continue."

Hunt enthusiasts should find an alternative to foxes, Mrs Gidley said. "Why does it have to be killing animals in a way that it's worn out and then ripped to bits?"

Mrs Gidley said other countryside issues were more important, such as rural poverty and lack of public transport in more remote areas.

Update

2004-10-06T17:08:00.000+01:00

So much to catch up on! Let's see what the press has been writing about Sandra.

Top Gear ball brings in the cash (Southampton Daily Echo, 4 October)

BOSSES at a Hampshire charity are hoping their latest fundraising drive will put their leukaemia research on the home straight to success.
[...]
Among the luminaries were Southampton MP Alan Whitehead and Romsey MP Sandra Gidley. The guests were treated to a delicious dinner followed by music from Capital Radio DJ Mike Osman.
[...]
All money raised will go towards the charity's Cure for ALL campaign, which takes its name from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) and aims to find a cure for the 25 per cent of children with currently incurable forms of leukaemia. Scientists funded by Leukaemia Busters have developed new antibody-based targeted drugs that are now undergoing clinical trials in children's cancer centres across the UK.

Party promises to raise pensions by breaking link with national insurance (Community Care, 30 September)

The party also aims to help pensioners by replacing council tax with a local income tax that it says is based on "people's ability to pay" rather than the size of their home.

"Council tax is increasing at more than double the rate of pensions," said Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat spokesperson on older people.

"This means that most pensioners are spending a larger proportion of their income on council tax than ever before, leaving less cash for essentials."

Meanwhile, the party reiterated its pledge to provide free personal care for all older people and disabled people, claiming the policy would break down "artificial barriers" between the funding of health and social care. Personal care is currently free only in Scotland.

Gidley said: "The state provides all health and personal care for someone with an acute illness in hospital.

"It is absolutely unfair to deny that right for someone in a nursing home with a long-term condition."

Lib Dems lash care closures (This Is Lancashire, 24 September)

Spokeswoman on older people Sandra Gidley revealed that 19 000 homes had been lost across England and Wales between December 2001 and April this year.

And she said that figures produced by care experts Laing and Buisson revealed that 3 800 had been lost in the North West more than 600 as results of the controversial closure of 32 care homes by Lancashire County Council. Seventeen of those were in East Lancashire.

Mrs Gidley said that the closures had left the care system "close to meltdown."
[...]
Mrs Gidley said: "Ministers have had their heads in the sand for far too long. The loss of care homes has been unforeseen unstructured and unplanned.

"The shortage of places leads to an increase of vulnerable older people stuck in hospital increasing their risk of infection places extra strains on the families and can lead to older people being put in a care home miles away from their family.

"The clock is ticking and unless action is taken to restore confidence in the care home sector more homes will close.

"The warning signs have been there for a long time. Low fee levels increases in the older population and poor long term planning have left the care system close to meltdown.

"Some of the most vulnerable people in our society are forced to suffer the consequences."

New deal promised to help pensioners (Aberdeen Press and Journal, 23 September)

Sandra Gidley, the party's spokeswoman for older people, said it was unfair that hundreds of thousands of pensioners were too poor to heat their own homes properly or eat healthily.

Party platform is aimed at elderly (Derby Evening Telegraph, 23 September)

The Lib Dems yesterday backed the scrapping of council tax and personal care charges in a pitch for the "grey vote".
[...]
Sandra Gidley, the party's spokeswoman for older people, said it was unfair that hundreds of thousands of pensioners were too poor to heat their homes properly.

"Older people have been pushed around and treated as second-class citizens for too long," she said.

Council tax was rising at more than double the rate of pensions, leaving less cash for essentials, she said.

She said the state currently provided all health and personal care for someone with an acute illness in hospital, but not for those in a nursing home with a long-term condition.

Plan to scrap council tax (Western Daily Press, 23 September)

Sandra Gidley, the party's spokesperson for older people, said: "Older people have been pushed around and treated as second class citizens for too long."

Father facing deportation after Home Office blunder (Southampton Echo, 22 September)

Romsey MP Sandra Gidley has pledged to look into the case, after hearing of the Clewlow's plight. She said: "I'm quite happy to have a look at the issue and take it up with the Home Office. It seems quite unfair if they have sent off the papers on time yet they were sent the wrong ones.

"Sadly, I'm aware there are similar instances in other parts of the country. It is a huge blow to the families involved.

"I will investigate the case and look at raising questions with the Home Secretary."

Lib Dems: older people get "raw deal" under current government (Community Care, 22 September)

Sandra Gidley MP and the party’s spokesperson on older people said the government shared the blame with the last government for forcing thousands of older people to sell their homes to pay for long-term care.

“It is nothing less than a scandal that people who have contributed to society all their lives, expecting to be looked after in old age, are being deprived of their life savings by Gordon Brown,” she said.

Gidley added that council tax was also having a “hugely damaging” impact on older people and called for the “regressive Tory Tax” to be abolished.

Party has no "no-go" areas (Birmingham Post, 21 September)

Sandra Gidley, who first snatched her Romsey seat from Tories in a 2000 by-election victory, said Labour and Tories had 'squandered' people's trust and would pay for it.

But she warned that Liberal Democrats still faced an uphill struggle to convince voters that they could be trusted with the 'bigger picture'.

Ms Gidley, spokeswoman for women and older people, told delegates her victory had proved the party could win seats from Conservatives and was the launch pad for the 2001 General Election campaign.

'There are no no-go areas for the Liberal Democrats. Conservatives are going nowhere and we are still in a position to take seats from them.'

MPs concern over security in schools (This Is Hampshire, 20 September)

MPs, themselves embroiled in security issues at the House of Commons, said schools should challenge uninvited individuals but warned against turning them into "fortresses."

Romsey Liberal Democrat MP Sandra Gidley said: "It would be a shame if playgrounds were locked and schools became fortesses but clearly, if you see uninvited individuals walking around they should be challenged.

