Save the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

On 21st December 2007 Peter Hewitt, Chief Executive of Arts Council England wrote to Anne Milton MP confirming that Arts Council Funding is being withdrawn from the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford.

This is an excellent theatre providing drama workshops from a very young age and across the community. It also stages excellent plays across a wide spectrum of genres and periods.

The theatre is restricted in its ability to self-finance because of its size - it probably needs to be about half as big again and to have much more circulation space.

This is another example of the Government and its quangos diverting tax revenues from the South East to feather the nests of other regions.

This decision must be overturned and there is a deadline for submission of objections to the Arts Council of 15th January 2008

Conservatives Appalling Election Slogan

I am disgusted that the Conservatives should have decided to hijack the Hospital campaign for their own misguided political ends. To stand as "Conservatives: Stop the Hospital Cuts" is a complete travesty.

The campaign is NON-PARTY-POLITICAL and, whilst Anne Milton MP has been very much in the public eye campaigning to save the hospital, so has Sue Doughty (former Lib Dem MP).

I really hope the naivety of the Conservatives' spin-doctors (and they are the only doctors that the Conservatives can hope to control if they get into the Local Authority with a majority again) does not have serious repercussions on the real doctors and nurses in our fantastic hospital.

It all goes to show that Independent candidates can be free of all of the party political gamesmanship.