Last week I reported on the Environment Agency's River Trent Flood Catchment Plan which proposes to reduce flood maintenance locally and increase flooding in the Isle on in North West Lincs. These plans are being produced for every river in England at the behest of the Government, who seem quite happy to flood rural England for the benefit of urban communities!

It really is important we oppose this proposal as, like the plan for the River Aire, it will put our local communities and local economy at risk. The effect of flooding was brought home to me on Friday when I was out and about with David Davis. I took a photo of David at the River Derwent in Bubwith which has recently burst its banks. Just along from Bubwith the Derwent flows into the Ouse, marking the boundary between Brigg and Goole and Haltmeprice and Howden.

The photo is amazing as it really looks like David is stood by the ocean or by a large lake. The question is, will this scene be repeated on the Isle of Axholme and in Burringham and Gunness if the Environment Agency get their way.

We have started a petition against the plan which has been delivered to many homes on the Isle. If you would like your name adding to it please send me your name and address through the contact page.

Once again our area is on flood alert following warnings of heavy rain over the weekend, particularly late Sunday moving into Monday. The situation locally has been precarious for the last week or so, particularly in the Brigg area on the Ancholme River.

I met with Cllrs Carl and Nigel Sherwood (pictured) earlier at the River Ancholme sluice gates in South Ferriby where we had a discussion with the Environment Agency regarding the forecast for the weekend. I also took the opportunity to speak to East Riding Council from whom I have received a full briefing on their preparations for the weekend. Hopefully, the emergency planning response will not be needed but we have to take these warnings seriously, particularly given the localised flooding suffered earlier this week.

This evening I visited some flood victims from last June's flooding which served as a timely reminder of the devastating impact of flooding. One of the residents we met with spoke at length about the mental health problems which have been caused by being a victim of flooding. We perhaps forget that whilst houses can be put back together quite easily, human beings sometimes take a little longer to heal.

I don't really know where to start with the update there has been so much going on. Having looked through the analytics for this site I am pleased to report that it is becoming more and more popular. People are clearly responding to our positive campaigning message, which can be contrasted to the increasingly bizarre actions and statements of my opponent. It's fair to say that the local Labour MP doesn't like me calling him out on his record.

Last night our local Labour MP voted to pay billions of pounds extra of taxpayers money over to the EU by backing the European Communities Finance Bill, again! No doubt he will claim to never have voted for it, just like his office have been telling local people that he never voted for Post Office closures. Fortunately, many local people have contacted me for clarification which I have been more than happy to provide. It's fair to say local people don't like getting fibbed to and treated as fools by Labour.

We have had a huge response to our survey on the proposed fire cuts at Goole Fire Station, including very many by way of the website which is a positive sign. We are continuing to deliver the surveys locally and I am really enjoying being out on the street talking to local people. Last Saturday in Goole was really quite amusing. I met a couple of people in the street we were delivering to who came up to me and said they were just talking about me a few minutes before my team and I arrived in the street to leaflet. They had an important issue they wanted to discuss and it is clearly a good example of how our positive message is being picked up on locally.

Tomorrow morning I am in Goole to meet with the Goole Action Group before going on to meet with the campaigners fighting the closure of the Driving Test Centre in Gainsborough and then on to Hull to meet some those campaigning against the Goole fire cuts. Look North from Hull has covered the story in some detail but sadly, as most residents in Goole get the Look North from Leeds, it has not been seen by those most affected.

I can't believe how many people are contacting me locally to ask for my input on various issues. It's a pleasure to be of help locally and we are proving that local people want someone who is going to fight for their interests locally, not just do as they are told by their party.

Oh dear, once again Labour have got themselves in a tiz over the local Labour MPs voting record on Post Office closures. This time we have two statements from Labour in two different local papers claiming that the local MP has never really voted for Post Office closures. Why they bother fibbing is beyond me, these things are public record after all. So for clarity here is the current Labour MPs full voting record!

29th November 2007- There was a debate on Post Office closures at Westminster. Our MP, despite claiming to be so concerned locally, never bothered to take part. He has tried to defend this in one of the papers by saying he was a whip so couldn't vote. Again, another fib, he was sacked (I mean offered another job) as a whip on June 28th 2007.

January 10th 2007- As a Government whip, our local MP not only pledged his support for the Government's Post Office closures by acting as a teller, his job was to actually make sure that Labour MPs voted for a Government motion saying we had too many Post Offices. He has tried to defend this by mis-leading people by saying he was just a vote counter. No, he was a teller for the Government side meaning that he supported the Government motion. He must think people are stupid if they are going to fall for that one.

May 15th 2002- A motion was put before the House of Commons condemning the loss of pension books and the move to automatic credit transfer at Post Offices. Mr Cawsey voted to support the Government's policy of scrapping pension books instead.

January 29th 2002 - Mr Cawsey voted against a motion in Parliament which condemned the closure of hundreds of Post Offices and the loss of pension books. The decision to scrap pension books alone meant that thousands of sub-Post Offices were closed.

April 2000 - Our Labour MP voted AGAINST a motion in Parliament calling for more to be done to help protect our sub-Post Offices

The spin being generated by Mr Cawsey's minions locally on this issue demonstrates exactly the sort of politics we need an end to. It's about time our politicians stood on their record and had the guts to actually defend it.

Well, I did write a really long and thoughtful New Year post the other day (honest), but then i clicked something incorrectly and lost the whole lot.

Anyway, it basically said i was looking forward to 2008 and to getting back into some part-time teaching from next week. It is especially good that I shall be teaching in North Lincolnshire as I will have a real insight into local education. The last school I taught at was in the East Riding and was probably the nicest school I have ever worked in. I am only teaching part-time though and in actual fact I should be able to put even more time into campaigning for local people here in Brigg and Goole.

In an event, we are gaining so many new volunteers it is becoming much easier to campaign locally. The response has been even better than in the run up to the 2005 election in Haltemprice and Howden. However, I wont be getting too excited at this stage as we probably wont have an election until 2010. The polls look good at this stage but I never really pay much attention to them. The lesson I learned from my ward colleague on the Council was always go in to every election thinking you wont win and then you will work harder. That's the way I plan to approach it! 2010 is still a long way off, i just hope my ten year old VW diesel can last the distance. It's efficient on fuel, which it needs to be considering the amount of miles I am doing!

My post also got very excited about the fact that after weeks and weeks of boiler trouble, I am now able to move back into my house. I have been out of it for sometime due to the problems I was having but, fingers crossed, I now seem to have hot water and heating again.

All the best for 2008, I really hope it is a successful and peaceful year both locally and around the world.