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These are some of my views on issues which are important to me and to the very many people I meet.
I believe in the freedom of the individual, under the rule of law, and the right for people to behave as they wish as long as it doesn't harm others. I believe in democracy and the nation state. And I believe in protecting the vulnerable and in helping others who can't help themselves.
The Nation State is vital. I believe in the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom. I totally reject the concept of a United States of Europe and always vote to reduce the powers of the European Union. We should trade with the countries of Europe and be friends with them, but we should not be governed by them and should not seek to govern them.
Europe isn't working. The unemployment rate across the EU is twice that of America, and the economic growth rate is half that of America and Japan. There is too much regulation coming from Brussels. The Common Agricultural Policy is a disaster. It is time to re-think the whole European project.
I am therefore totally opposed to any thoughts of the UK joining the Single European Currency and am totally against signing up to the European Constitution. If these issues ever come to Parliament I shall vote against them.
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I believe in controlled public spending and low taxation. The government presently far too much of what we earn as a country. Billions of pounds are wasted on unnecessary government spending. That waste should be cut. And our taxes should be lowered. It is a crucial part of freedom that we should be allowed to keep more of what we earn. Lower taxes lead to greater prosperity and a thriving economy, in which public services can actually be far better funded.
We cannot continue to compete with the tiger economies of the world if we burden ourselves with regulation and over-tax ourselves. A third of the world's population live in India and China and they are really motoring. Prosperity in future will come from being competitive and not from high government spending and taxation.
I failed my 11-plus(!) but I enjoyed the secondary modern school I went to and I then went on to the local grammar school for VIth form. I support the concept of grammar schools but also believe in improving all schools.
Far too many pupils cannot read, write and add up properly. And far too many play truant. This situation leads to the breeding of a criminal element - see below. But we also need to ensure that children see the relevance of school. Perhaps we should teach things which matter, such as law, the constitution, practical things like money management and the danger of drug taking ... things like that.
I am opposed arbitrary targets of, say, sending 50% of all students to university. Everyone should receive further education or training when they leave school and for some university is the best place for this, but not for everyone. Many graduates are unable to find jobs when they leave university or else carry out work for which they don't need their qualification, yet there is a shortage of technical skills available to employers. It isn't adding up. And universities should be about offering proper degrees!
I believe in the concept of health care free at at the point of service for everyone. Sadly, though, many people - especially the vulnerable - have to wait for far too long for their treatment. People can't get NHS dentists. Doctors, nurses, consultants, physiotherapists and many other key medical people are in short supply. Many of our hospitals - such as Winchcombe hospital in my constituency - are under threat of closure. This government has spent billions of extra pounds on the NHS but has failed to bring about sufficient improvements. Reform is needed, and not just money.
We are right to be concerned about climate change. It may be occurring as part of a cycle or because the sun is getting hotter, but regardless of that we need to look to our own behaviour. As a former Shadow Energy Minister, I recognise the need to cut emissions from energy production and we can do this by developing renewable energy and by creating another generation of nuclear power stations. We can also cut emissions from vehicles by using renewable fuels and by developing cleaner cars which run off other sources. The government is doing far too little in this respect.
There is far too much crime in society and it is increasing. We have to tackle this in a number of ways. We need more police officers and they should be focused on catching real criminals and serving the public, and not just hounding motorists. We also need to improve detection rates and successfully prosecute more people and hand down stiffer sentences. Criminals should serve all their sentence, not just part of it.
We also need to look at the causes of crime. Most people in prison have very poor numeracy and literacy skills and many have mental health problems. These are not excuses for committing crime but people who are excluded from society because of these problems are far more likely to crimes than others. We therefore need to tackle school truancy and ensure that no-one leaves school unable to read and write and add up properly. Far too many children are being failed by the education system and they become criminals. And we also should support families to help provide children with stability and role models.
I totally oppose the lowering of the classification of cannabis. It is a dangerous drug and one which can lead to addiction to even stronger drugs. We should be tough on drug dealers and, at the same time, provide better education on the dangers of taking drugs and provide real rehabilitation for those addicted.
The taking of drugs leads to crime. Many crimes committed are done so by people who are seeking to make money in order to pay for their drug habit. This is something else we need to tackle if we are to reduce crime. Again, education is so important in this respect, as in so many other ways.
