Having set up my own company in the past I know how tricky it can be to get initial funding. Now there is a great site where people looking for venture capital and venture capitalists can really get some help.

The site provides organisations with a wealth of advice about how to go about attracting an Angel Investor to help you kick start your business idea.

Perhaps you should forget about going on Dragons Den and have a look at this website as there may be a host of Angel Investors ready to fund your concept could literally be only a click away.

Isn't ithe internet a wonderful thing!

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I've always been a big believer in the strength of the free market in changing peoples behaviour - and there is perhaps no better example than consumers and their choice of automobile.

With the rise in petrol prices green and hybrid cars are becoming more and more popular. I have to say that as a rational human being one of the key criteria for purchasing a new car will be its mpg stats.

It won't be government who has made me make this choice, or a change in the car tax regime. What it will be is the free market and the rise in petrol prices that will convince me to by a much more fuel efficient car - with the fact that it may be more environmentally friendly being a secondary issue. The major reason is the increase in cost - and its the free market that has made me do it!

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One of the biggest lies perpetuated by Gordon Brown and co is that the UK is best placed to withstand the global slowdown. Now I might be being a little simple here but we have an economy where wealth for the majority is based on their house price. This drives their spending power and this consumerism keeps the UK economy going. Now falling house prices = less equity to feel rich through = no more new kitchens, bathrooms, plasma TVs (unless you’re an MP).

With this in mind, how the economy fail to fall into recession? We’re in a bear stock market, people have eye watering personal debts on which their interest rates are going up on, the savings ratio has plunged since Gordon Brown wrecked pensions in his first budget and got rid of tessas and peps. We have a diminished manufacturing industry and a service industry economy which relies on consumerism (and so we’re back to the start).

With Government borrowing billions and the off balance PFI’s and pensions, this country is in a mess and people are only just waking up to it. We’ve had a 10 year boom of house prices fuelled by cheap money and the likes of Kirstie Allsop saying but buy buy property. This could never continue and indeed the realignment is now taking place.

So what are the economic consequences. Well as the impact of the housing crisis starts to feed through, I expect many industries to topple like dominos in a long drawn out slowdown. New house building has come to a virtual halt and can’t just restart overnight. Unless credit markets open up prontish which is not happening, then the house price falls will continue. Therefore I would be surprised if over the next 2-3 years, growth gets above 1% in any year. There will be a contraction in amongst that in late this and early next year.

Politically, a Prime Minister who has boasted about the end of boom and bust for a decade will look a weakened figure every day. This boast has always been ridiculous as there was no way one man could hold make the economic cycle. Brown could well send Labour into total meltdown come election time with these circumstances.

Having always wanted to be Prime Minister, he should have paid attention to the old adage ’be careful what you wish for’.

Andrew Woodman

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I have just attended the launch party of Total Politics, and what a swish event it was. Packed with all the usual suspects from Public Affairs, politics and the media on the 29th floor of Millbank tower, we were plied with champagne and got a chance to see the hard copy of the magazine.

There is a rather good piece on Public Affairs which is worth a read!

Well done chaps!

PS - My wife was asked if she was a Member of Parliament twice!  

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I have to say that I write this in a personal capacity about a person I came to deal with during my challenge the Chairman sessions with Francis Maude.

The news that James McGrath has handed in his resignation (or essentially been forced to go??) over supposedly racist remarks is absolute nonsense that quite frankly beggars belief.

Lets get this straight. James is no racist - and even after reading his comments they do not strike me as being racist. My own view is that James comes from a very Australian perspective where you perhaps do not have to be so careful with the words that you choose.

Indeed that raises the question of whether that is a society we want to? I would say that we should be able to talk about issues involving different communities without, when hearing perhaps something you don't agree with, you do not automatically have the race card played.

I have to agree with Iain Dales superb piece where the Conservative Mayor of London is criticised for not standing by James.

It comes at a worrying time when many good people seem to be leaving the party for pastures new. I trust someone in the party will be sure to think about using such a great talent as James McGrath - as if they don't he will certainly be snapped up if he chooses to move outside of the party.

