Ed Vaizey

Another important South London landmark has been undergoing restoration, though thankfully not catching fire.  The South Bank will reopen on June 8th, and I was lucky enough to have a tour there a few days ago.  It is absolutely superb, with much more space, and real care taken to give the public the best possible experience, from the acoustic in the hall right down to small details such as glass panels on the balconies to give people a clear view of the river.  This was the Dome we got right in 1951, have spent years running down, and is now back to its former glory.  I cannot do it as much justice as Stephen Bayley’s brilliant piece in yesterday’s Observer, which you can read HERE.

the loss of the Cutty Sark is a great tragedy, and I have put in my two pennies worth.  You can read it HERE on Conservative Home.  Sadly I can’t find my words on the Conservative Party’s official website, which is a small example of why I always go to Conservative Home for my news on what we are up to!

Here’s a sign of the times.  The Church of England has taken to sending out a monthly e-bulletin to MPs.  This month’s covers the following topics:

I wasn’t in the Commons on Friday to vote against the Freedom of Information Amendment Bill.  My habit is to spend Fridays doing things in the constituency, and I honestly never believed the Bill would get through.  My mistake - though my vote would not have stopped it.  I have learned a lesson and hope I don’t make the same mistake again.

Ho hum.  Election Day.  Lib Dems up to the same old tricks.  In the Vale of White Horse, which they currently control, their £29 charge for collecting garden waste is described by them as “reasonable”.  In South Oxfordshire, which the Tories control, they describe exactly the same charge as a “stealth tax”.

Out on the campaign trail, I came across Sue Bunch, who posts on this site, her husband and her charming children Eden and Jacob - who are home schooled.  I had never talked at length to someone about home schooling, and was amazed to learn that you don’t need to register your kids with the LEA; you don’t need to follow the National Curriculum; and you don’t have to do SATs.  This sounds both refreshing and worrying!  Sue made an interesting point - she and her husband pay tax, which help fund our education system.  But they get no financial assistance whatsoever to pay for school books and other education essentials.  Another argument for vouchers?