MPs' expenses are back in the headlines and it is depressing reading for anyone who thinks British democracy is important. As the person hoping to be the new Conservative MP for Castle Point at the General Election I have been as shocked and dismayed as anyone by some of the revelations. The public have never been more cynical about some of the people representing us in Parliament.

Weekends are always busy for me in Castle Point. This weekend was no exception.

On Saturday morning, I went to the jumble sale at St .Nicholas' on Canvey.  Although I'd mainly gone to donate some books, I lent a hand with setting it up and once it opened I couldn't help but leave with a bag full of children's books and things for the house. 

Then I met up with our canvassing team, as usual, in our office in Benfleet.  We spent some time finishing off the shoe boxes of items our volunteers and members of the public have donated for our troops overseas.  We're ready now to dispatch our first of about 70.

In the evening, we went to Hadleigh Country Park, where Castle Point Astronomy Society were having an open event.  We were fortunate the clouds had cleared late that afternoon, so we had pretty good skies.  My son was thrilled with his first sight of Jupiter and its moons.  The event, all led by enthusiastic volunteers, was really well attended and very educational.

Afterwards, we all went to the Admiral Jellicoe on Canvey where Laura Maclean had organised a Cancer Research fundraiser.  The Pub had waived its usual fee, and everyone had a great time, in the process raising nearly £300 for a charity whose work affects all our lives in one way or another.

The following morning, we joined up with volunteers from the Castle Point Wildlife Group, which was clearing and coppicing in West Wood.  I was right behind Neal Warren's campaign to secure the wood's future for the community and am a member of the wildlife group. I don't think my family made especially good woodsmen but we enjoyed helping out on a beautiful autumn morning.

Looking back at our weekend, all the events we visited, the things we did, all had a theme.  They are about people giving something back to their community, not waiting for the Government, the Council or someone else to do it.  This is the responsible society which David Cameron was talking about at our conference in Manchester.
 

“It is very difficult to have to say yes to something that is unpalatable but this document is probably the best way to safeguard the future of this Borough in so far as we will have some defence against developers who will try to put too much in too many places”

"I know the Borough Council have tried to do their best for residents but it is still a travesty to see a Conservative Council being forced to do Labour's dirty-work. The Conservative Party, if it wins the next election, will get rid of these bullying, centrally imposed housing targets, and give local people a say in key, local decisions.  In particular I will be pushing for an end to unwanted Greenbelt development and focusing any housing on Brownfield sites."

"A couple of weeks ago, Castle Point Conservatives started collecting various things to put in shoe boxes for our troops serving overseas.  We've had a lot of people contacting us and donating items, and I'm really pleased with how this is going.  Thank you to everyone who is supporting this effort.

Of course, the whole question of our deployment to Afghanistan has just got closer to home with the news that 1st Battalion, the Royal Anglians, "the Vikings", will be returning to Helmand Province in Afghanistan, later this year.

Most people will know that the Vikings were formed from the old Essex regiment.  They recruit locally, across Essex, and many veterans living near will have served with them. A lot of families and friends around here will be understandably anxious about what might lie ahead.

Of course, it's not the first time the Vikings have deployed to Afghanistan.  The actor Ross Kemp's series following the Vikings during their earlier tour in Helmand in 2007 was excellent and, according to friends who've served there, an accurate and honest insight into the experience our troops are having fighting the Taliban.  I recommend it, but it's not easy viewing.

A lot of people are asking now about what the risk and sacrifice of our young men and women is for. The Government do need to make a better, clearer case for the work out there, give a sense of when we can get our troops back, but above all, make sure they have the numbers and equipment they need to get the dangerous job we're asking them to do done effectively.

I wish the Vikings success"

"Thousands of people across the country have taken part in the "World's Biggest Coffee Morning" either last Friday or on other days recently.  This was a great fundraising initiative by the Macmillan nurses charity, which provides advice and support to cancer patients.

I was kindly invited to an event by a neighbour in Hadleigh.  My husband supported an event at his work.

Last year, a close family member was treated for cancer.  We know how important Macmillan nurses are.  In all the political heat which the NHS generates, we must not forget the role played in the system by charities and volunteers, from people serving tea and coffee, through counsellors supporting new mothers feeding their babies, through to the expert support given to people with serious illnesses.

It is a credit to the NHS that it so effectively uses this extra resource.  And it is a lesson to politicians on how strongly the public feel about supporting our Health Service and what a huge role the voluntary sector already plays in contributing to public services generally"

"This Saturday, I joined members of our growing Conservative Future Branch at the weekly boot sale at Saddlers Farm.  We were raising money for the new youth branch, with a sale of stuff I and my Conservative colleagues have accumulated over the years... 

I've driven past the boot sale so many times, and I've always wanted to go but a been too busy attending other events locally or meeting residents.  As usual with anything which involves our CF members, we had a good laugh - even though it was quite an early start for a Saturday!  We raised a decent amount -  It's amazing what people will buy... 

We rely on efforts like these to fund our local Conservative activities - we don't get a generous "Communications Allowance" or anything else, from the taxpayer, nor should we"