Update:- A phrase which states"let them go" when referring to people who may not like what Boris Johnson is doing and may choose to leave London and actually using a headline which stated in quotation marks, "go back home" referring to "blacks"  is clearly an appalling piece of journalism. The two phrases have very different meanings. One suggests that if someone doesn't like London they don't have to stay. The other suggests that someone is telling a person born in this country to go somewhere else - and is indeed quite offensive.

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The launch of the new political magazine "Total Politics" takes place tomorrow night, and I have to say I can't wait to see a proper copy of the magazine. I know that the team over at Total Politics have put in a huge amount of effort (not sure how much blood sweat and tears were involved) to get the magazine finished.

The Total Politics website has gone live with lots of new features from featuring amongst other things, a blog covering public affairs which yours truly is contributing to.  Why not pay it a visit, and leave a comment or two.

Hopefully I will get chance to speak to Iain at his launc tomorrow - and maybe do a little podcast with him on his hopes for the magzine.

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I was going to write something on Thursday about the DD resignation, but I thought I’d wait a few days to see how things are playing out. Three days on, it looks like things are developing ok for DD, and once again the mainstream media have been shown to be out of touch with the rest of the nation.

Like many on Thursday, I was bemused by what was going on. However after listening to DD’s speech outside Parliament, I couldn’t help admiring the principles behind his decision as I simply couldn’t see what he was going to gain by making it. The media took its typical reaction with various political reporters spurting out the lines fed to them by the Labour Party, while looking for splits and bust ups within the Tory Party and labelling the whole thing a stunt.

Friday saw the Sun lay into DD which was no real surprise with the famous guardian of British liberties Rupert Murdoch at the helm. He looked to fund a candidate to fight DD after Labour prepared to bottle out.

The weekend saw a change as the Westminster village started to realise that many people regarded DD’s actions as a noble act in defending civil liberties. Sunday has certainly gone DD’s way after a very effective display on the Andrew Marr show which showed up the robotic David Milliband peddling why the British people have no right to express their opinion on the European Treaty in the way the Irish have.

So what’s going on, why has DD done this? Well I can only come to the conclusion that it’s a real genuine belief in Civil Liberties. That this endorsement of DD will ensure the Conservatives become real champions of liberty and it will bounce the leadership in accepting it as the thinking behind all of its policy. If that happens, then DD could go down in history as the man who stopped 1984 becoming a reality.

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When does no mean yes?

Usually in political referenda. The Irish have had the chance many of us here in the UK would like - to say No to the European Constitution (ooops Lisbon Treaty).

But in the usual style of the EU I suspect that won't be the end of it. They will probably assume that the Irish public can't possibly have meant to say No, and that they really should have another referendum. Funny how once they say yes there is never another chance to say no.

To listen to what Roger Helmer MEP, and Hon President of the Freedom Association has to say about all this click this link.

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Anyone who commutes on one of the old intercity lines may well be able to empathise with this story. You will no doubt be aware that unlike some poor commuters, you can actually reserve a seat on these services. That's all well and good - until the system goes wrong.

When the train company for whatever reason has failed to put the reservation tickets onto the back of seats it effectively means that all reservations are invalid. This often causes much confusion to those who dont travel regularly who demand a seat when they get on a train one tsop out of London and expect someone to move who may have sat down in Edinburgh in the believe that the seat was free. What happens is that the person demanding their reservation is told by the guard (or is it customer service adviser these days) that unfortunately their reservation isn't valid - sit anywhere.

That brings me on to day. Myself and my wife board the train as normal and sit in two unsererved seats. We come to teh first station and the carriage fills up. We pull into the second one (the last before London) and ten minutes afterpulling out a man comes demanding the seat I am in.

Now if he had been polite I suspect I would have let him have it. Instead he wasn't so I let him have it in another way. He demanded the seat because his booking said E 43. I pointed out there were no reservations, but look around you - there are actually plenty of vacant seats - why not sit there.

Oh no - he wanted my seat (I wonder if he just wanted to sit next to my wife?). So Ipointed out after he started being quite aggressive that I was minded not to move. He stomped off sayng he was off to get the guard..... and then proceeded to sulk in the vestibule end all the way into London even though there were plenty of seats.

It turned out that whoever had put the reservation tickets out had placed them all in the wrong seats - so not only were there vacant seats - but his reservation was placed on another seat in the carriage.

