A true honour and privilege - I was elected Chairman of Tottenham Conservatives Constituency Association. Below is my New Year message:
Dear Member/Supporter,
Firstly, may I wish you a very Happy New Year – and what an exciting year we have ahead of us!
Before I turn to what is ahead of us in 2012, first, let us reflect on what has passed. 2011 was a terrible year for Tottenham but a year with a further-tarnished reputation as a result of the riots that hit our area not to mention the wanton looting in Tottenham Hale and elsewhere. I am deeply saddened that the reviews seem to reveal an under-estimated response by the police especially in the first riot in Tottenham but I am more worried and unhappy about the apparent evidence of social breakdown which appears to be happening in our area. Young people are understandably disillusioned and I very much hope that that the Coalition policies – particularly in respect to making it pay more to work – will gradually bear fruit. Sadly, I am concerned that Haringey Council are not cutting in the right areas – instead of cutting Council bureaucracy (e.g. the Haringey People magazine) they are reducing elderly care services instead. This is NOT right and I would encourage you to attend the public meeting taking place on 11 January or making your views known at www.haringey.gov.uk/abettersociety .
Last year was also a year of inspiration and a community pulling together. After the riots, I was truly humbled to see how people had given so much to help those who were afflicted by the criminal rioters and arsonists. I hope the Council is giving its full support to them too. Slowly but surely, the Conservative-led Government is starting to deliver too on its pledges – such as cutting red tape for the police and allowing doctors to get on with their job and being asked to achieve proper health outcomes instead of having to constantly reach target after target under old and tired Labour. On the subject of Labour, they have been an ineffective opposition and Ed Miliband has been wrong again and again on almost all policy areas – the legacy of financial mess they left us is denied by them constantly.
2012 will be an eventful year where Britain can show the world why there is the word “Great” in Great Britain. We host the greatest sporting event ever in our own city and also Her Majesty The Queen will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee on the throne. Despite hard times, we have an opportunity to really show off and to inspire our young people across the country that dreams and ambitions are essential if our country is to be prosperous and successful for years to come.
This year will also be a year where we MUST re-elect Boris Johnson. He had delivered a cut in crime of almost 9% with robberies down 20%. Over 10,000 knives have been taken off the streets so far and youth violence has gone down by 15%. Crime on the buses and Tube has gone down 30% and 25% respectively since he came into power – and all this in only 4 years! Just imagine what he can do in another 4 years! Much more information on what Boris has done can be found here: www.backboris2012.com
In order to help Boris get re-elected, we must not rest on our laurels, we must get out there and campaign, deliver and canvass! Just get in touch with us and come and help! In addition to Boris – we also are supporting our GLA candidate for Haringey-Enfield – Mr Andy Hemsted. We are right behind him and we know he could be a fantastic GLA representative for our area – hugely more effective than our sitting Labour rep... So please do get in touch to help us support him too – he has a super chance of success but we need your support to push him over the finish line!
Finally, I am pleased to say that our membership is being reinvigorated and we are making a big push to drive up numbers to join us. If you are reading this and you’re not a member – please get in touch – we are a very friendly bunch and I know you’ll enjoy both all the good work we put in for the Conservatives cause but also the really excellent social events we hold including inviting many MPs to come and talk to us – there is even a chance to see Iain Duncan-Smith on 20 January not to mention a cheese and wine evening with Penny Mordaunt, MP, on 25 January – plus lots, lots more to come.
So then, join in the fun and the big campaigns in 2012 – with every good wish for the coming months! Health and happiness to you all.
Best wishes.
Tim Caines
Chairman, Tottenham Conservative Association
January 2012
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Election aftermath and now a CSR
Well, it's been a long time since I last posted on my blog. I wonder if you need a particular attitude or mentality to keep on updating people on the happenings of your life or whether people do it as part of an opening-up process which somehow allows them to feel 'cleansed' afterwards. Well, clearly I've been busy with life and maybe now I am falling into the latter category. I always thought this blog might end up turning into a public diary and so maybe it will evolve that way as time goes by. I'll need more followers though - so maybe that will get better over time too! ;-).
OK - right, the local election. I'm very happy and grateful to all those here in Harringay who supported me with their vote in May. I am very pleased that the Conservative vote increased greatly. Onwards and upwards!
We face major challenges over the next few years. Now that Labour have a bigger mandate over the Council I fear they will take the wrong decisions in order to spite the Coalition's benign intentions to bring the economy back from the ever-increasing debt. How can anyone justify just passing on all this debt to future generations? I wouldn't dream of passing debt to my children and this should be a principle of any administration.
