http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articlearchive.php Recent Press Articles from Nick Harvey MP en-GB Nick Harvey MP http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2010 Nick Harvey MP 2010-09-06T09:33+01:00 United Kingdom http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000110/real_progress_for_north_devon_and_beyond.html Last week Parliament broke up for its first recess under the new Coalition Government and, though it may be too early to reflect on our progress thus far, the temptation to do so is irresistible: a quick search online or flick through any newspaper reveals a multitude of robust analyses and critiques. Nevertheless, very few of these offer a review with North Devon specifically in mind. 2010-08-05T00:00+01:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000109/make_education_funding_system_fairer.html Whitehall's education funding system has for decades been unbalanced, and as a result many children are left behind. 2010-03-04T00:00+00:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000106/tackling_south_wests_water_bills.html Next week I will return in Parliament to the vexed question of water bills in the south west. Recently OFWAT announced that our bills will spiral upwards more slowly over the next five years than they have over the last twenty. 2010-02-04T00:00+00:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000107/liberal_democrat_policy_on_defence.html Twenty years on from the end of the Cold War, the UK's defence priorities are in dire need of reconfiguration for contemporary conflict. 2010-02-02T00:00+00:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000105/chivenor_campaign_is_gathering_momentum.html The Keep Chivenor 24 Hours Campaign is gathering momentum. Ministers must pause for thought before charging into privatisation contracts weeks before a general election. 2010-01-21T10:03+00:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000104/take_party_policies_with_a_pinch_of_salt_and_look_hard_at_core_values.html The election is still four months away but the New Year has seen all parties scrambling to make new policy announcements. Spin and counter-spin follow swiftly in their wake. The public is going to find it all very exhausting. 2010-01-07T06:00+00:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000103/new_year_brings_changes.html The New Year brings the whiff of political change. Two autumns ago Gordon Brown backed out of having an election, and last spring he was not in any position in the polls to consider one. 2010-01-05T00:00+00:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000102/tackle_flood_defences_while_theres_still_time.html The ghastly pictures on our television screens of Cumbria's floods should give us all pause for thought closer to home. 2009-11-26T12:00+00:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000100/spending_must_be_scrutinised_and_challenged_as_never_before.html Public finances are going to remain under serious pressure for several years. This will make for lively political debate as priorities will be scrutinised and challenged more than ever before. 2009-10-29T06:00+00:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000101/digital_tv_problems_far_from_over.html Once we knew the south west would be one of the first regions where television signals would go through "digital switchover" alarm bells started to ring. 2009-10-15T06:00+01:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000099/government_plans_for_care_services_are_grotesquely_unfair.html Last Saturday I presented the Braunton "Breathe Easy" group with their national award as the British Lung Foundation's best new branch. 2009-10-01T12:00+01:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000098/we_need_a_shakeup_think_outside_the_box.html Next week sees the start of the party conference season - which this year have more significance because an election is due by next spring. 2009-09-17T10:32+01:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000097/government_spotlight_on_local_childrens_clubs.html The very backbone of our children's local social networks be they sporting or social clubs, are supportive parents who week after week step in to offer a welcome helping hand. But under new Government legislation there is now a terrible presumption of guilt before being proven innocent. As my colleague Chris Huhne recently put it the Government is "in danger of creating a world in which we think every adult who approaches children means to do them harm," and this is a very sad state of affairs. 2009-09-17T10:09+01:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000095/cuts_to_search_and_rescue_service_feared.html Yet again it seems North Devon will have to mount a campaign to defend the Search And Rescue helicopter service operating out of Chivenor. Veterans of previous campaigns will no doubt be ready once again to dust off the placards. 2009-08-20T00:00+01:00 http://www.northdevonlibdems.org.uk/articles/000096/chivenor_helicopter_hours_to_be_cut_by_half.html SEARCH and rescue operations from RMB Chivenor are to be cut back to just 12 hours. 2009-08-17T12:00+01:00