My first but probably not last experience of train rage..... Have to say I quite enjoyed it!

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Iain Dale has a piece today on his blog which I completely agree with. I can't think of another product which is legal that is treated in the same way. The Government is happy to take huge sums in tax revenue from tobacco sales, yet it has made it not legal to smoke in public places, it won't allow advertising it, and now it wants to the product away from public view and also take any marketing materials or logos off the packaging.

Just like Iain I don't smoke, never have, and would never allow anyone to smoke in my house. BUT the Government won't come out and ban the thing, that they apparently are so against.

My big worry about these steps are the very same arguments could equally be applied to certain food or indeed alcohol that the Government also may think is too bad for us.

What next? No eating fast food in public places. Burgers only available from under the counter or in back alleys?

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The media in the last few days has been full of talk of fuel duty. People are at last beginning to realise just how much the Government is taking off them in duty at the pump and no doubt that’s another reason for Labour’s current unpopularity.
 
So it was no surprise on Question Time last night when the first question was about the soaring cost of fuel. Unfortunately, Eric Pickles was unable to give a clear answer about what the Conservatives would do about this, because he desperately wanted to stick to the green agenda and so talked about the replacement taxes policy in a rather confused and convoluted manner.
 
I don’t blame Eric Pickles for this. The whole idea of these replacement taxes has become convoluted and needs dropping. It’s become apparent that tax will be a big issue at the next election with the public reaching the tipping point of their tax toleration. Do we really want to be going into the election saying we want to put more tax on cars and flights. Trust in politicians has been so eroded that the public won’t believe in the tax savings elsewhere.
 
Also, I can't believe there are all these people (especially those on lower incomes) who are all driving and flying for the hell of it. Most driving especially in rural areas in essential to get to work, kids to school ect. In the village I grew up in, a bus come through 4 times a day. For a family to holiday closer to home and not fly abroad, that will surely involve driving as well won‘t it!
 
In practical terms, I don't see these green taxes having a major effect in behaviour, and will only succeed in punishing the worse off. The policy must be dumped.

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I just got off the phone having chatted with Eric Pickles who was in the Camapign Headquarters up in Crewe and Nantwich.

To listen to what he had to say click this link, or listen to the podcast in the media player at the top of the website.

Eric seemed to be confident with the efforts that had been put in over the last few weeks, but was keen to point out that the party wasn't predicting victory. He certainly had some interesting things to say about the tactics of the Labour party!

Oh, and as for predictions, he made just one. Chelsea to win the Champions league!

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The lovely Portillo effectively revealed he didn't vote for Boris, because the campaign was an insult to his intelligence.

Oh itmust be so nice to be so superior to the masses Michael. One may suggest that it could be that attitude which led to you failing to be leader of the party.

Just a thought?

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So the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith suggests that young thugs should be harassed and hounded by the police. Sometimes I wonder whether peoiple live in the real world.

Let me give the Home Secretary two examples of who young thugs are allowed to do exactly what they want, and why at some point I really would not be surprised if there was an upsure in vigilantism in the UK.

1) Two yobs driving their mopeds on a toddlers play area opposite my house. We call the police - but instead of getting put through to Newark, we are passed to possibly Nottingham and then Worksop who take that long taking details we think what's the point. Previous experience of this hasn't even brought a police office out. The local police station shuts at 5:00pm according to locals.

Now gobsmacked as I was the police actually sent a car up, and as luck would have it he pulled the little bastards over. Another neighbour went out and gave them a rollocking for driving over his garden (criminal damage I would have thought). The punishment for driving over pavements gardens and the like? A letter to their house. Oh well that will put a stop to it won't it. I'm glad my three points have finally gone off my licence this month - or I would be seen to be more of a criminal than them!

2) Problem family lives close to my wifes grandparents in council accomodation. This week we learn one of them was caught with some stolen lead. Funnily enough on Tuesday - some time after the police had previously caught him, yet again he had more lead on his bike. The Chairman of the local tennants group has pointed out there are stolen bikes in the shed they use. The kids do not attend school. The Council do nothing to evict this family, or enforce attendance at school. The residents have asked if one of the five cameras pointed inwards at the local police station could possibly point outwards to the trouble spots. Oh no - apparently because of data protection issues? Again absolute nonesense.

