Prominent former Conservative politician Ann Widdecombe has thrown her support behind prospective Conservative MP Rebecca Pow in her campaign to represent the constituents of Taunton Deane.
Attending a fund raising event at the excellent Taunton School, the former Minister of State and Shadow Home Secretary entertained attendees with her enthralling tales of Strictly Come Dancing. But she also gave her forthright views on why the Conservatives must win a majority at the next election and why it was so important for Rebecca to be elected to represent the people of Taunton Deane.
“It is crucial for the country that we do not have a labour government at the next election,” she warned “because if we do we will go back five years. There was nothing left at the end of the labour government and we have spent four years trying to get back on the level. Our management of the economy is one of our biggest plus points, George Osborne has really got the economy moving and much sooner than was expected.”
Rebecca is campaigning hard to win in Taunton Deane so that residents will have a representative who cares deeply about the rural economy and the local community. Her recent work has seen her battling the scourge of legal highs and bringing senior ministers such as Patrick McLoughlin to the area to raise awareness of crucial issues that urgently need addressing, such as the A303.
Responding to Ann Widdecombe’s comments, Rebecca Pow said: “I couldn’t agree more with Ann. Indeed, figures just out illustrate that there are now a record number of people in work and encouraging signs that pay cheques are beginning to rise faster than inflation, meaning more people with the security of a good job and a regular pay packet. In Taunton Deane alone the figures show that there are 42% less people claiming jobseekers allowance than there were in 2010. That’s almost half.”
“As these strong jobs numbers show, our long-term economic plan is delivering for Britain – creating a stronger, healthier economy, and moving us closer towards our target of full employment. There is more to do to get living standards up sustainably so we must stick to the plan of getting people off welfare and into work."