Kent Messenger Columns

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

• Last week’s Spending Review

  Date: Thu 4th November 2010
  Last week’s Spending Review was delivered with the general support of the public who recognise that the country has to make cuts in expenditure. The controversies are over how, when and where those cuts are made. As with credit card debts, overspends cannot continue unchecked and one of the r... more >

• Increased powers of appeal against unduly lenient sentences

  Date: Fri 29th October 2010
  Gareth Johnson questioned the Solicitor General, Edward Garnier, in the House of Commons Chamber about increasing the powers of appeal against sentences that are unduly lenient. At present only a small number of offences are subject to appeal if the sentence imposed by the Judge is unduly lenient. ... more >

• Orchard Theatre

  Date: Thu 21st October 2010
  I recently visited the excellent Orchard Theatre to hear about how the theatre is run, its forthcoming productions and how it interacts with the community as it still receives public money.  It is certainly an impressive 960 seat theatre which is well maintained and it was fascinating to see be... more >

• Contaminated blood during the 1980s

  Date: Thu 14th October 2010
  This week there is a debate in Parliament relating to those people who were infected with contaminated blood during the 1980s. The debate will push for an enquiry into contaminated blood to try and compensate haemophiliacs and others who were infected with Hepatitis C in the late 1970s and 1980s thr... more >

• Bluewater’s Young Apprentice Scheme

  Date: Thu 7th October 2010
  Last week I attended Bluewater’s Young Apprentice Scheme graduation ceremony where I met the apprentices that had been through a rigorous retail training scheme. This scheme itself is recognised in the retail industry as the gold standard that all other apprenticeship schemes aspire to be lik... more >

• World’s largest wind farm

  Date: Thu 30th September 2010
  Last week the world’s largest wind farm opened off the Kent Coast which will provide electricity to up to 200,000 homes in Kent. I have had many people contact me about the use of this type of energy. For some these farms are the answer to our energy requirements, providing seemingly endless ... more >

• Spending Review

  Date: Thu 23rd September 2010
  In a few weeks the Coalition Government will be publishing its spending review which will look at areas of public expenditure and how they can be reduced in order to tackle the huge budget deficit that this country needs to deal with. It certainly will be controversial and painful. Other than health... more >

• Home-Start

  Date: Thu 16th September 2010
  Last Friday I visited the Home-Start North West Kent charity run by a dedicated team and based in Temple Hill Square.  They provide an excellent service by training volunteers to help vulnerable families. They are one of the many groups in Dartford who selflessly help out local people with litt... more >

• Gareth Johnson meets Secretary of State for Transport and Roads Minister over the future of the Dartford Crossing

  Date: Thu 26th August 2010
  I will occasionally write about Bills passing through Parliament to seek your opinion.  One such Bill is the Constitutional Reform Bill which proposes Fixed Term Parliaments, a reduction and re-sizing of constituencies and a vote on the electoral system for electing MPs. Fixed Term Parliaments... more >

• History

  Date: Thu 19th August 2010
  The sheer sense of our inheritance and history is something that strikes all new MPs and the majority of us believe in its continuation. The main Parliament building was destroyed by fire in 1834 and only Westminster Hall, where our monarchs and heads of state lie in state on death, has survived. T... more >

• Alzheimer's and Dementia Support Services

  Date: Thu 29th July 2010
  Last week I visited Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Services who are leading the fight against dementia. Whilst there are drugs to help Alzheimer’s there is nothing yet proven that helps dementia.  The onset of dementia can be a frightening prospect for both the sufferer and the... more >

• Privilege of Parliament and attending the Dartford Festival

  Date: Thu 22nd July 2010
  One of the privileges of being the local MP is to attend the myriad of community events in the constituency, the latest of which was last weekend’s fun packed Dartford Festival. It was a pleasure to see so many families spending time together and enjoying the performances by a large number of... more >

• MP's first Kent Messenger column 15th July 2010

  Date: Thu 15th July 2010
  I write my first column for the Dartford Messenger not just as your new MP but also as someone who has always had strong links with Dartford. I live in the constituency with my wife and two young children, I am a former Dartford Grammar School boy and I worked in Dartford as a solicitor in the crimi... more >