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Vicky Ford MEP was in Luton last week visiting local charitieis and businesses.

Vicky was elected an MEP for the Eastern Region in last June's European elections in which the Conservative Party was the only major party in Luton to increase it's share of the vote.  This was perhaps in part down to Vicky herself who visited Luton on several occasions during the election campaign.

Early on Friday afternoon Vicky and I visited the Dallow Learning Commmunity Centre and were given a tour of the facilities by two truly inspirational and utterly committed community leaders: Janet and Haroon.  The construction of the centre was partly funded by EU money.  Vicky and I were both impressed by the huge range of activities and initiatives being pursued by the centre. 

The centre does amazing things on a very limited budget, but it is a great example of how the initial commitment of an enthusiastic and vocal member of the local community can make a difference - have a great idea and grow it into something that means so much to so many people.  The activities of the centre range from religious support, to counselling service, to sports, to radio broadcasing, to IT training.

Later in the afternoon we visited the GM/ IBC plant.   This is particularly close to Vicky's heart.  She played a pivotal role last year in making sure that European legislation was applied fairly and evenly when it came to saving UK jobs.

Vicky and her fellow Conservative MEP's put the presssure on the European competition commissioner  to ensure that the German government did not use government subsisdies unfarily to keep GM jobs in Germany, potentially at a cost of UK jobs.  Now that GM has decided to keep GM Europe this is no longer such an issue and we were both pleased to see that management and union reps were both much more confident about their future than a few months ago.

Vicky re-iterated her committment to GM and expressed her willingness to continue to fight in GM and IBC's interests in her European role and on the influential business committee on which she sits.

Vicky also discussed environmental legistlation with the GM team.  I personally expressed my commmitment to making sure that, should the Conservatives win the next electoin and I be the local MP, that we would do everything possible to ensure a long term future for UK manufacturing and for GM in Luton in particular - up to 2013 when the current contract with Renault runs out - and beyond.

GM workers can breath a little more easily knowing that someone as utterly dedicated and competent as Vicky is fighting their corner.