"We have to change the culture where people feel more comfortable about challenging something that is not right.

"If you are in charge of pupil safety you have a duty to wonder who that is rather than get on with what you are doing although most of the time it is perfectly innocent."

It's been a good while since our last check on which Early Day Motions SG has put her name too. Fortunately, there's only been one:

Pensions for life for civil service widows

Don't be alarmed

2004-09-28T17:52:00.000+01:00

SG spotters should look out for Sandra in Blackpool tomorrow as she will be speaking at the annual conference of the Association of Social Alarm Providers. (It's the "representative body for the telecare industry within the UK", though we're still none the wiser.)

No return to Hartlepool for SG

2004-09-27T17:58:00.000+01:00

Sandra won't be in Hartlepus this Thursday to help the LibDems get a 56th MP and another woman MP. But before you cry foul, she has a good excuse: she's representing the party on Question Time. Set your video now!

Has Labour delivered for women?

2004-09-27T17:53:00.000+01:00

SG was amongst a number of women contributing to this Guardian vox pop.

How was it for you - has Labour delivered?

Sandra Gidley, MP for Romsey and Liberal Democrat spokesperson for women, 47 I'm not sure the minister for women role serves a very useful purpose. It would be better if you had someone tasked with gender equality working in each ministry. I asked Patricia Hewitt how much time she spent on each of her portfolios [minister for women and the DTI], and she took a long time coming back to me. In the end she said the two were so intertwined it was impossible to know.

Sandra Gidley an "eccentric name"

2004-09-27T13:54:00.000+01:00

SG was identified by Channel 4's Bremner, Bird and Fortune last night as one of the many LibDem parliamentarians with an "eccentric name". Others highlighted included The Earl of Mar & Kellie, Richard Younger-Ross and, of course, Lembit Öpik.

A bumper crop

2004-09-24T14:50:00.000+01:00

With the Liberal Democrats' party conference over, it must be time to reflect on what SG has been up to this week. There she was uring Charles Kennedy's speech, sitting on the front row like the Head Girl. But did he know that the previous night she had been desperate to get hold of an inflatable sheep?

Lib Dems Woo "Let Down" Labour Voters (PA News, Monday)

Sandra Gidley, who first snatched her Romsey seat from Tories in a 2000 by-election victory, said Labour and Tories had “squandered” people’s trust and would pay for it at the ballot box.

But she warned that Liberal Democrats still faced an uphill struggle to convince voters that they could be trusted with the “bigger picture”.
[...]
She told delegates her by-election victory had proved the party could win seats from Conservatives and was the launch pad for the 2001 General Election campaign.
[...]
“There are no no-go areas for the Liberal Democrats. Conservatives are going nowhere and we are still in a position to take seats from them.

“Labour supporters feel let down, disillusioned, and are looking for an alternative and that alternative is Liberal Democrats.”
[...]
She continued: “The challenge in front of us is to convince the country not that we’re nice, I think people think that anyway, but that we can be trusted with the bigger picture.”

Climate change 'our greatest threat' (The Guardian, Tuesday)

Environment spokeswoman [news to us! -GW] Sandra Gidley warned that Britain would have to find a home for more than three million tonnes of toxic waste after the government had failed to prepare for the EU 1999 landfill directive.

She said: "The result could be devastating for regions of England and Wales, with a huge rise in illegal fly-tipping by cowboy waste contractors. Serious questions must be asked of ministers where this waste is going, what damage it could be doing to the environment and what threat it could be to human health."

Lib Dems target "grey vote" (The Guardian, Wednesday)

On a day set to be dominated by "third age" issues, Ms Gidley highlighted the loss of almost 19,000 care home places in England and Wales over the past three years, and warned that urgent action was needed to stem the decline.

"Ministers have had their heads in the sand for far too long," she said.

"The loss of care homes has been unforeseen, unstructured and unplanned. The shortage of places leads to an increase of vulnerable older people stuck in hospital increasing their risk of infection, places extra strains on the families and can lead to older people being put in a care home miles away from their family.

"The clock is ticking; unless action is taken to prevent further closures and restore confidence in the care home sector, more homes will close their doors."

Ms Gidley also reiterated the party's pledge to fund free long-term care for the elderly and to cushion the impact of council tax - to be funded through a 50% tax rate on incomes over £100,000, together with its other key proposal to abolish university tuition fees.

Double pitch for the "grey vote" (BBC, Wednesday)

Sandra Gidley, spokeswoman for older people, said it was unfair so many pensioners were too poor to heat their homes properly or eat healthily.

"Older people have been pushed around... for too long," she told the party conference in Bournemouth.

Women face "gross injustice" on pensions

At the Bournemouth conference on Wednesday, the party also pledged that older citizens would benefit from plans to replace council tax with a local income tax.

Sandra Gidley, the party's spokesman on older people, said the current local taxation system was having "a hugely damaging impact on older people".

"It is time this regressive Tory tax was abolished," she said.

At the Lib Dem Conference Today (PA, Wednesday)

Sandra Gidley, spokesperson for older people, said it was unfair that hundreds of thousands of pensioners were too poor to heat their own homes properly or eat healthily. “Older people have been pushed around and treated as second class citizens for too long.”

Conference Highlights (The Independent, Thursday)

Sandra Gidley MP, left, the party's women's spokesperson, was baffled to receive this message from Charles Kennedy's aide de camp: "Please call re: Charles, beach and women." It should have read "Charles, speech and women."

Bournemouth

2004-09-22T11:41:00.000+01:00

A quick report from Bournemouth, where SG spoke earlier on old folk. We've not had time to list all the many fringes (some apparently simultaneous) where you can see Sandra, and no time now. We thought you'd be interested to know that last night's Liberal Revue closed with a sketch called The Vicar of Gidley.

We've failed abysmally to see SG in the flesh to far, sleeping in on Monday and generally being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We'll try to do better today as time is running out.

