February 2023: Optimism, Somerset & Stoke

Undeterred by the train strikes, the month kicked off with a trip back to Oxford for my weekly Political History course.

The next morning I attended a panel talk with Minister of State for Science, George Freeman at the Onward Think Tank, on how technology and innovation centres can strengthen UK business. It was great to hear from experts: Dr Clive Hickman OBE, Chief Executive of the Manufacturing Technology Centre; Anjana Ahuja, Science Commentator at the Financial Times; and Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy for Engineering, whose insights and recommendations included being smarter in how we market our regional pockets of excellence to investors, the need to focus on green tech and recognising that we are a micro cluster super power.

I was very interested to hear about the Minister's cluster mapping tool to enable targeted investments in areas such as farming and space.

In the evening it was back to Kensington & Chelsea for a superb Chelsea Riverside ward event with guest speaker Kemi Badenoch, then Minster of State for Trade and Women & Equalities. I was thrilled to welcome her alongside my other Association Board colleagues and welcomed her answer to my question on whether we should be making trade deals with Commonwealth countries, in the name of the Commonwealth.

Over the weekend Martin and I journeyed to Redhill to help campaign with Reigate and Banstead local councillors. The next day we were in Guildford delivering surveys and admiring the bustling high street.

The following week I started as I meant to go on, travelling to West Lancashire (with the help of our very generous driver Ealing Councillor Julian Gallant), to help the candidate Mike Prendergrast in the national By-Election. It was a glorious day speaking to local residents and gauging support for the fantastic Mike Prendergast. Ormskirk is a truly delightful place and he ran a stellar campaign.

Later that week I was delighted to hear Lord Garnier KC's thoughts on Ukraine in the lead up to the anniversary at a CFCC dinner at Boodle's, and once again penned my recollections for the CFCC. A few evenings later I attended another superb Women 2 Win policy session, this time on Housing.

I rounded off the week with a double whammy. Firstly at the Franklin lecture on eductaion at Mansion Hosue, delivered by Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli. After having a brief chat with pupils from my old school Christ's Hospital, who I commended on their great question to the Alderman, I dashed over to Woodford for the Chingford & Woodford Association dinner with Jacob Rees Mogg and Sir Iain Duncan Smith. Mr Rees Mogg's optimism for the party and the years ahead was suitably galvanising and we had a fantastic conversation about all the reasons we had to be cautiously optimistic. I believe he also managed to convert a few local residents in the venue at the time.

That weekend Martin and I travelled to Stoke-on-Trent to help Jonathan Gullis MP alongside Craig Tracey MP, local councillors and activists. To round off the weekend we were back in London for the CWO London North Action Day in Golders Green for the local by-election, put on by the fab London North team, of which I am so thrilled to be a part of. We had a superb turnout and were thrilled that the candidate Peter Zinkin won the seat with a landslide victory and is now back in the Barnet council.

For week three I travelled to Somerset to attend the Somerton and Frome Association dinner, a superb event with a fantastic speaker in Penny Mordaunt.

I rounded off the month with a dinner of champions with my friend Edwin Shuker and his superb wife. Another great dinner followed, this time at the European Atlantic Group with Dr Liam Fox, whose optimism finalised my resolve that we can and will win in 2024.

The following morning it was over to the East India Club for the Finito breakfast with Matt Hancock, with a hilarious introduction by Ronel Lehman. I was delighted to have my question on whether Covid had made us susceptible to defaulting to nanny state interventionism and was rewarded with a signed copy of Matt's book.

The rest of the week was spent in training at CCHQ and then in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire for the Women 2 Win away weekend; where fellow female candidates and I were treated to advice from a stellar lineup of Ministers, MPs and the always optimistic Gareth Fox.

The last couple of days of the month were spent at the CEN half day conference on Net Zero. I was thrilled to hear from Minister of State for Climate Graham Stuart MP, Bim Afolami MP and Simon Clarke MP and their inisghts on how we get there. My favourite take away was from panellist Sarah Kostense-Winterton, who advocated for making energy upgrades to your home aspirational.

The final evening of the month I was delighted to be back at the Women 2 Win Business Club for a discussion between Home Secretary Suella Braverman MP and our fab Women 2 Win champion Eddie Hughes MP.