At the Full Council on 22 November, I aim to ask the Leader of the Council how she can account for wasteful spending when Haringey Council has its own black hole to deal with.
Keep posted for my next post.
OK - right, the local election. I'm very happy and grateful to all those here in Harringay who supported me with their vote in May. I am very pleased that the Conservative vote increased greatly. Onwards and upwards!
We face major challenges over the next few years. Now that Labour have a bigger mandate over the Council I fear they will take the wrong decisions in order to spite the Coalition's benign intentions to bring the economy back from the ever-increasing debt. How can anyone justify just passing on all this debt to future generations? I wouldn't dream of passing debt to my children and this should be a principle of any administration.
At the Full Council on 22 November, I aim to ask the Leader of the Council how she can account for wasteful spending when Haringey Council has its own black hole to deal with.
Keep posted for my next post.
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Letter to all residents of Harringay - hopefully to go out over next few days to as many houses as I can muster!
April 2010
Dear resident of Harringay,
I hope you can take some time to read this small letter.
As you probably know, there are soon to be elections across the country – both a General Election and also the local Council elections here – probably on 6 May 2010.
I just want to take some time to explain my personal views on how I feel our democracy needs a shake-up and what matters here locally:
• I am running for the Council for the first time and at the age of 27, I want to bring youth and fresh (and real) honesty to a Council that has seen its reputation plummet across the nation (Victoria Climbié and Baby P - tragedies that must never happen again). Our democracy needs renewal (and locally vulnerable children need better protection).
• At a time when we are all feeling the pinch of Labour’s debt, I, locally, want to see Haringey residents pay less Council Tax. Labour has been leading the Council since 1971 – do you really think things have improved as they should here? In my view, Labour isn’t working.
• Schools across the Borough are unfairly disadvantaged in that they only receive outer-London funding – 27 out 66 Haringey schools face year-end deficits. That must surely have a bad effect on our children’s education?
• I want more funding for Harringay & St Ann’s Local Area Assembly.
• I know there are issues that concern you on the ladder roads including Wightman Road – let’s work together! For example, a CPZ review or crime reduction in Harringay passage).
I’ve got lots of ideas to help and I also pledge my full energy, enthusiasm and honest character to support and listen to all. I hope you can vote for me on Election Day for a new start in Harringay. Vote for Change!
Tim Caines – Conservative Council candidate for Harringay Ward
tim@tottenhamconservatives.com
www.facebook.com/timcainesforharringay
http://timcaines.blogspot.com
PS. Feel free to join my Facebook group above to show your support or just to get more information on me. Thanks for taking the time to read this letter – signed by me personally - I did each one! A personal commitment on my part!
Dear resident of Harringay,
I hope you can take some time to read this small letter.
As you probably know, there are soon to be elections across the country – both a General Election and also the local Council elections here – probably on 6 May 2010.
I just want to take some time to explain my personal views on how I feel our democracy needs a shake-up and what matters here locally:
• I am running for the Council for the first time and at the age of 27, I want to bring youth and fresh (and real) honesty to a Council that has seen its reputation plummet across the nation (Victoria Climbié and Baby P - tragedies that must never happen again). Our democracy needs renewal (and locally vulnerable children need better protection).
• At a time when we are all feeling the pinch of Labour’s debt, I, locally, want to see Haringey residents pay less Council Tax. Labour has been leading the Council since 1971 – do you really think things have improved as they should here? In my view, Labour isn’t working.
• Schools across the Borough are unfairly disadvantaged in that they only receive outer-London funding – 27 out 66 Haringey schools face year-end deficits. That must surely have a bad effect on our children’s education?
• I want more funding for Harringay & St Ann’s Local Area Assembly.
• I know there are issues that concern you on the ladder roads including Wightman Road – let’s work together! For example, a CPZ review or crime reduction in Harringay passage).
I’ve got lots of ideas to help and I also pledge my full energy, enthusiasm and honest character to support and listen to all. I hope you can vote for me on Election Day for a new start in Harringay. Vote for Change!
Tim Caines – Conservative Council candidate for Harringay Ward
tim@tottenhamconservatives.com
www.facebook.com/timcainesforharringay
http://timcaines.blogspot.com
PS. Feel free to join my Facebook group above to show your support or just to get more information on me. Thanks for taking the time to read this letter – signed by me personally - I did each one! A personal commitment on my part!
