Neil MacDonald

Debenham

On Friday I visited Debenham High School and spoke to the whole school - all under 16 unfortunately!  All the candidates we given the opportunity to speak to at an assembly, on different days.  The school are running a mock election and I had a brief chat to the two Labour candidates, Mary and Rachel.

They are interested in environmental and animal welfare issues as well as helping people who are less well off, especially in the third world.  Labour has a good record in these areas and I covered two of them in my speech and then answered a few wide ranging questions.

Dropped in on some supporters in Tuddenham, laid out another leaflet, visited the printers with the copy, dropped leaflets off to party members in Wickham and Kesgrave and then went door-knocking on the Whitehouse estate.

Just another day on the campaign trail!

University Campus Suffolk

It's been a good month for Further and Higher Education in Suffolk.  First HEFCE, who fund universities, gave £15m to underpin a new university in Suffolk and secondly the LSC, who fund colleges, announced £18m for re-development of the existing Suffolk College.  This will create an absolutely fantastic education quarter in Ipswich for the county of Suffolk. A network of linked learning centres will provide learning opportunities across the whole county.

Institutions like Essex University and UEA are worth £60-80m to their local economies.  It's time Suffolk had a slice of that.  The new institution will provide a focal point for improving the skills of pupils, students and adult learners, which will benefit both the individual and the economy of Suffolk.

University Campus Suffolk will combine building for university, college and student welfare.  The project team have an interesting website and the college website also carries news of the new developments.

The development will cost £190m over ten years.  I can't see a Tory government, committed to spending cuts, putting the money up.  Can you?

Wise as an owl

I was in Kesgrave today and noticed the extension work underway at the Cedarwood Primary Schools there.  Hardly surprising as spending on school buildings has increased seven fold since 1997.

The most striking feature is the new giant owl, which can be seen from a distance - it shows up really well from Ropes Drive, the main road around the Grange Farm development.

It must be an inspirational site for everyone walking up to the school.