Conservative Social Action sets the tone of things to come!

I'm off to Srebrenica in a few hours to join Baroness Warsi and William Hague in delivering real benefits to a town that has seen so much hurt.

Myles is now just 12 days old and I already know I will miss him and Mum immensely. But opportunities to make a difference don't come along often and it is with Elaine's support that I join Project Maja to deliver real benefits to a community dealing with so much distress.

Some will say the Conservative Party has never really changed and this is a publicity stunt to pretend you have changed, but the truth is Conservatives have always believed in giving people the opportunity to help themselves. That is exactly what we will be doing in Bosnia. We are helping school children, a family and a community to rebuild their lives.

The Conservative Party is also actively involved in Rawanda where Conservatives are helping to train nurses and teachers and in Sierra Leone where we are trying to improve the justice system, human rights and the role of women in society.

Giving people the opportunity to help themselves has always been at the core of Conservative beliefs.

Perhaps what we haven’t been so good at in the past is projecting that image but this is not about a publicity stunt.

Conservatives supported Nato’s intervention in the Balkans in the mid- nineties and we have always supported the rebuilding programme. What we will be doing is a small attempt to help but it is also about not forgetting what happened in Bosnia.

In Srebrenica it is just over a decade since 8,000 innocent civilians, many of them children, were brutally murdered by paramilitary units commanded by alleged war criminal General Ratko Mladic. And yet it seems a lot longer. Iraq and Afghanistan are at the forefront of people’s minds at the moment but we must never forget what happened here.

I could go on and on about why we need to remember the past so as to not make the same mistakes again and to talk about Conservatives Social Action at home in the UK - and I probably will soon. The fact is that Project Maja will make a difference to those it touches and everyone involved will be richer for their time in Srebrenica.

It's Time To Isolate Russia And To Deny Them Our Currency!

With the news that Russia is arming is Baltic fleet with nuclear warheads, for the first time since the end of the cold war, we should all sit up and take notice!

The reemergence of Russia as a military superpower is a terrifying development, particularly as it is funded by the West's purchase of their oil and gas. In other words we are paying for massive investment into nuclear technology designed to eradicate our way of life!

This is simply ludicrous! Despite the potentially massive impact onto our way of life it may have, we must stop purchasing oil, gas and other raw materials from Russia, directly or indirectly, in order to deny them the currency they require to continue the enlargement of the military they now threaten us with. We must get the message through to ordinary Russian's that we are happy to trade with them and to help them to prosper but not if they in return use our money to threaten us with obliteration!

In times of war the people of Britain have always been prepared to make sacrifices in order to ensure the maintenance of our way of life. Our refusal to purchase Russian fuel would probably mean tough times ahead, with power cuts and insufficient gas pressure available to heat households both possible. Nevertheless we must hit Russia where it hurts before they hit us with lethal force. Europe has been peaceful and successful for years without the threat of nuclear war and that is how it must remain!

What To Do About Georgia?

The end of the Cold War was supposed to herald a new era of peace for Europe. We found ourselves in a world where the Russian Federation was reliant on international aide to help its people pull themselves out of poverty and a large number of eastern European countries looked to western Europe as its chosen partners in a free and fair trading world.

Having relied on our aide to improve the lot of its people, Russia suddenly discovered just how rich in natural resources it is in a world where raw materials, particularly oil and gas, are very often better than hard currency. With this realisation it has reemerged as a world superpower.

Russia has rearmed its armed forces with the very best equipment money can buy and has vastly increased their numbers - back to cold war proportions. It has become aggressive in the way it deals with its neighbours, particularly those who look to the west for protection, making them pay a heavy economic price for commodities.

And now we find that Russia is prepared to attack, with lethal force, neighbouring countries who have internal regions who look to Russia as a historic ally when the rest of the country looks to the West as its future.

Georgia has made it clear they see their future as part of the European Union. Its internationally recognised boundaries include the region of South Ossetia, who are in dispute with this national policy as they see their historic link as being loyal to Russia. In recent years the South Ossetian regional administration and the Georgian government have conflicted over the future of their region, with South Ossetia seeking independence and closer ties with Russia.

