Kent Messenger Columns

Every week I write a column in the Dartford Messenger, archived articles can be found here

• New Year

  Date: Tue 1st January 2013
  2012 has to go down as one of the most remarkable years for our Country. For the first time since 1948 we hosted the Olympic Games. At first, many of us sneered at the games fearing an over budget, chaotic repeat of the Millennium Dome fiasco. However, as the date for the commencement of the games d... more >

• Merry Christmas

  Date: Tue 18th December 2012
  I confess that I thoroughly enjoy the Christmas period. Having young children means that in our house it is a fairly traditional event with presents, family gatherings and over eating. I admit to a slight feeling of resentment towards those who have completed their Christmas preparations early, part... more >

• Gay marriage

  Date: Tue 11th December 2012
  Gay marriage is an issue that provokes strong feelings in many people. I have received a large amount of correspondence on the issue since the prospect of it being legalised was raised. This week the government set out its plans on the issue and has paved the way for a vote in the New Year. If the p... more >

• Leveson report

  Date: Tue 4th December 2012
  The main topic of interest in Westminster over the last fortnight has been the eagerly awaited Leveson report. The subject of press regulation is one that fascinates journalists and politicians but reaction to the issue from others can be mixed. What is essential is that in order for there to be a ... more >

• Dartford placed on flood alert

  Date: Wed 28th November 2012
  This week Dartford has been placed on flood alert by the Environment Agency. This follows the severe flooding we are seeing in some parts of the West Country. Our River Darent has swollen and the Dartford Marshes can only take so much water. The good news is that water levels are not at the moment e... more >

• Gareth Johnson meets with Federation of Small Business

  Date: Tue 20th November 2012
  This week, I hosted a conference in Westminster of Kent business owners with the Federation of Small Business. The theme of the meeting was ‘Keep Trade Local’, and was designed to give small business owners in Dartford and North Kent a chance to give their views on the current issues aff... more >

• Unemployment falls in Dartford

  Date: Tue 6th November 2012
  The most recent unemployment figures showed that unemployment in the UK fell by some 50,000 claimants with a record 30 million people now in employment. Clearly this is good news for the country and has been welcomed on all sides of the House of Commons. Dartford has had some tough times in ensuri... more >

• Right to vote for prisoners

  Date: Tue 30th October 2012
  In May of this year, the European Court of Human Rights gave Britain six months to outline proposals on giving prisoners the right to vote in elections. This has been an ongoing issue since 2005 when the Court ruled that a total ban on voting for prisoners was illegal. We are now coming up to that d... more >

• Jimmy Savile

  Date: Tue 23rd October 2012
  The recent revelations over Jimmy Savile have been a shock to almost all of us who grew up with him regularly on the television. It has also led to the BBC being scrutinised like never before. Over 400 lines of enquiry are now being followed up by the Police, with many former victims emerging from t... more >

• Ebbsfleet International

  Date: Tue 16th October 2012
  Last week I was fortunate to visit Ebbsfleet International and meet some of the most senior members of the companies which run and operate out of the station; HS1, Southeastern Trains and Eurostar. Ebbsfleet is a major hub in our constituency and it is going to be an increasingly important part of o... more >

• Plans for a Theme Park on the Swanscombe Peninsula

  Date: Tue 9th October 2012
  The biggest news in the constituency this week is the unveiling of plans for a £2 billion regeneration project on the Swanscombe Peninsula, creating some 27,000 jobs in the local area. There is no doubt that an investment on this scale has the potential to transform our local economy and I am... more >

• Conference

  Date: Tue 2nd October 2012
  At this time of year many MPs and Party activists head off to Manchester, Brighton, Birmingham or elsewhere to their party’s Conference. For all political parties, Conference has traditionally been a way for the leadership to keep in touch with its party members, and encourage filtering of gr... more >

• Police and Firearms

  Date: Tue 25th September 2012
  Following the death of Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, the two policewomen tragically killed recently in Manchester, the question of whether the police should be armed has once again entered the public domain. I strongly believe that the police in Britain should not routinely carry firearms. I have be... more >

• Press Freedom

  Date: Wed 19th September 2012
  A year after phone hacking scandals led to the closure of one of the UK’s biggest newspapers, this week has seen the debate about press freedom and privacy back in the public eye with topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge being published in a French magazine. I firmly believe that a free... more >

• Health tourism

  Date: Tue 11th September 2012
   I was shocked to read in a recent report that the UK pays up on time for the treatment received by British nationals abroad, yet the record for recovering funds for treatment of overseas visitors in the UK, either from individuals or their governments, is abysmal. When I raised the matter with... more >

• Paralympics

  Date: Thu 6th September 2012
  Following the spectacular success of the Olympic Games, both in terms of medals and organisation, it is now the turn of the Paralympic athletes to compete against each other. Although I was unsuccessful in bidding for tickets to the Olympics I was able to get Paralympics tickets and I thoroughly en... more >

• Housing

  Date: Wed 29th August 2012
  It is said that an Englishman’s home is his castle, yet getting on the property ladder, or even finding affordable rented accommodation, is not as easy as it once was. Like many others, I was shocked last week to read the story of a refugee family who were given a £2 million home in an e... more >

• Unemployment Figures

  Date: Tue 21st August 2012
  Last week, figures were published that showed unemployment in Dartford has fallen over the past 12 months to just 3.8% of the local population. These figures are very welcome and represent an important part of the economy that is moving in the right direction. Although we may not be out of the wood... more >

• Olympic Legacy

  Date: Tue 14th August 2012
  With Britain’s extremely successful Olympics now over and a lull before the Paralympics begin, much attention is being drawn to the Olympic legacy and whether the spirit of London 2012 will live on after the summer. The truth is, we won’t find out for another decade or so whether the Ga... more >

• Cycling at the Olympics

  Date: Mon 6th August 2012
  With an incredible 9 Team GB medals so far in the Olympics cycling events, and our first ever Tour de France win, it’s no surprise that cycling is increasing in popularity. It is important, however, to match this newfound cycling enthusiasm with road awareness. Last year, a record number of 4... more >