Ben Gummer M.P. on Alcohol Minimun Pricing.

Ben Gummer: Minimum Drink Price Increases Choice.

Tendance Coatesy publishes this right to reply on alcohol minimum pricing by Ben Gummer M.P. (Con) Ipswich, Mayor of Ipswich, Cabinet Minister for Ipswich, Editor, Evening Star (Ipswich) and (Honorary) President of the St Jude’s Junior League of Moderate and Well-Behaved Drinkers (Ipswich).

“It’s been a hectic time in town lately. My new Waitrose and John Lewis stores have opened. I am building 2,000 new homes on the outskirts of Ipswich. I set up a new Christmas Tree on the Corn Hill.

It’s boost, boost, boost for Ipswich!

Further across the County I’ve been welcoming SERCO’s takeover of Suffolk Community Services.

Their bold plan to make 100 “full time equivalent” posts  go,  including community nurses and physiotherapists, is all about improving our health service.

What could me more appropriate than that a company that runs Detention Centres, Prisons and is involved in the Defence Industry, should be running Suffolk NHS?

Now my government is extending choice to drinkers.

The 45p minimum would mean a can of strong lager could not be sold for less than about £1.56 and a bottle of wine below £4.22.

This will open up the opportunity for people to explore the world of other drinks, such as vintage wine, not affected by the changes.

A bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild ’82 may cost £5.736,22 but there are plenty of bargains out there at less than a £100!

Some may say that this kind of drink is only for the wealthy.

For the less well-off  Sainsbury’s does a perfectly acceptable ‘Basics’ 4 pack of bitter (2% alcohol) for only a £1.00. Its price will not rise.

My good friend Andrew Coates knows I’ve read Chomsky.

What does he think of this action by the European oligarchs?

Putting a minimum price of alcohol is illegal, the European Commission has warned David Cameron.

The nine-page letter from Brussels to the Prime Minister says the scheme would break laws governing the free movement of goods.

The Home Office proposal is to ban the sale of alcohol for less than 45p per unit in an effort to target heavy drinkers.

Ben Gummer MP: “Mediocre” Councillors Need Replacing by Business Representatives.

Gummer: Give Businesses the Vote!

“A Conservative MP says many local councils are “self-governing oligarchies of mediocre people”.

Ben Gummer, who represents Ipswich, was speaking at a fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference organised by the 2020 group of Tory MPs.

The group sees itself as a factory for radical political ideas.

He suggested shaking up local government so that councillors solely representing local businesses could be elected to town halls.

Mr Gummer acknowledged the idea “had no hope of getting into a manifesto” but pointed to the City of London, as a model for how his idea works in practice.

Mr Gummer described his own local authority, Labour-run Ipswich Borough Council, as all too often “getting in people’s way” and “frustrating ambition.”

“The calibre of many councillors often leaves something to be desired,” he said.

“Most of them can’t read a balance sheet. Business councillors could release aspiration.

From the BBC.

Our so-called rivals in Ipswich Spy comment that this report is unfair.

Perhaps it only Labour councillors who are “mediocre”.

Shining Ipswich councillors such as “Coco the Clown”, Andrew Cann (Liberal), “Throws a Wobbly Daily” Judy Terry (Conservative) and John Carnall (Conservative) , “Flog off everything cut-price to our mates”, certainly showed what a Business-led Council could achieve during their long period of Coalition.

The Blue-Bottle sculpture  on top of the Major’s Corner Toilets is a beacon to local enterprise and a monument to the ousted Liberal-Tory administration of the town.

Ipswich Spy goes on to state,

Mr Gummer’s suggestion that businesses should have votes in the same way as the public does is certainly interesting, but he isn’t wrong when he says it probably won’t make it into the manifesto. Ultimately any votes given to businesses would be portrayed as taking away democratic representation from the voting public. What we need instead is some answers to hard questions. Why do we need so many councillors, for instance, and why aren’t those leading our business sector coming forward to stand for election?

Indeed, it would be “portrayed” in this way: that’s because it is anti-democratic!

The City of London may be the democratic model of Benedict Gummer, but not, one suspects, many people.

