The words and deeds of the Tory 40 Group

Since 2010 a group of 40 Conservative MPs in the most marginal seats have been meeting to organise, plan and fundraise for their re-election.

If you live in one of the Tory defensive 40 seats, you may well be familiar with the ‘local’ Conservative MP holding a jobs fair, sending out booklets on how to reduce energy costs or providing helpful sound bites on things like the need to increase the minimum wage. Conservative Home says of the “40 Group”:

“The raison d’etre of the group is, obviously, trying to hold onto the forty most threatened seats…the group primarily meets so that MPs can explain what they are doing in their local areas, and share campaigning tips.”

Members of the 40 Group are trying to achieve one thing: maximise the advantages of incumbency. Yet three years into this Parliament and one big hurdle stands in their way: their voting records.

Unless you live in Halesowen and Rowley Regis you may not have heard of James Morris. Those that have probably know him as the man who leaked a private email meant for his namesake, Labour’s pollster, which he had received in error. James Morris keeps a low profile on the national scene but with an extremely well-funded campaign, he manages to send colour brochures direct to thousands of local people, and pay for expensive ‘wrap around’ propaganda sheets in local papers.

In all of these publications, very few column inches are dedicated to his voting record in Parliament.

This is unsurprising since I have found 15 examples of where my opponent says one thing locally whilst acting differently in Westminster. I’ve listed the examples on my web site, so that local people can make up their own minds about the difference between words and deeds.

It can’t be easy being a Conservative MP in a marginal seat. Government decisions have had a negative impact on many thousands of their constituents. In Sandwell and Dudley the average first time buyer is 38 years old. Rents have risen above wages. There’s a huge waiting list for social housing. It’s so important to local people that my Tory opponent has made a video about housing policy. He wrote about it in the local paper.

He did the same in the area of childcare policy, even demanding a debate in the House of Commons saying “one of the key problems getting into employment is affordable and accessible childcare.” He followed this up with a strongly worded article on the importance of helping local families with parenting and childcare.

The only thing he hasn’t done with these issues? Vote in the Commons for motions that would have increased free childcare from 15 to 20 hours and increase the amount of social housing.

Does empathising with local people on issues that are negatively affecting their lives make a difference to my opponent’s standing in the community? Well the group of MPs representing 40 marginal seats seems to think so. I haven’t yet established whether they do these mini-stunts to obfuscate their voting records or atone for them. Either way, I’m determined that local people are made aware of my opponent’s actions, as well as his words.

Talk to local business people in Halesowen and Rowley Regis and they will tell you their stories of misery involving Britain’s banks. Merchant banking is not a popular profession amongst the hard working manufacturers of the Black Country. When he visited the constituency, my Tory opponent spoke with indignation at the unfairness of bonus packages paid to bankers. In a strongly worded statement to the local paper he declared that:

“This is a basic issue of fairness…At a time when local families are having to make sacrifices to make ends meet, it is wrong that banks that were rescued by taxpayer bail-outs should be offering enormous bonus packages.”

Last month he voted against a motion that would tackle the bonuses paid by banks that were bailed out during the crisis. When my campaign team tell people their MP voted against a Labour motion to tackle bankers’ bonuses, people act with disbelief.

Holding the party of government to account is what opposition parties are supposed to do. And thanks to web sites like the Public Whip, the ubiquity of social media and a little home research, it will be a lot easier to discuss serious issues in more depth at the 2015 election. Three years into the coalition, Labour candidates have the opportunity to contrast the words spoken by their Tory opponents with their actions in the division lobbies. At the very least we should be expecting our opponents to account for their voting record to their constituents.

Stephanie Peacock is Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for her home constituency of Halesowen and Rowley Regis. Stephanie’s local party are fundraising to send a cost of living survey out. Donate a few pounds to help here.

Have you got examples of where your local Tory MP says one thing and does another? Share them on twitter with the hash tag #40Cons