Sandra Gidley's second sight

2004-09-16T15:02:00.000+01:00

The Southampton Daily Echo is impressed - but perhaps made a little uneasy - by SG's comments about House of Commons security, penned before yesterday's incident.

Protestors storm Commons (excerpt)

Romsey Liberal Democrat MP Sandra Gidley gives an eerie warning of possible security problems at Parliament in her weekly article in today's Daily Echo.

She was writing about the Fathers 4 Justice Batman protest at Buckingham Palace on Monday and before yesterday's invasion of the House of Commons.

She wrote: "I am sure that the Home Secretary was speaking the truth when he mentioned that the Royal Family did not want to make the royal palaces totally inaccessible.

"I feel much the same way about the House of Commons. Despite the erection of the security screen, much of the remainder of the Palace of Westminster is very much a public building. I would not want the public to be excluded but do accept that there is a risk.

"Security could be tighter but I think that it is in proportion to the risk. To turn parts of London into fortresses with no public access would mean that the terrorists had won."

Perhaps Sandra should turn her attentions to Saturday's lottery numbers?

Foxes against fox hunting

2004-09-16T11:27:00.000+01:00

As the Hunting Bill passed all its Commons stages yesterday, there were a number of divisions on the issue. As expected, SG voted in favour of a ban. The record of votes on third reading are in Hansard.

Self-indulgence

2004-09-15T15:32:00.000+01:00

As we've been good today and posted two proper GidleyWatching entries, we thought we'd entertain you with our top five web referrers. These are the five websites most responsible for sending web traffic our way. (This doesn't include search engines - Google provides a huge proportion of our hits.)

Percentages indicate the proportion of our web traffic received from each site. Here they are, in reverse order.

5	http://www.evilgermantechno.blogspot.com. (the blog of Martyn Hencher)	4.97%
3=	http://nick-raynsford-mp.blogspot.com/ (proxy blog for Nick Raynsford MP)	5.40%
3=	http://www.ldys.org.uk/forum/ (the Young Liberals' discussion forums - do they know something we don't?)	5.40%
2	http://guacamoleville.blogspot.com/ (Hartlepool by-election blog)	5.81%
1	http://www.bloggerheads.com/ (pro-blog site of Tim Ireland, and home of Blog Your MP)	15.37%

SG on TV

2004-09-15T15:07:00.000+01:00

Digital viewers will be delighted to hear that they can see Sandra live on their screens next Monday on BBC Parliament. She will be speaking at the formal opening of the Liberal Democrats' party conference in Bournemouth, following the Mayor of Bournemouth.

Details on other possible speeches by SG at conference are welcome, to the usual address. Meanwhile, for the benefit those LibDem readers (and we know you exist) attending party conference, we are trying to find out which fringes Sandra will be participating in. Watch this space.

Commons debate on "Older Women"

2004-09-15T14:56:00.000+01:00

SG spoke in yesterday's Commons Liberal Democrat sponsored debate on Older Women. You can read her full speech in Hansard.

The Press Association summarised her contribution thus:

For Liberal Democrats, Sandra Gidley called for the eradication of mixed sex hospital wards and for more older women to receive routine screening for breast cancer.

Press cuttings

2004-09-13T16:00:00.000+01:00

Two namechecks for SG in the local press in the last week, plus a mention the Manchester Evening News, of all places.

Smokers' £56m NHS Bill in The Southern Daily Echo

A Hampshire MP has now called for more measures to help smokers to stub out their habit - and said increasing public bans could be the way forward.

Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for health, said: "There does seem to be a lot of initiatives aimed at getting smokers to give up but I don't think they are being pushed actively enough.

"Increasing the number of no smoking areas is one way of tackling it, as it automatically creates fewer opportunities for people to smoke."
[...]
Romsey MP Mrs Gidley said: "When you go to hospitals, you can see people huddled around smoking outside. If you can't get the message across there, it does show the extent of the problem.

"We need to be more aggressive and doctors have to work at pressing people, showing them the evidence and giving them all the support to give up."

Commons to give MPs vote on hunting ban in the Daily Echo

Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat MP for Romsey, said: "If the government has decided to do something, they should get on with it."

(SG has consistently voted to ban hunting.)

Blow for old folk in the Manchester Evening News

HUNDREDS of places for vulnerable old people in private nursing homes in the north west have been closed in the past year. Liberal Democrats have accused government ministers of "twiddling their thumbs" as the number of care home beds in the region dropped from 52,900 to 50,800.

Party spokeswoman Sandra Gidley said the shortage of good quality care homes had a knock-on effect on the NHS.

EDM Watch

2004-09-13T14:37:00.000+01:00

Early Day Motions signed by SG in the last week:

Corporate Responsiblity (including impacts on society in company reporting)
Disabled Police Association (welcoming its inauguration)
Kashmir (encouraging peace)
Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (call for)
British Olympic and Paralympic teams (condemnation of*)
Saving local pharmacies (most appropriate)
Maternity services in South Portsmouth (retention of)
Alzheimer's Society campaign to end charging for essential healthcare
Chief Scouts George Purdy and Peter Duncan (Dyb Dyb Dyb Dyb)

*only joking

Matthew Green loves GidleyWatch!

2004-09-12T15:52:00.000+01:00

Many thanks to Martin Tod who sent us this smashing pic of Matthew Green, MP for Ludlow, showing his passion for GidleyWatch at a party training event. Aren't camera phones ace?

We shall put our thinking caps on to come up with a suitable prize for Martin.

Trawling the web

2004-09-09T17:18:00.000+01:00

Keen to glean some GidleyNews(TM), we visit her web site. Here's a brief summary of the latest going on in SG's corner of cyberspace.

SG is advertising "Third World Development: Can it ever happen?", a series of talks presented by Sarum College in Salisbury. Details here.

The full press release for this story is here.

