David Ruffley

New plans outlined by local Conservatives to clean up hospitals and cut waiting lists in Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket

David Ruffley MP this week backed the action plan unveiled by Conservatives to improve hospitals in Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket and across the country, including ending waiting lists and clamping down on dirty wards which are breeding grounds for dangerous 'superbugs' like MRSA. The plans are detailed in Conservatives' new health manifesto.

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Ruffley to chair Howard Estate law and order public meeting

David Ruffley will chair a public meeting on the Howard Estate to be held on Friday, 25 February at 7.00 pm for 7.30 pm at the Howard Estate Community Centre, Bury St Edmunds.

The meeting will be preceded by the official opening of the new kitchen at the Community Centre by MP David Ruffley and County Councillor David Lockwood at 7.15 pm.

David Ruffley MP this week expressed his anger on behalf of local residents in Elmswell, Woolpit and Norton. Whilst the planning system was becoming increasingly unfair and discriminating in favour of unauthorised traveller encampments, the Government is now funding a helpline providing advice on how to work the system in their favour.

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David Ruffley this week called for the abolition of the unelected Suffolk police Authority. This would be replaced by a, US style, directly elected local Police Commissioner for the County. This would allow local people to exert greater influence over the type of policing and police priorities in Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, and to hold the Chief Constable to account.

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David Ruffley MP this week welcomed new proposals to ease the burden of council tax on older people in Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket. Under the plans, the next Conservative Government will introduce an automatic 50% discount on council tax bills for those aged 65 and over, up to a maximum of £500. A discount already exists for single person households and many disabled people.

Under the current Government, since 1997, council tax bills in Mid Suffolk and St Edmundsbury for a typical pensioner have risen by over 80 and 90% respectively.

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Local MP highlights new 'stealth tax' on home extensions and soaring stamp duty

David Ruffley MP this week warned that home owners face a new Labour stealth tax- in the form of soaring fees for planning applications. Proposals slipped out by the Government just before Christmas call for a £70 million hike in planning fees from this April.

Government plans for higher taxes in local neighbourhoods

David Ruffley MP this week attacked Government plans to introduce a supplementary council tax, on top of existing local bills. Under the proposals announced by John Prescott, new 'neighbourhood improvement districts' could charge local residents a hefty top-up on council tax bills.

New proposals to reverse Labour's tax hikes for those on low and middle incomes

Ahead of the Government's annual mini-Budget at the beginning of December, David Ruffley MP this week launched new Conservative policies to cut the level of tax on low and middle income earners and pensioner savers in Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket.

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The West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust has recently announced they are to introduce a short-stay surgery unit in a bid to tackle the worrying upward trend in the number of cancelled operations.

Conservatives outline new planning control policies

The retrospective planning application, made by the travellers for the site established in August in the Elmswell/Woolpit area, was considered by Mid Suffolk District Council on Monday 15th November at 9 am.

The decision made was to reject the application by five votes to one on the Northern Area Planning Control committee.

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