My week ahead, 7 - 13 April (and beyond) 2014

Monday – 7 April, Culture Portfolio meeting
4pm - 6pm Labour campaigning

Wednesday – 9 April, 2pm, Attending and participating in a meeting with the Shadow Defence team at the Houses of Parliament

Thursday – 10 April, 9am , Depart for a Duke of Edinburgh Expedition in Mid Wales

Tuesday 15 April – Thursday 22 May Campaigning for both the Borough and European elections

My last regular ‘week ahead’ column till the end of May

Well the ‘short’ campaign has started for the May elections – I am sure with the election so late in May it seems like a ‘long- short’ campaign!

With the serious campaigning starting it will now see a reduction in the number of meetings that a councillor can attend. But we still have some important meetings including the Planning Committee.

I also have an important date at the end of the month when I will be attending a special Centenary ‘Birthday Party’ at my former Primary School St Helen's on Woodbridge Road. It will be a privilege to attend this important occasion at the school which gave me such a good start in life.

This Wednesday I have been invited to Westminster to speak with the Shadow Defence Team as they work their policies they hope to implement in 2015 if we win the General Election. The good news for everyone is that the Labour Defence team are speaking to veterans, military experts and families when they look at their plans for the military. The Armed Forces have seen its morale depressed by the savage cuts imposed by the Tory Government. Improving morale and creating an Armed Forces that can still play an important part in world defence.

As i mentioned at the start of this post, this will be my last ‘week ahead’ post till the end of May, this is because any spare minute I get will spent campaigning for Labour in Ipswich. It is important that you do not ‘burn out’ over the next 6 weeks so there will be occasional breaks from delivering and talking to resident, most of these will be watching football but I also have a few days in Mid Wales leading a Duke of Edinburgh expedition.

Walking up mountains in Wales will be good training for the many miles I will be walking as we deliver the Labour message to the residents of Ipswich.