Finally, two articles SG penned for the Romsey Advertiser. In, Exam Results, Sandra sticks up for science students and students who don't get top grades and their photos in The Times. In Roman Holiday, we learn why Romsey is better than Naples. No, really.

No more time now, but, as promised yesterday, we will be shortly examine SG's plans for world domination and keep our fingers crossed about Sandra's potential TV appearance.

Back to school

2004-09-08T20:46:00.000+01:00

The summer holidays are over and the MPs are back at Westminster for a couple of weeks until party conference season starts. Keep an eye on the TheyWorkForYou sidebar for news of SG's contributions to the Commons.

As you can see here, the MP for Romsey was back less than a day before signing up to a couple of Early Day Motions (information courtesy, as always, of edm.ais.co.uk):

17 Million Reasons (helping people with long-term chronic health problems
Civil Partnership Bill (improving pension rights)

Coming later this week (time and investigative prowess allowing): we frivolously examine whether SG has set her sights higher than Defence, and we look ahead to seeing SG on TV.

Care homes addendum

2004-09-07T11:50:00.000+01:00

The Press Association provides a longer quote:

The Liberal Democrats called for an urgent review of care home fee levels and their impact on the supply of places.

They also demanded an end to the postcode lottery on fees and for all personal and nursing care to be free on the basis of need.

Sandra Gidley, Lib Dem spokeswoman for older people, said: "The care home sector is in meltdown yet the Government sits idly by.

"While ministers twiddle their thumbs, the victims of these closures are vulnerable elderly people whose lives are lost through the trauma of an eviction from what they thought was their home for life.

"The shortage of good quality care homes has a knock-on effect on the NHS.

"Record numbers of care home closures have created a vicious circle in the health and social care sector.

"The Government mantra is choice, but choice is denied to older people."

Care homes "in meltdown"

2004-09-07T10:24:00.000+01:00

SG is quoted in today's Guardian, which indicates rising demand for care home places while the number of available places falls.

Care home sales threaten elderly

Sandra Gidley, the Liberal Democrats' spokeswoman for older people, said: "The care home sector is in meltdown yet the government sits idly by. While ministers twiddle their thumbs, the victims of these closures are vulnerable elderly people whose lives are lost through the trauma of an eviction from what they thought was their home for life."

Sandra kicks cholesterol in rugby puns shocker

2004-09-03T11:22:00.000+01:00

SG has stumbled across another "hunky" and "chunky" man in the form of England rugby international Jonny Wilkinson, according to a press release entitled Gidley and Wilkinson kick cholesterol with Boots.

Emphasising her commitment to raising awareness of the nation's cholesterol crisis Sandra Gidley MP said:
"Many people believe that high cholesterol affects those who are over weight or inactive. In fact high cholesterol can affect anyone, including those with healthy lifestyles.

"I whole-heartedly support the Kick Cholesterol campaign. By offering free cholesterol tests in-store, Boots is tackling this issue head on."

Simon Hughes loves GidleyWatch!

2004-09-02T11:22:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Laura Willoghby who emailed this terrific photo of Simon Hughes showing his love for GidleyWatch.

Laura's describes the photo as "New LD president on eve of success." As promised as part of the GidleyWatch Summer Photo Competition, Laura wins a mini prize. I guess we'll have to think of what that's going to be now. If you'd like to win one of our limited mini prizes, find yourself an MP (a different one!) and get them to show their love for GidleyWatch.

Don't forget, closing date for entries to the main competition is the day after the Hartlepool by-election, which the tea leaves suggest will be around the beginning of October - so get snapping.

We're so excited

2004-09-02T09:25:00.000+01:00

Two bits of excitement this morning.

First, we are thrilled by the latest entry to the GidleyWatch Summer Photo Competition which we shall unveil in due course.

Second, our hit tracker reveals that we have been linked to from a new blog on the block. It looks like someone is siding with the LibDem MP for Hereford. A proxy blog has been launched, which makes sense because he needs watching. Ladies and gentlemen, Keetchwatch!

Sandra celebrates Simon's stunning success

2004-09-01T17:03:00.000+01:00

SG, who we learnt only today was Simon Hughes's "English campaign chair", will doubtless be celebrating his election as LibDem party president.

According to the press release for Hughes's campaign, Sandra said:

"We have the policies, we have the people and we now have a winning team to take us towards being a party of government at the next general election."

Domiciliary care

2004-08-25T17:50:00.000+01:00

We were flicking through the latest edition of Community Care (which we get for the gardening pages) when we spotted a name we recognised.

Pace of registration for staff under fire

Elder abuse campaigners and politicians have hit out at the General Social Care Council's recommendation not to fast-track domiciliary care workers on to the social care register.

A consultation paper published this week by the GSCC proposes registering social care managers next. This is despite an inquiry by the House of Commons' health select committee into elder abuse earlier in the year calling for domiciliary care workers to be registered as a priority.
[...]
Liberal Democrat older people spokesperson Sandra Gidley said it was disappointing domiciliary care seemed to be slipping down the agenda.

Community Care, p7, 12-18 August 2004

Gidley pays respects to local activist

2004-08-24T15:15:00.000+01:00

SG was among the mourners at the recent funeral service for Harold Hiscocks, "town stalwart" of Eastleigh, local Methodist and Liberal activist.

Read more about him at This Is Hamphire.

Don't let yourself become the story

2004-08-23T15:02:00.000+01:00

We've been feeling a little introverted lately and will be making an effort this week to get on with some serious GidleyWatching. However, we can't help but mention the blog Letters from Frankfurt (the author appears to be a chap from West Midland Liberal Democrats called Martyn Hencher) which claims to be running us close. We wouldn't like to comment on his supposed evidence, but we think readers should ponder whether this is a supreme act of misdirection.

Is Martyn Hencher behind GidleyWatch?

First born of Romsey in danger?

