Charlotte's blog is now here.

Labour winning in Falmouth and Truro

This week's West Briton contains some good news for Labour and my determination as your prospective MP to make Cornwall's economy more sustainable.

First up, Falmouth Chamber of Commerce chairman Sandra Pilson said: "I am voting Labour to give Gordon Brown a chance to sort things out. I don't think Clegg or Cameron have the experience to do it. Unless they keep with what we have now it will put us back years."

And Kieran McVey who manages one of Falmouth's waterside hotels said: "Labour would be better purely because we appear to be on the road to recovery and a move away from the strategy currently in place may upset the process."

In Truro, shop-owner Doug Hughes said: "There's this opinion that a Conservative government is pro-business but in my experience business rates come down under Labour and they have been kind, especially to small businesses in the credit crunch."

Meanwhile the Liberal Democrat candidate here has been calling for improved rail services - between Lancashire and Yorkshire!

More about Charlotte's campaign to win

Recent news:

BBC Radio Cornwall - listen to the Truro and Falmouth debate

West Briton - listen to the Truro and Falmouth podcast

Voting for Cornwall's economy

Housing and earnings in Cornwall - candidate debate

Cornwall's NHS - candidate debate

Charlotte's candidate column - Falmouth edition

Labour launches manifesto

Cornwall's environment - candidate debate

Cornwall Council - first candidate debate

Charlotte's website

Charlotte's blog

Charlotte MacKenzie TV

Follow Charlotte on Twitter

Find Charlotte on facebook - politician's page and profile

Student voters in Falmouth and Truro

This year, it seems that campaigns encouraging students to register - led by the NUS and others - have had some success.

As the Labour candidate, I listen to what students say.

I have pledged to vote against an increase in student fees. I support a fair system of student funding which enables people from all backgrounds to go to university.

We need a more sustainable economy - new jobs and industries will mean more graduates can use their skills to work locally if that is what they want to do. I'm supporting development of the creative, digital, marine, and renewable sectors.

When people contact me asking my views I reply - I will do my best to get back to everyone before polling day.

Students who vote can have a real impact on who becomes the first MP for this new constituency. On the 'notional' figures based on 2005 results it is a three-way fight between Labour, Tories, and Liberal Democrats; and there are about 5,000 more people on the register than in 2005.

I'm really happy that some students are actively supporting my election campaign - there is still time to volunteer to help by contacting me through my website, facebook, or twitter.

Backing Cornwall's pubs

This is my reply sent to the 'Back the Pub' campaign in support of Cornwall's pubs:

"As Labour's prospective MP in an area with some excellent local breweries, and pubs which are at the heart of some of our local communities, I am supporting CAMRA's 'beer drinkers and pub goers charter'.

I warmly welcome Labour Minister for Pubs John Healey MP's recent announcements helping community pubs.

I also actively supported the move to ban smoking in public places because of the clear evidence related to the negative health impacts of passive smoking on industry workers and non-smokers in a smoke-filled environment, and I will continue to do so."

Why I want the job of being your MP

As Parliament was dissolved yesterday, people paid tribute to Matthew Taylor, who was the MP for Truro and St Austell for 23 years. When Matthew Taylor announced in 2007 he was standing down at the end of this Parliament, he said that the biggest thing he had achieved as an MP was the A30 Goss Moor by pass.

If I can do one thing as your future MP, it will be to bring together the investment that is needed for the dredging and development of Falmouth docks to make Falmouth's economy more sustainable, lifting the town's economy to the same level as Truro. This is what I said when I was interviewed recently on the BBC Politics Show (11 April broadcast, last report); the editors cut it.

Achieving this for Falmouth has the support of Labour in Government and Cornwall Council are a partner in the proposals. It will help to support the development of wave power and renewable energy as a new local industry.

Everybody understands that an MP of the Party of Government is more likely to be pushing on an open door.

Falmouth can't afford to wait 20 years for the economic development we need. Labour can win Truro and Falmouth on a swing like that which made Julia Goldsworthy MP in 2005.

Vote match - vote yellow, get blue

The Vote Match website is designed to help people work out which Party best reflects their individual policy priorities.

Those who, like me, are immersed in campaigning everyday for one Party may feel that the questions don't reflect all of the issues people raise most frequently with candidates. There are some policy gaps in the issues covered by the questions.

Even so, it is a useful ready reckoner. I worked through the questions and was unsurprised by my results.

The closest match for me, of course, is Labour. Nor was I surprised - as someone who feels strongly about the environment and local community empowerment - to find that a long way behind Labour the Green Party was my second closest match.

What the survey confirms is the widening policy gulf between Labour and the Liberal Democrats - who match just 40 per cent of my priorities as a Labour candidate, the same as the Conservatives.

For anyone wanting to keep the Tories out, and undecided between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, this quiz is a wake up call and reality check of just how close Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats in Cornwall really are to the Blues.