Mr. Todd said:

 “At the risk of using a horrible pun, I’d genuinely say it was a very eye opening visit. Ms. Irving and Mr. Everett are impressive people, who exude a real public service ethos. They raised a range of issues with me and made a very convincing case for the wider public health roles that optometrists can fulfil, particularly in relation to diabetes and glaucoma.

“Some changes to public policy will be needed to enable optometrists to better fulfil these roles and I will work with them to achieve these changes. These changes are particularly important in Westmorland and Lonsdale, as many health issues are best addressed within rural communities by a visit to the optometrists down the street at an early stage. The unhappy alternative is letting things fester or go undetected, making a longer journey to a hospital necessary.”     

These commitments are based on a campaign being run by CAMRA, which is asking all Prospective Parliamentary Candidates whether they are willing to speak up for beer drinkers and pub goers. CAMRA’s new Beer Drinkers and Pub Goers Charter sets out a series of options for supporting well-run community pubs, local brewers and consumer rights.

Mr Todd said:

“CAMRA is a fantastic organisation, with a strong campaigning platform that would bring positive change not only to pubs and their drinkers and communities, but also to public health. CAMRA’s proposals will make it more likely that people drink in the safe, regulated environments of pubs, rather than buying alcohol at rock bottom prices in supermarkets. Buying alcohol from supermarkets in this way tends to fuel unhealthy binge drinking and anti-social behaviour. This is something that I will work to change.”

Mike Benner, CAMRA’s Chief Executive welcomed Jonathan Todd’s support for the Charter, saying:

“We are delighted that Jonathan Todd has promised to work to promote the interests of beer drinkers and pub goers. Well-run pubs make a huge contribution to community life, each of which injects £80,000 into their local economy every year.  Amid growing concern over the loss of more than 5 pubs a day, it is now more important than ever to support well-run community pubs, to promote local brewers and to protect the interests of consumers.”

I played a lot of football when I was growing up and saw many matches at Brunton Park. Sports participation helps build character and keeps people and communities fit.  Clubs like Carlisle United are also vital to the health of their communities.

As MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, I’d do all that I could to support and encourage sports participation and Cumbrian teams like Carlisle United.

Chancellor Alistair Darling has said Cumbria will be given £2.3 million from a £100 million fund to repair roads damaged by the snow, ice and plummeting temperatures in recent months.

 Mr Todd said:

“Potholes are an issue which many local people raise with me. This welcome news illustrates the responsiveness of the Labour government to the needs of Cumbria. I hope this money is fairly used throughout the county and that Westmorland and Lonsdale gets the share that we need.”

The funding will allow local authorities to pay for the most urgent immediate repairs.

Local resident Lois Sparling said:

“As someone who frequently cycles and also drives on local roads, I am very much aware of the damage which the past winter has inflicted upon them. This extra help to deal with potholes is very timely.”

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said:

“The Chancellor announced an extra £100 million for local authorities to repair pothole damage as a result of this winter’s severe weather. I intend to allocate this to councils as soon as possible, so that they can immediately get their maintenance staff filling potholes and making our roads as safe as possible for drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists. We have trebled funding to local authorities over the last 10 years for road maintenance. This pothole fund further demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that our roads are in the best possible condition.”

To help local people access allotments, a national community land bank will be set up to connect land-holders with community groups who want to establish “grown your own” schemes, as well as to provide advice to those involved.

Both public and privately owned land could be turned into fragrant herb gardens, vegetable and flower gardens, including unused land which is owned by councils, NHS and private developers. “Meanwhile leases” will be available to make sure local groups have access to areas whilst development decisions are taking place.

 Mr Todd said:

“This is a great initiative which I encourage groups in Westmorland and Lonsdale to participate in. Many of us can think of areas which are currently unused and with a bit of gardening could be brightened. The Lib Dem controlled SLDC has struggled to turn these areas over to allotments but this initiative will help us go further and faster in meeting local demand for allotments. The site on School Knott in Windermere seems a prime candidate for a “meanwhile lease” and I am keen that this option be taken forward.”  

Local resident Penny Henderson said:

“As a local resident of Windermere I am hoping that I can eventually get an allotment. I belong to local group who are campaigning for land to be released but it is a long and slow process – not months but years! I would welcome any action from the Government to help make this process easier and quicker so that as many people as possible can make a start to grow their own produce.”

 Hilary Benn, Secretary of State at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said:

“Community food growing is a great way for people to get involved in the joys and trials of food production – and we’re pleased that we can help more people grow their own and take it home.”

John Denham, Secretary of State at the Department of Communities and Local Government said:

“From guerrilla gardeners to community growers there is a real keenness to combine 40′s style frugality and 70′s style good life ethics to meet 21st century demands for healthy living, cheaper meals and locally sourced food. More and more people want to grow their own but their efforts can be held up by a shortage of suitable land.

“We also want to support local councils in meeting their duty to provide allotments and new guidance provides practical advice to local councils on how to get the best out of their allotments.”

Rethink, the leading national mental health charity, works to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life.  The Rethink pledge commits parliamentary candidates to campaign for the next government to challenge the stigma and give everyone access to decent mental health treatment.

Mr. Todd said:

 “1 in 4 people suffer mental illness at some point in their lives.  I’m pleased that Labour’s Equality Bill is ensuring that discrimination in recruitment against people affected by mental illness is being outlawed.  This was something that Rethink campaigned for and I’m delighted to commit to Rethink’s objectives for the next government.”

Alastair Campbell, who was a key member of staff in Number 10 Downing Street when Tony Blair was Prime Minister, is the current Mind Champion of the Year, awarded to the most successful campaigner on mental health issues. He praised Mr. Todd’s support for the Rethink pledge by saying:

“I’m delighted that Jonathan has signed the Rethink pledge. Mental illness is a reality that should be honestly faced up to in all parts of the country, including in places like Westmorland and Lonsdale. It can be the case that people, particularly in rural communities, continue to feel a sense of stigma around these issues, but these people and communities deserve the support needed to properly overcome mental health problems. In signing the Rethink pledge, Jonathan has proved that he’d be an MP determined to stand up for this support.”

Mr Todd is pictured with Mr Campbell below.

Unemployment and mortgage repossessions have not risen anywhere near as high in the present recession as they did during the Conservative recessions of the 1980s and 1990s. Indeed, while times remain tough for many of us, the Office of National Statistics announced in January that national unemployment fell by 7,000 in the three months to November 2009. The economy has also recently started to grow again, aided by the largest surge in manufacturing output since 1994.

Not only are these indicators a tribute to the skill and professionalism of British workers but they are a vindication of the policies of active government deployed by Labour in the face of the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’re not out of the woods yet, however; far from it.

The choice to be made at the General Election is to allow Labour to finish the job of economic recovery that we have started. The great news on K village shows that our recovery from recession can be strong, but it is vital that we maintain the government policies that have secured the beginnings of this strong recovery.