2004-08-23T14:59:00.000+01:00

So says Comical Tommy:

I am disappointed that the appallingly pro-Liberaldem media have failed to mention that North Cornwall has a Liberaldem MP. This is a judgement from God, I promise you. Even now, I understand the people of Leicester South are preparing for an onslaught of locusts, while Brent East is caught up in the grip of a famine that has never been seen before. I wouldn't bet on the first born of Romsey living through the winter either, I can tell you.

Riddle me this

2004-08-20T00:30:00.000+01:00

SG responds to our failure with her promised second hint:

You will have to guess the TV programme but it might help if I tell you that I had to be pretty fit and part of the programme could easily have featured me in my combats (but didn't). I lived in Tewkesbury at the time.

Our best guess is It's a Knockout or The Krypton Factor (we'd love to see the video of that!). We're not sure if Tewkesbury is a key fact or there to throw us off the scent. Any betters ideas to the usual address.

Sandra Gidley writes

2004-08-19T13:20:00.000+01:00

The GidleyWatch Team (it really isn't just me!) had been wondering of late whether SG is aware of this site. What with encouraging people to take photos of her in Hartlepool and being the second result on Google if you search for Sandra Gidley, we thought there was a fair chance she might have heard of us even if she wasn't one of the number of hits we've had from relay.parliament.uk

Nevertheless, we were stunned late last night to discover a couple of emails from none other than Sandra herself. Was she emailing to warn us of the impending injunction over our cyberstalking? To warn us she'd be sending the boys round if we mentioned Paul Marsden again? (Oops.) Was she entering the GidleyWatch Summer Photo Competition?

No, the minxish MP was challenging us! Apparently, Chemist & Druggist in 1997 was nowhere near her earliest press appearance. "You'll have to do better than that," she wrote.

"Hint - you have missed something in the Gloucestershire press when I appeared on a TV prgramme in 85."

Well, we're always up for a challenge but this has us flummoxed. The newspaper archives we have access to have turned up nothing, and we don't live in Gloucestershire.

Our only hope lies in Sandra G's second email: "Hint 2 - will appear eventually if you do not succes in your quest......"

Who says the summer is the silly season?

"Where there is a will, there is a way"

2004-08-18T17:10:00.000+01:00

To pass the time during the recess, we set ourselves the task of tracking down SG's earliest appearance in the press. The farthest back we've found is an article the oddly-named journal Chemist & Druggist from 1997, marking the investiture of Romsey's favourite elected pharmacist as mayor of the town.

For your enjoyment, some excerpts from Chemist & Druggist, p34, 30 August 1997.

Gold chain of office

Although Sandra Gidley believes that pharmacists do not make good politicians, she does not practise what she preaches. She is the 390th and youngest-ever woman mayor of Romsey.

Sandra graduated from Bath University in 1978 and did her pre- registration at R Gordon Drummonds in Pontypridd the following year.

After positions in and around the Cheltenham and Gloucester area, she moved to Romsey ten years ago. She is now pharmacy manager at Safeways in Bitterne, near Southampton, where she has been for five years.
[...]
After some persuasion, she stood for the position of mayor this year. Initially, she had doubts about her suitability because she thought she lacked experience - and former mayors were all retired and male.

At the investiture ceremony on May 20, which she considers the worst moment of her career, she was dressed in her hat and robes of office on a very hot day, thinking, "What have I done?"

She describes the role of mayor as being the number one citizen and a figurehead. "I get treated like minor royalty and that's fine, as long as they don't treat me like Fergie!" she says.
[...]
She is the type of person who finds time to do things, and her motto is: 'Where there is a will, there is a way'.

She is visibly pleased when she talks about her achievements. She thinks that although many of the changes made are small, they do have an impact on the quality of people's lives in the long run.

She is fighting housing allocation plans, which, she says, will urbanise the south coast, and lead to Romsey, a town a few miles north west of Southampton with a population of about 18,000, becoming a suburb of the port. "In another life, I think that I would have become a town planner," she says.
[...]
After being a councillor, becoming apolitical is one of the harder aspects of the mayor's job to master, she has found. The world of local politics is a strange one and she caused quite a stir by changing the deputy mayor's ribbon from blue to gold.

Her singing has come on since taking office, she has noted. She has been surprised by the number of times she has been to church. "I'm relearning all the hymns that I used to sing as a child," she says.

Kennedy cites Gidley

2004-08-17T17:04:00.000+01:00

A passing mention of SG's famous victory from LibDem leader Charles Kennedy in today's Times.

'Our position is stronger than it has been at any time'

"I have just had my 21st birthday as an MP and I cast my mind back to 1983. The SDP-Liberal Alliance was terribly good at coming second just about everywhere. The only problem was that we did not come first often enough. Now it is completely different. We can take the Conservatives on in the Romsey by-election and win. But in parliamentary seats and whole cities like Newcastle we can take on the Labour establishment and win. That is completely different to what was happening 20 years ago."

Mobile surgeries

2004-08-17T16:54:00.000+01:00

An anonyous reader (and one we can't help suspecting isn't a disinterested member of the public) writes in praise of the mobile surgeries SG runs. She has apparently just finished her latest tour of the constituency.

Since being elected she has held regular monthly surgeries around the constituency but has also held around 200 "mobile" surgeries where she is available in villages, shopping precincts, housing estates and markets. These have proven very popular generating a considerable number of "casework" requests for help by individuals.

Thank you for the contribution, dear reader. More are always welcome. Email gidleywatch@hotmail.com.

Sandra Gidley goes north

2004-08-16T17:35:00.000+01:00

Following our appeal, word reaches us from Hartlepool that SG has arrived! She has been spotted visiting the north-east in support of the LibDems' by-election campaign. Sources tell us that presidential rivals Lembit Öpik and Simon Hughes have already been up, but now the LibDems are wheeling out the big guns. Mandelson beware - SG is on your patch.

This is excellent news for GidleyWatchers depressed by the summer recess, but more importantly it provides an excellent early opportunity for anyone wishing to enter the GidleyWatch Summer Photo Competition. Get to Hartlepool and get snapping!