Thursday, 25 March 2010
A recent letter to a local Tottenham newspaper - hopefully to be published
Dear Sir
I would like to express my concern that, following the recent Budget, no mention was made to abolishing the terrible ID card scheme. Why should the Government waste so much taxpayer’s money on something that will do little to protect us and so much to reduce our civil liberties and privacy? Similar to the giant, failed, NHS computer records scheme, this Government seems incapable of executing any project successfully and always involves significant expense for the taxpayer. Also, instead of selling off the Student Loan Book to a private company with the probable inherent risk of increased interest loan debts for students, why doesn’t it just abandon its failed ID Card scheme?
A Conservative Government would abandon the ID card scheme project.
Yours faithfully,
Tim Caines
Conservative Council Candidate for Harringay Ward
I would like to express my concern that, following the recent Budget, no mention was made to abolishing the terrible ID card scheme. Why should the Government waste so much taxpayer’s money on something that will do little to protect us and so much to reduce our civil liberties and privacy? Similar to the giant, failed, NHS computer records scheme, this Government seems incapable of executing any project successfully and always involves significant expense for the taxpayer. Also, instead of selling off the Student Loan Book to a private company with the probable inherent risk of increased interest loan debts for students, why doesn’t it just abandon its failed ID Card scheme?
A Conservative Government would abandon the ID card scheme project.
Yours faithfully,
Tim Caines
Conservative Council Candidate for Harringay Ward
Saturday, 13 March 2010
My Facebook Group for my Harringay campaign - please join!
More photos can be found at my Facebook Group - Tim Caines for Harringay:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=353542648329&ref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=353542648329&ref=ts
A little history of my local area...
I am now campaigning as the Conservative council candidate for the Harringay Ward in Haringey.
The correct spelling for the borough is "Haringey", however there is a ward in the south of the borough called "Harringay". Some people get mixed up between the two, and when people refer to "Haringey", you assume the borough. Except people who live in Harringay.
The reason is because the name Harringay came from the Saxon, Haering's Hege — the enclosure of Haering's people. During the following several hundred years, spellings were rarely fixed and the name went through 162 recorded variations. The Harringay variant was first recorded in 1569, but oldest, Haringey, was first recorded in 1387.
The choice of the Harringay spelling in 1792 by Edward Gray, the builder of Harringay House, ensured that this variant survived as the name for the area today. The spelling's survival was not always safe however. In the early 20th Century the Municipal Borough of Hornsey tried to enforce use of the Haringey spelling. It was only resistance by local residents that prevented its adoption.
In 1965 local government in London was re-organised, and a new borough was created by combining Hornsey, Wood Green and Tottenham. (Harringay had been split between Hornsey and Tottenham). At this point the descendants of the early burghers of Hornsey got their revenge on the former residents of Harringay and chose the name Haringey for the new borough. Whilst there's no record about why they chose that spelling it's likely that went for the oldest recorded form. Children attending schools in the borough in the mid to late 1960s were taught that the -ey in the new borough's name should be pronounced as in Finchley.
The correct spelling for the borough is "Haringey", however there is a ward in the south of the borough called "Harringay". Some people get mixed up between the two, and when people refer to "Haringey", you assume the borough. Except people who live in Harringay.
The reason is because the name Harringay came from the Saxon, Haering's Hege — the enclosure of Haering's people. During the following several hundred years, spellings were rarely fixed and the name went through 162 recorded variations. The Harringay variant was first recorded in 1569, but oldest, Haringey, was first recorded in 1387.
The choice of the Harringay spelling in 1792 by Edward Gray, the builder of Harringay House, ensured that this variant survived as the name for the area today. The spelling's survival was not always safe however. In the early 20th Century the Municipal Borough of Hornsey tried to enforce use of the Haringey spelling. It was only resistance by local residents that prevented its adoption.
In 1965 local government in London was re-organised, and a new borough was created by combining Hornsey, Wood Green and Tottenham. (Harringay had been split between Hornsey and Tottenham). At this point the descendants of the early burghers of Hornsey got their revenge on the former residents of Harringay and chose the name Haringey for the new borough. Whilst there's no record about why they chose that spelling it's likely that went for the oldest recorded form. Children attending schools in the borough in the mid to late 1960s were taught that the -ey in the new borough's name should be pronounced as in Finchley.
Saturday, 16 January 2010
A little bit about my background with the Conservatives..