The Ipswich MP is already Editor of the Ipswich Evening Star (see pages, 2,3,5,6,7,11 for daily photos and articles about Benedict), Cabinet Minister for Ipswich, Mayor of Ipswich.

Now he wants to be the Voice of the City as well.

Food Banks, the Co-op, Ipswich Christians and Ben Gummer MP.

 

 

 

 

FIND (Families in Need) is now running Food Banks in Ipswich. 

The East of England Co-operative Society has launched collection points across a selection of its stores in the Ipswich area, to aid its support of local Ipswich charity FIND (Families in Need).

 

The charity, run by Maureen Reynel MBE and a group of volunteers, helps to support those in both Ipswich and the surrounding areas that fall into deprivation, and below sustainable standards of living. 

 

They provide food parcels containing long life foods, such as pasta and rice as well as fresh food, toiletries, cleaning equipment and baby food and nappies when required. 

 

You can find them, clearly marked “A Christian initiative” in all the local Co-op Shops.

 

Meanwhile Benedict Gummer Ipswich Tory MP is not shy of making political capital out of people’s misery. 

 

Ipswich MP Ben Gummer met with Maureen and her team to reiterate his support for the great work that is being carried out by FIND, supported by the East of England Co-operative Society. 

He said, “The work done by FIND is magnificent.  Many families are having an incredibly tough time at the moment: the cost of living is going up, but wages are being kept on hold or being cut.  As the fires of the Eurozone crisis continue to burn, we must do all we can to help the most needy at the level where we can really make a difference – in our own community.  

“That is why FIND is doing such a great job looking after those who suddenly find themselves in a situation where they cannot help themselves.  I congratulate the Co-op, a great local business, for supporting this great local charity.”

It’s a comment on our Welfare system that people are driven to ask for rice and pasta from religious charities.

 

 

As for Mr Gummer: perhaps instead of the ‘Euro crisis’ he might care to look at the ‘Welfare Reform’ his government is carrying out that makes people rely on the good works of the Charitable.

 

FIND: “a Christian based registered charity that was founded in 1990 to provide emergency assistance to families or individuals affected by poverty or dispossession.”

 

 

Ben Gummer MP to Carry Olympic Torch Through Ipswich.

 

Is this the Grooviest Torch Bearer Ever?

Ben Gummer, Ipswich MP, Cabinet Secretary for Ipswich, Mayor of Ipswich, Editor of the Ipswich Star and candidate for Suffolk Police and Crime commissioner, writes his occasional column,

“It’s a big thank you to the people of Ipswich in voting me the lead Olympic Torch Carrier through Ipswich!

I was just in the West Cornwall Pasty Co Ltd Tavern Street and I can say that my Cabinet’s decision to slap a juicy quid on the price of a hot pasty has gone down, like hot cakes!

‘Ben in the Pub’ is a bit of  success as well, as my plans to raise the price of a pint to Scottish Nationalist levels is proving quite a hit as well.

This year it’s all go.

I’ll be ‘carrying the torch’ straight through Ipswich Town Centre, on Super Jubilee Tuesday, where well-wishers and others are welcome to send greetings.

I read Chomsky you know!”

Ben Gummer MP: Reduce Wages, Make It Easy to Sack, and Boost, Boost Ipswich!

Ben Gummer Ipswich MP, Cabinet Secretary for Ipswich, Editor of the Evening Star, and Candidate for Suffolk Police Commissioner, writes his regular Guest Post for Tendance Coatesy.

“It’s been a great week for Suffolk.

Following the collapse of the Ipswich Library Co-operative and some cost-cutting the future looks rosy for local libraries. 

More volunteering opportunities are springing up daily.

My plan to raise the price of a pint is getting more and more support in my regular ‘meet Ben’ meetings in local pubs.

Now my government has announced a super-plan to reduce local wages in the public sector and make it easier to sack workers.

That’s the way to tackle unemployment and low pay!

Now I and my colleagues from Ipswich Conservative Party plan to get rid of Ipswich buses.

A special central government Commission will privatise the company.

The socialist dictators who run this Stalinist planned economy in the town I love so much (on my occasional, indeed, frequent, visits), will be on the run! ”