Community pharmacies

2004-08-10T19:05:00.000+01:00

SG makes an appearance in the News section of this week's Pharmaceutical Journal (always a regular read for the GidleyWatch team).

Keep pharmacy's profile up, says MP

Sandra Gidley, pharmacist and Liberal Democrat spokeswoman on the elderly, has told the National Pharmaceutical Association to keep reminding her Parliamentary colleagues about the benefits of community pharmacy services.

Mrs Gidley, who is Member of Parliament for Romsey, told the NPA management board last week that high profile lobbying after the Office of Fair Trading’s call to remove pharmacy contract controls had left MPs in no doubt about pharmacy’s value at the heart of local communities.

Read the full story: The Pharmaceutical Journal, Vol 273, No 7311, p176, 7 August 2004

UK Poli Blogs

2004-08-09T14:18:00.000+01:00

A new aggregator has been launched to bring together the UK's political blogs and we're on it!

Visit http://www.voidstar.com/ukpoliblog/

And one more

2004-08-05T15:47:00.000+01:00

We spoke too soon - there's now another one: for Michael Clapham MP.

The Others

2004-08-05T11:20:00.000+01:00

There are a number of other sites out there unofficially blogging for MPs. We link to the list at Bloggerheads, but since many of them are kind enough to link to us, we thought we should give them a proper mention. We know of blogs for:

Of course they've all made the same mistake: not writing about Sandra Gidley!

We couldn't let him go without a goodbye

2004-08-04T16:12:00.000+01:00

Paul Marsden is stepping down. Sadly, GidleyWatch wasn't around when various stories about his personal life surfaced last year, so now is the perfect time to remind ourselves what the LibDems' spokesperson on women's issues had to say.

Her comments were covered in a number of newspapers, but obviously the strongest character assassination was always going to be in the Daily Mail:

Yesterday Romsey MP Mrs Gidley said: 'I hadn't realised Paul was so interesting until I heard about this, although I suspect if you took a snapshot of Parliament there would be other people who are being similarly devious.

'I wish they'd concentrate on their jobs.

'Paul's got a marginal seat and I would think he would be putting his energies elsewhere - he would be advised to concentrate on keeping his constituency at the next election.' She added: 'My view is that if you cannot be trusted to stay faithful within your marriage then it's a big part of your honesty and integrity. It's that dishonesty that I don't like.

'If you're in public life I think you should resist temptation.' She was unimpressed, too, at Mr Marsden's publication of amateurish and florid poems on his website for all to see.

One appears to depict a night of passion with a mistress, while another appears to be about his wife's suspicion that he was having an affair.

Mrs Gidley said: 'I think there's something deeply suspect about anyone who keeps on writing poetry like that after they're 17.

'Certainly to do so as an emotional exercise and then print it is just laughable - but then, maybe he's keeping his options open.' Asked if she knew the identity of Mr Marsden's journalist lover, Mrs Gidley said: 'It must be someone with no taste. He certainly doesn't do it for me.'

And now he's stepping down. The pen - or mouth - was mightier than the sword. Poetry worth of Mr Marsden himself.

Perhaps the MP for Hereford should be worried. If that's how she deals with men of whom she disapproves, what does she do to those who stand in her way careerwise?

Launched: The GidleyWatch Summer Photo Competition!

2004-08-03T17:21:00.000+01:00

So enthused were we by our moles in the LibDem by-election camps at Leicester South and Birmingham Hodge Hill (let's face it, espionage is exciting), that we're now looking for a source or sources to help us out with the Hartlepool by-election. We're pretty sure SG will have to visit the Hartlepool LibDems sometime between now and polling day, and we need to know when! If you spot her out and about in Hartlepool, please send us details by email to gidleywatch@hotmail.com.

But there's more... We are offering a prize for the best photo of Sandra Gidley campaigning in Hartlepool. There are rules, of course. Although we don't wish to be bureaucratic, clarity is required:

Entries (scans or digital photos) must be emailed to gidleywatch@hotmail.com to reach us no later than 11.59pm on the day after by-election polling day (whenever that may turn out to be).
Photos must be bona fide Hartlepool campaign shots. No nicking existing photos of SG from the web and pretending you took them in Hartlepool! We'll be looking for evidence that she really is in Hartlepool - landmarks, local campaigners, election literature... It's up to you.
Photos must be taken within the law. We don't think we need to state it, but no stalking. This is for fun, people.
We retain absolute discretion over who wins and what the prize is. So there.
By sending us your photos, you give us the right to reproduce them on the web and to generally do whatever we want with them.

But there's even more... In addition there will be a limited number of mini prizes for photos of MPs (Mandelson, anyone?) holding a sign reading "I love GidleyWatch" (you'll have to make the sign yourselves - sorry), and an extra-special prize for anyone (well, the first person anyway) who photographs Sandra doing so. We don't believe any of you will manage it, but we'll be mightily impressed if you do. (Even if it comes from a Mr Gidley of Romsey.)

Similar rules apply - they must be real photos (no Photoshopping) and you give us permission to use the photos. Oh, and we will accept a heart shape as a substitute for the word "love" as we're old romantics. No deadline for this one, but the sooner the better!

Stitching and rigging in the local press

2004-08-03T17:10:00.000+01:00

It's a stitch-up, blasts Gidley as elderly pensioners in Hampshire find their evening classes axed.

Mrs Gidley said: "I don't have a problem with money going to those areas to help.

"But because you don't live in a deprived ward doesn't mean you don't have needs."

MP accuses health chiefs of rigging figures - as previously reported by GidleyWatch.

Romsey MP Sandra Gidley claims Southampton Primary Care Trust - responsible for front-line health services - tipped its doctors off about what was supposed to be a random survey.
[...]
Mrs Gidley, a former pharmacist, has now accused PCT bosses of "fiddling the figures".

She said: "It is totally unacceptable although I can understand why they did it because they are under enormous pressure to meet these targets.