I take a deep interest in this issue. I have visited Ethiopia three times as well as Rwanda, Kenya, Egypt, Mexico and other developing countries. I also am Chairman of the Conservative Africa Business Group and Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ethiopia.
Emergency aid has been vital so many times when, for  example, rains have failed and millions of people have suffered acute food shortages. But it is also important to provide help with developing, for example, irrigation systems to help these countries avoid such situations.
Also, trade is very important to all developing countries and the European Union needs to open its borders to goods from people who are desperate to make livings. I support these countries for humanitarian reasons but we should also remember that, as these countries become better off, they afford us markets for our goods, too.
I have been Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland since May 2005. During that time, I have dealt with a great deal of legislation
Much of this legislation was designed to help restore devolution to Northern Ireland and I'm pleased to say that this was successful and the Northern Ireland Assembly is now up and running again. Other legislation was involved in making decisions for the people of Northern Ireland during the time the Assembly was suspended.
I have long campaigned to create a better deal for the law abiding people of Northern Ireland. There is no place for paramilitary organisations in any civilised society, regardless of which side they are on. Some dissident republicans and so-called loyalists still hang on to their weapons and remain involved in criminality. All of these groups should cease violence and give up their arms immediately.
Although problems remain, Northern Ireland is a better and more peaceful place than it has been for decades. However, challenges lay ahead forthe Assembly, in terms of its ability to take decisions, given its power sharing structure. Decisions on the main issues have to gain majorities in both the unionist and nationalist sides of the Assembly, which doesn't make for dynamic government.
Also, the fiscal deficit Northern Ireland - the difference between the taxation raised in Northern Ireland and the amount the government spends in the Province - is massive, largely due to there being too small a private sector, partly as a result of almost 40 years of conflict. Even today, many households across the Province lack proper sanitation, mains electricity, water and heating. These are difficult issues and it will be for the people of Northern Ireland to rise to these challenges.
The next step in terms of devolution is that of policing and justice, which are still controlled from Westminster. The unionists are opposed to devolving these matters to the Assembly at the moment whereas the republicans and nationalists are in favour of it.
In philosophical terms, I have always believed in the union of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. and have always voted in a way which preserves that union, never more so than with regard to the status of Northern Ireland.
But regardless of anyone's philosophical views, the way forward in Northern Ireland is through peaceful means. Disagreements are inevitable - and they can, indeed, be healthy - but there is no place for the gun or the bomb. It is this peaceful situation and democratic political process which I have been working to help bring about.
I oppose abortion in principle. The 1967 Act states that, before carrying out an abortion, two medical practitioners must form an opinion, in good faith, that "the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman or any existing children of her family, than if the pregnancy were terminated; or that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities to be seriously handicapped"
Yet we all know that abortion is available on demand. Since the Act, almost six million foetuses have been aborted. And the numbers are growing. It isn't just the vulnerable teenager who has abortion, either. In the over-35s group, the abortion rate has doubled since the Act. In the 25-34 age range it has trebled. And 37% of all abortions are carried out on women in this latter age range.
In 2007, I introduced a Bill into the House of Commons to try to ban abortion but it was defeated due to the opposition of a number of, mainly Labour, MPs. I do, however, also support a reduction in the time limit.
Embryo Research
I oppose abortion and Euthanasia but support certain types of embryo research, under very strict rules and controlled conditions. I believe there to be a difference between the wanton destruction of life and scientific research which has the aim of helping people avoid the most crippling, painful and deadly diseases. But, as I say, this research has to be very strictly controlled and regulated and I always consider very carefully legislation which seeks to change the rules.
I oppose euthanasia in principle too. At the moment, the law is that a doctor can administer a drug to a seriously ill patient with the intention of easing pain, even if the administering of that drug may hasten death. But a doctor cannot administer the drug with the intention of hastening death, even though it eases the pain.
There is a subtle but crucially important legal and moral difference between the two actions, based on what the intention is. And I believe that the balance is about right. It would be wrong to make a judgement and to kill people.
I am opposed to to the regionalisation of large-scale planning. I believe that such decisions should be taken locally. The unelected Regional Assembly recently sent its draft Regional Spacial Strategy to the Secretary of State for approval. This document proposes building thousands of houses in this area.
Following last year's floods, it is vital that we do not build any more houses in flood risk areas, which, in this constituency, means most of the area. We have been asked to take far too many houses already and I am strongly opposing the proposals in the Regional Spacial Strategy
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