To the Home Secretary. People like me and my family are now more and more reluctant to even bother calling the police because NOTHING IS DONE. I havent reported whoever scratched one of my hub caps all over when parking near to the station, as nothing will be done. But perhaps when we see crimes being committed it would be nice to think a police officer could possibly come from the station which is less that a mile away? Or how about this as an idea - maybe some regular patrols would actually prevent the anti social behaviour taking place in the place. Just a thought.

These kind of incidents are happening up and down the country and they are getting worse, and I for one am getting sick and tired of the softly softly approach of the police, and then judicial system that seems to be more on the side of the criminal than the victim.

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Being rather sad, I forewent a Friday night out to see Boris confirmed as London Mayor. Before the result was announced, I watched a very funny edition of Have I got news for you hosting by Brian Blessed in maniac mood. It was quite fitting really as had it not been for Boris’s appearances on this programme, Ken Livingstone could well still be Mayor. For it was this programme that launched Boris on the national stage. You could argue he would have been famous due to his work at the Telegraph and Spectator but it was HIGNFY which put him in the public consciousness.
 
It was also this programme which helped the public rehabilitation of William Hague of course with a series of hilarious and very professional guest appearances which made the general public release this man isn’t a sad political loser but a clever funny normal bloke.
 
Add in the regular appearances of the likes of Bob Marshall Andrews giving New Labour a slating, and you could say the Conservative Party have a lot to thank the producers of this show for in the last few year. Whether that lasts into a new Conservative government of course remains the subject of debate.

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Last week I went back to my old school and chatted with a few students who were studying Economics at A/ AS level. We spoke about many things from current affairs to whether they would vote at the next election.

Now I don’t claim to be an expert in education, and whilst I do seem to remember something being said about kids getting paid to go to school, I have to say I hadn’t thought about it too much.

Apparently an Education Maintenance Allowance or EMA is a weekly payments of £10, £20 or £30 which gets paid directly into a students bank account. The amount received is calculated by looking at household income.

On top of the weekly amount a student can also receive bonuses – but only if you continue to do well and meet targets set by your teacher, tutor or provider when you start.

Perhaps I’m being a cynic – but the ones who handed the forms to the teacher so they could get their allowance seemed to be the pupils who were least interested in the lesson. In fact their complaint was they had to go to school 5 days a week, when those at the local college only had to do 3 days a week to get their allowance. Hmmm, hardly a ringing endorsement of the scheme is it?

So what message are we sending? Have £30 to go to school kids- but hey it doesn’t matter if the curriculum is appropriate to you, as we know you will attend just to get the money. I wonder what evidence there is that these payments have either increased educational attainment, or is money well spent in any way shape or form.

I believe there is a lot of research which points to the fact that if you want to increase educational standards money may be best spent at a primary level that at any other point of the educational lifespan of a pupil, as that’s where most rewards are reaped If you get it right at primary level, then the rest follows. It makes you think what primary schools would do to get an extra £30 per head – rather than just handing £30 to certain pupils to stay at school who quite frankly may not be that interested in stopping on.

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Whenever I plan a corporate party or a social event, I take time to carefully choose my invitations. Invitations are made and sent to wow your guests. They should be frame worthy and something that will always be a tangible reminder of your perfect day.

The most recent development in corporate invitations and unique invitations involves high-concept customizing that reflects the party's theme as well as the personality of the party-giver or guest of honor.

Using bold theme colors, "branding" the invitations with custom monograms and logos, and using designer styles and papers are just some of the ways I choose one of a kind stationery for my events.

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Well the results are starting to come in.

Selected highlights include winning a seat in Sunderland from Labour,

Wins in both Oystermouth and Fairwood in Swansea.

A gain in Chorley.

I wonder how the Government will portray tonight? Mid term blues?

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11 years ago I was swanning around on a hot May 1st, having fought my first ever parliamentary election. I lost.

11 years on and it's May 1st, and London faces a crossroads. Does it vote for more of the same... more Ken, or does it vote for Boris.

