Michael Fabricant has expressed alarm at a probable major Council Tax hike next year in Staffordshire following a letter that has been written to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott by the Local Government Association outlining their fears about an £800million funding deficit. "The situation is particularly bad in Staffordshire where we receive a shortfall of […]

Michael Fabricant received a petition today (Saturday 8th November) from the Campaign Against the Arms Trade signed by 525 residents of Lichfield Whittington and Hints. Michael will now send these to Prime Minister Tony Blair for his response. Michael shares many of these concerns. "Having worked in Africa, I am only too aware that the […]

Following the shock news that despite Staffordshire being almost at the bottom of the schools funding table with schools in Slough, for example, receiving almost twice as much as those in Staffordshire schools and some others in the midlands, the Schools Minister has told Michael that local education authorities must approach the Government if they […]

Michael Fabricant has reacted with disbelief to a letter he has received from the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Kim Howells which, Michael Fabricant says: "tells the disabled to catch a bus, if they can’t get on the train!" Michael Fabricant adds "I had written to the Department of Transport when the […]

Michael Fabricant tonight expressed his disappointment that controls cannot be in place to control the sale of fireworks this Bonfire Night despite a law being in place. "Will a child be maimed or killed as a consequence?" he asks. Tough laws to clamp down on irresponsible sales of fireworks to children will not be in […]

"Iain Duncan Smith said to Conservative MPs yesterday that the last 6 weeks have been a vision of hell for him. I think I know how he feels", says Michael Fabricant. "The last few weeks have been a nightmare for all decent Conservative MPs and for party workers. "When Iain spoke to us this afternoon, […]

Michael Fabricant has broadly welcomed plans to tighten up on litter disposed of from take-away food stores. Drive-through restaurants are particularly highlighted by the Keep Britain Tidy campaign. The campaign’s chief executive, Alan Woods, said: "We’re finding burger cartons, pizza boxes and plastic cups away from the high street, on our roads and dumped in […]

Michael Fabricant said today it was "madness" to have a system which allowed the Leader of the Conservative Party to be chosen when he did not necessarily enjoy the majority support of the parliamentary Party. He has written to Tory officials urging that the present system be "stood on its head" for future leadership elections. […]

On Tuesday evening, October 21st, at the Town Meeting of the Board of Selectmen (or town council) of Litchfield, Connecticut in the United States, the First Selectman (equivalent to Executive Mayor of the Town) read out a proclamation creating a Friendship Week between Litchfield Connecticut and Lichfield England. The week will run from October 17th […]

In an impassioned plea for midlands pensioners in Parliament today, Michael Fabricant said that "Low interest rates, while welcome for borrowers, is crippling for pensioners on a fixed income. It is making the present pensions crisis in the midlands and elsewhere far worse." He added: "The Government’s policy on means testing pensioners is a disincentive […]