"But is makes a mockery of the whole system when something is manipulated in such a blatant way. It makes you wonder just how many times this is done with surveys."

Sandra's plan to defeat GidleyWatch?

2004-08-02T11:46:00.000+01:00

Twenty-seven Early Day Motions to report. Twenty-seven. Does SG think that she can cause us so much work we'll give up? That having to report so much will exhaust us?

Oh, how mistaken she is. George Galloway said,

"I salute your courage, your strength, your indefatigability."

He may have been addressing Saddam Hussein, but we know the sentiment was directed at GidleyWatch. Indefatigable we are. The only way SG can defeat us is by doing absolutely nothing, so we have nought to report!

Now we're clear, let's have that mammoth EDM round-up (courtesy of those indefatigable folk at edm.ais.co.uk).

Arctic Campaign Medal (that there should be one)
Genetically Modified Organisms and Consumer Choice
Brighton and Hove Albion (the words "cause" and "lost" spring to mind)
Discrimination in Disability Benefits (ageism)
Supermarkets Closing Post Offices
Second Hand Tobacco Smoke in the Palace of Westminster (objections to)
Alzheimer's Awareness Week (signed eleven days after AAW ended...)
Patient Choice in Mental Healthcare
Changing Lives, Changing Life Campaign (pre-school childcare)
Marie Curie Cancer Care Campaign: Supporting the Choise to Die at Home
Small Businesses and Hazardous Waste (complicated, but basically against dumping of hazardous waste and the Government's failure to publicise waste disposal changes)
Child Pedestrian Death Rate (too many)
Fair Wholesale Arrangements for Independent Retail Newspapers (not enough - and what's a Vertical Agreement (Exclusion) Order??)
Reduction in Homelessness (applauded)
Photovoltaic Cells and Renewable Energy
Fireworks (greater regulation thereof)
Electric Shock Training Collars for Dogs (condemnation thereof)
Prioritisation of Sexual Health
Whaling (down with Japan, Iceland and Norway)
Cottenham Residents, Gypsy and Traveller Declaration
British National Party in Bradford (yay to the BBC, nay to the BNP)
Abandoned Cars and Metal Recycling Plants (more complicated waste disposal regulations)
Loudness of Fireworks (how much bang for your buck)
Home Birth Services
Flooding in Bangladesh (call for aid)
Stamp Duty Rebate for House Buyers Installing Energy Saving Measures (in favour of)
Blocking Access to Child Pornography

Right, what's next?

Sandra Gidley attacks jailing of women

2004-08-01T11:19:00.000+01:00

Saturday's Independent reports the 11th female prison suicide this year in an article headed "Jailing of women attacked as suicides increase".

Sandra Gidley, the Liberal Democrat spokeswoman on women's issues, said: "Most judges are men and have little idea how vulnerable and damaged many of these women are, as well as the fact they may have children they should look after."

The most prominent female LibDem?

2004-08-01T11:15:00.000+01:00

According, to last Friday's Independent, Shirley Williams is

The most prominent female politician in the party

We at GidleyWatch are big fans of Baroness Williams, but we would be failing in our task to promote SG if we didn't beg to differ.

MPs and blogging

2004-07-30T09:00:00.000+01:00

We're chuffed to find a passing mention of this site in a feature in yesterday's Guardian on blogging MPs.

Now, MPs Jim Cousins, Sandra Gidley, Boris Johnson, Alan Milburn, Sarah Teather, Nick Raynsford and Lewis Mooney all have blogs dedicated to them and most are not friendly. The moral is: if you don't launch your own blog, someone might do it for you.

We would like to think that "not friendly" does not aply to GidleyWatch.

The full article is available on the Guardian website.

All over the local papers

2004-07-27T09:23:00.000+01:00

Three appearances in less than a week to report, archived on This Is Hampshire.

It's pot luck for Sandra in big cannabis battle

"Individuals should be allowed to make their own decisions as to whether the possible risks from medicinal cannabis pose a greater threat to their health than the disease from which they suffer."

Ambulance Trust merits zero

Romsey MP, Sandra Gidley, criticised the star rating system for harming staff morale. She said that while ambulance response times were important, the rest of the subjects under scrutiny were not so vital.

"I'm strongly of the opinion that to meet the targets, you need to spend money. I can't see any evidence that the ambulance service is wasting money."

MP warns of crisis over dumped cars

"This will make the fridge mountain look like a molehill. With nowhere for local authorities or industry to store the vehicles they will simply start clogging up our streets.

"Our local councils already have to foot the bill for hundreds of abandoned cars, now they may be left working out what to do with thousands of cars that have nowhere to go."

What Sandra's been saying

2004-07-27T09:19:00.000+01:00

Via her own website, SG updates us on some of her activities.

I had been asked if I would go on the Drencher Wencher. I was not highly amused when my husband joined the queue to try and dunk me and was even less amused when he succeeded.

Archery hits the spot

2004-07-22T22:22:00.000+01:00

The Shropshire Star reports the World Junior Archery Championships Early Day Motion referred to below (we told you they were in Shropshire!).

Sue Doughty, Don Foster, Geoffrey Robinson, Peter Bradley, Sandra Gidley, Jeremy Corbyn and Andrew Rosindell issued a joint statement to the House of Commons wishing the competition every success, and hoping that a successful week will give a boost to London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

Enjoy it - it's probably the only time SG and Andrew Rosindell will issue a joint statement about anything.

Southampton City PCT massaging the figures?

2004-07-22T13:35:00.000+01:00

SG attempted to raise an issue with the PM at yesterday's PMQ's. Before she was interrupted by the Speaker, here's what she asked:

The Prime Minister will be aware that the star ratings for trusts were released today, and that a target for primary care trusts is access to a GP within 48 hours. I wish to share with him a brief email that went out from Southampton City PCT:

"Just a reminder that the Primary Care Access Survey will take place this Wednesday . . . between 11am and 1pm. If you . . . have any problems hitting the . . . 48hrs . . . target, please contact . . . ."