The Georgian government believe South Ossetia is a sovereign part of Georgia and set about reestablishing their grip on power in their country by sending in Georgian armed forces to a part of their country - only to be faced by an invading Russian army determined to see South Ossetia given both independence.

And what is the international communities answer to an attack by Russia on a sovereign nation state? Quite simply we verbally condemn their action but appear unwilling, or unable, to do anything about it!

Tonight we find that Russia has blown up, and sunk, a Georgian missile ship and continues with air strike in Georgia far beyond the boundaries of South Ossetia. It appears Russia is determined to destroy Georgia and ensure its supremacy in the region is reestablished by demonstrating its ability to deliver overwhelming force to anyone prepared to frustrate its will.

So tonight it becomes clear the international community is impotent in the face of Russian military might and that Gordon Brown and his government are truly on holiday from everything, including any ability to demonstrate leadership on the international stage.

I believe the United Kingdom should send a Royal Navy task force to ensure Georgia is able to receive goods by sea and that we should offer our Royal Air Force to protect Georgian international airspace from incursions by Russian military planes. If the Russians engage with us they are engaging with a NATO signatory and we will embarrass the Bush administration into getting off their back sides in Beijing and helping the people of Georgia who gave him a hero's reception when he toured their country. President Bush promised the USA would preserve the integrity of Georgia and is failing its people every second he delays in stopping Russia's aggression.

Too many civilians have died as a result of Russia's aggression and this has to stop now. I say the UK should show a lead on the international stage and not wait for a bigger world power. Too much is at stake and too many peoples lives depend on us now!

Will Israel See Peace In Our Time?

I attended the annual Conservative Friends of Israel Business Lunch today, (a lavish affair at the Dorchester), where the principle topic of conversation naturally turned to peace in the Middle East. Unfortunately today's event coincided with the breaking of the Hamas sanctioned ceasefire, with a number of rockets fired from Gaza into Israel overnight, and marked almost 2 years since the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Lebanese Hezbollah insurgents.


Our thoughts and prayers remain with all three IDF soldiers kidnapped by militants - Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Israel is one of only two conventional democracies in the region, the other being Iraq, and tries to demonstrate leadership in the region in it affairs. It is surely incumbent upon all reasonable nations to demand the release of these three young people who only wanted to serve their country with pride and their families deserve to know they are alive and being treated humanely.

Israel is not perfect - then again what democracy is? When she does things that are wrong we in Britain should criticise her, as good friends are able to do to one another. Today, however, those of us at the Dorchester spared just a moment to hope for the safe return of the kidnapped and an end to killing in the region.

A two state solution for the region sometimes seems like a remote pipe dream but, today I left London full of hope that I will see peace in my time with a secure Israel and a democratic Palestinian state.

Helping Zimbabwe To A Prosperous Future

With Zimbabwe's Presidential election run-off scheduled for 27th June, Robert Mugabe is literally murdering people to stop them voting in order that he can cling on to power.

The UK has let the people of Zimbabwe down before and I believe we are letting them down again, right now. If Gordon Brown and his government won't intervene, it is surely time the people of Great Britain took matters into their own hands and did something proactive to help the people of Zimbabwe to enjoy freedom and prosperity through their democracy!

Even though this election is so vital to the Zimbabwean people, and the Southern African region, only 200 SADC election observers are approved to monitor proceedings and with most not even in the country to monitor events, latest reports put the number of people dead at more than 65, with hundreds missing, thousands injured and tens of thousands dispossessed. Inflation is around 1,000,000%, more than 85% of the population is unemployed and food production in what was once the bread basket of Africa is almost non-existent.

I cannot sit back and let Mugabe's murderous regime survive because my government did nothing. That is why I am making a donation to "Friends of Zimbabwe", so that they can invest resource into trying to ensure this election follows SADC guidelines and reports a result that is accurate and truly reflective of the will of the Zimbabwean people!

Please visit: www.friendsofzim.com if you would like to find out more or to make a donation!