Only the Conservatives Can Do the Business for Coventry

Former Chamber of Commerce President Darren Jones backs Conservative Team for Coventry

1st October 2009

Darren Jones, who was until very recently the President of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, has today thrown his support behind the Conservative campaign for the next General Election.

Darren, who is well known throughout the local business community, today joined Cllr Kevin Foster, Cllr Gary Ridley & Cllr Hazel Noonan, on the Council House steps to both pledge his support for their Parliamentary campaigns and to state that only this team can be trusted to do the business for our city in the next Parliament.

As President of the Chamber he was required to be politically neutral, however his time in that job has convinced him that it is time for change. Darren's remarks also follow the news that Ric Richards, former Chair of the Coventry Branch of the Federation of Small Business, will stand for the Conservative Party in next year's local elections.

Darren said: "Over the last two years I have worked closely with politicians from all parties including the current MPs for Coventry. Yet in that time I have become increasingly aware of the damage that the current Government's policies are doing to our City, as well their total failure to tackle the disastrous state of our public finances. For me it is no longer about lobbying for change in a particular policy, but a change in the whole direction our Government is going in. There is now only one choice at the next General Election for those working for, or owning, a business in Coventry and that is the Conservative Party lead by David Cameron who I believe will provide the leadership this country desperately needs."

He added: "At a local level I have worked with Kevin, Gary & Hazel on a range of issues affecting Coventry's economy and have found that they have both the experience, as well as the energy to take our city forward in the next Parliament. Whilst I bear no malice to the sitting Labour MPs, who I have worked with in the past, it would be a mistake for Coventry to re-elect politicians that appear to have run out of steam having each done at least 17 years in parliament. That is why I will be campaigning for Coventry to vote Conservative next year."

Darren also met Cllr Ken Taylor the Leader of the City Council and added his support for the re-election of the Conservative administration next year, dismissing Labour as providing no alternative. He said: "Since the Conservatives took control of the Council in 2004 I have noticed a real and positive difference. On the other hand the Labour Group has opposed for the sake of opposition and advanced no coherent plan as to how they would manage the Council's finances. A vote for a Labour council would set the City back and not help the hard working Coventry families who have to live in the real world."