Will the Prime Minister admit—

You can read Tony Blair's reply here thanks to our friends at TheyWorkForYou.com

EDM Watch

2004-07-22T13:23:00.000+01:00

Some worthy causes in this week's list of Early Day Motions signed by the Member of Parliament for Romsey, supplied as ever by edm.ais.co.uk.

Preventing Child Pornography on the Internet (welcoming BT's new system)
Joseph Scholes (treatment of children in the criminal justice system)
Fire Service National Procurement Strategy
World Junior Archery Championships (they're on now in Shropshire, you know)
Legalisation of Medicinal Cannabis (delay in implementation thereof)

Young carers

2004-07-19T18:11:00.000+01:00

Last Tuesday, SG met with fourteen-year-olds Julia Ballard and Claire Anderson to discuss the issues facing young carers ahead of a meeting between Julia and Claire and the Minister of Children.

Full story at Adoption-net.

Polling Day

2004-07-17T23:58:00.000+01:00

Our inside source at the Hodge Hill by-election (who insists that his information is better than Adam's) tells us that SG was out and about in the constituency on Polling Day (last Thursday). She can be proud of her efforts since the Liberal Democrats, although coming second by 460 votes, achieved a swing against Labour larger than that in Leicester South where they were the victors.

Advertiser appearances

2004-07-15T17:00:00.000+01:00

Courtesy of ThisIsHampshire.net, two stories from local papers last week.

On Thursday, the Andover Advertiser reported that Broughton Primary School's fete "was opened by Romsey MP Sandra Gidley." It was a record year for the event, which raised £1,500 for the school.

On Friday, the Romsert Advertiser reported SG's concerns about "the government's mismanagement of out-of-hours medical care."

Mrs Gidley added: "The Government have made a gross misjudgement in failing to foresee just how many family doctors would choose to opt-out of providing emergency cover. It is vital that they now address the reasons why GPs have chosen to opt-out.

"The national shortage of GPs has undoubtedly contributed towards this crisis in out-of-hours care provision.

"This shortage is testament to successive Tory and Labour administrations: Labour has failed to address the aftermath of the Conservative's cull of medical training places.

"I will continue to campaign rigorously for improvement in the provision of out-of-hours medical services in Hampshire."

News from Birmingham

2004-07-14T20:48:00.000+01:00

Our Shop a Sandra campaign has come up trumps! A mole inside the Birmingham by-election campaign tipped us off this evening:

I'm told SG was at Hodge Hill today, doing some canvassing in the Shard End ward of the constituency. Obviously keeping out of trouble with Andrew Stunnell, the LD Chief Whip, who has ordered all MPs to get down to a by-election.

Of course, we doubt Sandra, of all people, would need convincing of the merits of helping at by-elections!

By-election update

2004-07-08T18:41:00.000+01:00

Those regular visitors who come here because of SG's political status (rather than her gay icon status) will be aware that there are a couple of by-elections currently being fought in the Midlands.

An inside source tells us that the Member of Parliament for Romsey has been out and about in Leicester South, campaigning to help Parmjit Singh Gill become the new MP.

But what of Hodge Hill? We have heard no news. So, Birmingham activists - Shop a Sandra! If you've seen SG in Hodge Hill (or if you're a Leicester resident who particularly enjoyed her canvassing technique), let us know with an email to gidleywatch@hotmail.com

EDM Watch

2004-07-07T13:58:00.000+01:00

It's that time again, so let's see what SG has put her name to this week, via the helpful folk at edm.ais.co.uk.

Ivory Trade (concern at its possible resumption)
Trophy Hunting
Treat Me Right Campaign (healthcare for people with a learning disability)
Guide Dogs' Services Campaign
Disney Children's Pyjamas and Reach Legislation (seriously, it's about pyjamas)
Higher Education Bill and Provision for Gap Year Students
Unsolicited Internet Charges (tricking computers into calling premium rate phone numbers)
Television Services for Blind and Partially Sighted People
Duty to Promote Gender Equality

Thanks

2004-07-05T22:19:00.000+01:00

...to GidleyFan bloggers Topical Fish, Will Howells, Peter Black AM and Anders Hanson for giving this site a mention on theirs. Also thanks to Bloggerheads for listing us on the Blog Your MP page, and to the other similar sites that have linked to us: those for Alan Milburn and Jim Cousins.

What MPs are for

2004-07-05T22:08:00.000+01:00

We realise that, as well as providing a target for gentle ribbing, MPs actually perform a very valuable service. So we've selected some of SG's recent Written Questions. Remember that you can always keep up-to-date with her Commons contributions via the TheyWorkForYou.com box in the sidebar.

Drink Spiking: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department

(1) how many incidents of drink spiking were reported in England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what research his Department is funding into drug assisted rape and sexual assault; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what campaigns his Department is funding to warn people of the danger of drug rape; and if he will make a statement.

(Read Caroline Flint's answer.)
Adult Education: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on provision of non-vocational adult education.

(Read Ivan Lewis's answer.)
Directorships: To ask the Minister for Women what assessment she has made of the trends in the percentage of women in directorships of FTSE 100 companies.

(Read the response from Patricia Hewitt, DTI Secretary but on this occasion in her secret identity as Minister for Women.)

This last answer provides the pretty damning statistic that in 2003 only 3.7% of FTSE company executive directors were women. The only positive spin is that this was a 0.7% rise on 2002.

Is that Paul Keetch's chopper?

2004-07-05T21:58:00.000+01:00

As the Keetch/Gidley saga rolls on (can't we be authoritative and imaginative??), the GidleyWatch Team have tracked down evidence of Paul and Sandra in happier times:
http://www.sandragidley.org/Images/romsey/sgpkfly2.jpg

Rumours that the two MPs were seen recently at dinner at Granita remain unconfirmed.