I read a really amusing piece by former Minister Phillip Oppenheim on the pros and cons of all candidates. As someone who doesn't live in London, and who doesn't have local elections where I live I have to say I'm experiencing a bit of feeling like the world is passing me by. Do I care if the capital has bendy buses or routemasters? Not really - even though I commute to the capital. Am I bothered about London public transport - only if it can get me to work on time.

Should I be bothered about the result of the Mayoral Election? Absolutely. Why? Well because it will the best indicator yet that the country is willing to return a Conservative Government to power.

If London can vote for Boris, then the country can vote Conservative.

The sobering thought is that I am now 33 and ever since I have been able to vote, the Conservatives have lost ever General Election. I will probably be 35 by the time Gordon Brown finaly decides to go to the polls. So the vote in London and the local election isn't just a vote to save London.

It's a vote to save the country. Go out and do the right thing!

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33 today - how time flies! It's also great having a birthday on St George's Day. It really is about time it was a public holiday here in England!

Anyway make sure you take a look at this St George's day message from Roger Helmer and Chris Heaton Harris.

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Following my marathon "triumph" I am wondering what I should do next. I was sent a link to the extremepie website which has all you can want in the mens clothing line for various sporting activities.

So what next? A bungee jump? Maybe skydiving. Hmmm not so sure. Maybe I will just be content with buying some new sunglasses a new shirt, and spectate from the sidelines.

And it's my birthday tomorrow - so perhaps Mrs Sheppard will get me one of these too! I can lthen ook like a surfer without any of the exercise!

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We are in the final stage of moving out of one house into another, and now comes the most frustrating part. You know when you haven't accessed that online bank account that you don't really use for quite a while and you have forgotten the various usernames and passwords.

Well that happened to me last night. As a treat we are ordering a nice TV from John Lewis. I think it's the first thing I've ever bought from there. I thought if it's good enough for the taxpayer, well it's good enough for me.

There I was online ordering with my Visa card and up pops some Visa verified page. Suddenly it asks for a password and username - nope that doesn't work, so I ask for them to be resent. I am asked to put the details from my card and my date of birth etc and apparently they can resend it me. Three goes later and my card gets locked. So I have to call the building society in question and then my card my be unfrozen for online use in a couple of days.

No worryies though, as I  can use my Amex card. I put all the details in purchase the overly big LCD TV and head of to bed.

This morning my blackberry buzzes to tell me the transaction has been cancelled. Why I ask when I call. Oh apparently Ive given the wrong address. Well I have changed my card to the new address. Oh no Sir - that takes 10 days to be accepted. You will have to use your old billing address to order. OK I say and do it all again.

I won't get started on how I have to let people from HMRC in Glasgow know that I am moving, but then I have to call people in Nottingham to let them know me as an individual (as opposed to running a company) is also moving. I then get told that I have to call Cardiff - as if you have worked for an MP your file can be made secure so the people in Nottingham can't access it.

I wouldn't mind - but I'm only moving from number 31 to number 11 on the same street.

I does make me wonder how I managed to lock one of my own credit cards, and have another transaction cancelled, yet the same building society allowed over £1000 of fraudulant transactions to go through on my wifes card, who lookly checks her outgoings online most days so spotted them early enough to put a stop to them.

Surely there has to be a better system for online buying than having to have hundreds of different usernames and passwords? I would have thought somone like Dizzy would be able to help. I bet he doesn't have a scrap of paper with usernames and passwords written on like most people I know. This interweb thingy..... sometimes it's just beyond me!

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I think all sides will be mouring the death of Gwyneth Dunwoody.

Iain Dale has already written about her sense of humour. I remember in the space of a month some time ago I seemed  to bump into her almost every day somewhere in Parliament, so much so that she finally said, are you waiting for someone, or just loitering, in her usual wicked way.

I said, well I suppose you could say loitering, to which she replied, well good good, carry on dear boy!

One of a kind.

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92,000 people originally applied to run in this year’s race

Approximately 45,791 applications were accepted.

More than 35,300 had registered to run by 5.00pm on Saturday.

35,044 people started

More than 34,000 people finished

Approximately 40 runners were admitted to hospital accident and emergency department

4093 runners required medical attention during the race

And here I am at the end with my medal

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