Whilst Gordon Brown continues to brainwash people with his ridiculous notion that Labour is the party of aspiration (not stating that the rich have got richer and the poor poorer under this Labour Government and enterprise is utterly stifled) , I thought I might give myself further introduction to those who might be following this (an extract from a piece of writing which I sent as an article for a local (and indeed excellent), north London Ezine - http://www.stingraymag.com/...
I suppose the influence for me becoming a supporter of the Conservative Party was my parents. They are both Conservative by instinct and have always believed that the Party offered them the fairest opportunity to achieve their goals in life – whether it be through a tax system which was supportive of small business or of a Party that respected the individual’s right to accountable Government. My abiding belief, similar to that of my parents, is that the Conservatives believe in the principle of a low-tax economy. This means that ordinary people have more money in their pockets rather than the state taking more in order to spend it on what they think is best for the people.
My activism within the Conservatives began as a student at Exeter University with Conservative Future. During this time, I had the opportunity to be involved in social events as well as helping as a returning officer for the local student election. I attended a few talks too – they included speakers such as Ann Widdecome and Dr Liam Fox.
During my degree, my parents moved from Bath to Torbay in Devon. As a result, I then got involved with Torbay Conservative Future which meant that I also worked closely at times with the PPC (Parliamentary Party Candidate) for the Torbay seat – currently held by the Liberal Democrats (hopefully Marcus Wood will win this time in 2010 - Torquay has many issues that need sorting). Before moving to London, I became the Deputy Chair of Torbay Conservative Future and even went to the final hustings for the Conservatives leadership election – meeting David Cameron personally.
Finally, after a year or so in London, I decided I had to be involved with the Conservatives in London – my interest and passion in politics is still strong and I am now key member of the Tottenham Conservative Association. My activism within the Party has increased dramatically – I regularly spend free time during weeks and weekends leafleting, canvassing and working closely with the Chair of the Association. I’ve learnt a huge amount about my local area – currently held by the Labour MP, David Lammy. He has a significant majority so we have a high mountain to climb but I do feel now that the Conservative message is getting through. One thing I notice in my local area is that they complain a huge amount about their local politicians but never seem to vote out the long-standing incumbent Labour councillors and MP! Change in the Haringey borough (based within the Tottenham constituency) is desperately needed – huge unemployment, high crime levels and the scandals of Victoria Climbié and Baby P are woeful reflections of the real need for change.
I suppose the influence for me becoming a supporter of the Conservative Party was my parents. They are both Conservative by instinct and have always believed that the Party offered them the fairest opportunity to achieve their goals in life – whether it be through a tax system which was supportive of small business or of a Party that respected the individual’s right to accountable Government. My abiding belief, similar to that of my parents, is that the Conservatives believe in the principle of a low-tax economy. This means that ordinary people have more money in their pockets rather than the state taking more in order to spend it on what they think is best for the people.
My activism within the Conservatives began as a student at Exeter University with Conservative Future. During this time, I had the opportunity to be involved in social events as well as helping as a returning officer for the local student election. I attended a few talks too – they included speakers such as Ann Widdecome and Dr Liam Fox.
During my degree, my parents moved from Bath to Torbay in Devon. As a result, I then got involved with Torbay Conservative Future which meant that I also worked closely at times with the PPC (Parliamentary Party Candidate) for the Torbay seat – currently held by the Liberal Democrats (hopefully Marcus Wood will win this time in 2010 - Torquay has many issues that need sorting). Before moving to London, I became the Deputy Chair of Torbay Conservative Future and even went to the final hustings for the Conservatives leadership election – meeting David Cameron personally.
Finally, after a year or so in London, I decided I had to be involved with the Conservatives in London – my interest and passion in politics is still strong and I am now key member of the Tottenham Conservative Association. My activism within the Party has increased dramatically – I regularly spend free time during weeks and weekends leafleting, canvassing and working closely with the Chair of the Association. I’ve learnt a huge amount about my local area – currently held by the Labour MP, David Lammy. He has a significant majority so we have a high mountain to climb but I do feel now that the Conservative message is getting through. One thing I notice in my local area is that they complain a huge amount about their local politicians but never seem to vote out the long-standing incumbent Labour councillors and MP! Change in the Haringey borough (based within the Tottenham constituency) is desperately needed – huge unemployment, high crime levels and the scandals of Victoria Climbié and Baby P are woeful reflections of the real need for change.
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