Burt loses Solihull and Spelman retains Meriden

LIBERAL Democrat Lorely Burt has failed to regain Solihull at the General Election while Conservative Caroline Spelman retained Meriden.

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MP Spelman opens petrol station

MERIDEN MP Caroline Spelman cut the ribbon to open Sainsbury’s petrol station in Grange Road, Dorridge on Friday.

                   

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MP Spelman: Thatcher "made me proud to be British"

CONSERVATIVE Meriden MP Caroline Spelman has paid tribute to Baroness Thatcher, saying she made her “proud to be British”.

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MP Spelman requests Sainsbury's meeting

“FED up” Meriden MP Caroline Spelman has requested a meeting with Sainsbury’s over its stalled plan for a new superstore in Dorridge.

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Spelman seeks views on "poor" trains

MERIDEN MP Caroline Spelman is seeking views on a “catalouge of problems” with London Midland trains after receiving complaints from constituents.

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Spelman son suspended over drugs

THE son of Meriden MP Caroline Spelman has been suspended from club rugby for taking performance enhancing drugs, The Birmingham Mail reports.

MP Spelman loses injunction bid

MERIDEN MP Caroline Spelman has lost a bid to keep in place an injunction preventing details of her son's rugby career being reported, the BBC has reported. Read the full judgement here.

MP Spelman gets injunction over son story

MERIDEN MP Caroline Spelman has won a High Court injunction to stop a newspaper publishing a story about her son.

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Council to lose £200,000 in Icelandic banks

SOLIHULL Metropolitan Borough Council will get most of the cash it invested in failed Icelandic banks back, but lose almost £200,000, Meriden MP Caroline Spelman has said.

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Spelman hits out at boundary proposal

MERIDEN MP Caroline Spelman has hit out at moves to radically change her constituency.

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Hay Wood could be sold

HAY Wood near Baddesley Clinton could be sold under Government plans.

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MPs claimed £5,600

THE MPs for Solihull and Meriden claimed £5,692.40 in expenses in four months, latest figures show.

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MPs back spending cuts

SOLIHULL and Meriden MPs tonight backed Government spending cuts of £81bn.

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Spelman backs minister on 'curvy' role models

MERIDEN MP Caroline Spelman has backed comments by a Liberal Democrat that called for more ‘role models’ like voluptuous actress Christina Hendricks.

The Conservative MP said: “I think Lynne has articulated what many women feel.”

Mrs Featherstone, the equalities minister, hit headlines by describing the Mad Men actress as ‘absolutely fabulous’.

She said: “We need more of these role models. There is such a sensation when there is a curvy role model. It shouldn't be so unusual.”

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MPs claimed almost £45,000

SOLIHULL’S two MPs claimed almost £45,000 in the six months after the expenses scandal broke.

Liberal Democrat Lorely Burt and Conservative Caroline Spelman claimed £44,983.71 in costs including accommodation, council tax, travel and stationary, from June to December.

Solihull MP Mrs Burt claimed the most, £32,301.77.

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MP backs massive housing plans

MERIDEN MP Caroline Spelman has given a ‘cautious’ welcome to plans to build about 2,000 homes in the Solihull area.

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Solihull MPs hail budget

THE controversial rise in VAT is ‘necessary’ said Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs who represent the Solihull area.

Tory Caroline Spelman and Lib Dem Lorely Burt backed Tuesday’s budget, which included a 2.5 per cent hike in VAT to 20 per cent.

Mrs Spelman, MP for Meriden, above, said: “This was always going to be an austerity Budget – we have never pretended otherwise.

“The rise in VAT is unavoidable, given the state of the nation’s finances bequeathed to us by Labour, but there are many welcome measures which will benefit the whole country.”

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MP draws England in sweepstake

MERIDEN MP Caroline Spelman will be giving England an extra MP in the World Cup tonight after drawing the team in an office sweepstake.

The secretary of state for the environment has drawn her national team at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The side play Algeria at 7.30pm GMT tonight.

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MP hails end to 'garden grabbing'

SOLIHULL was one of the most affected areas for ‘garden grabbing’ MP Caroline Spelman has said as she hailed Conservative plans aimed at ending such developments.

The coalition Government has moved to stop gardens being classed as previously used brownfield sites by local councils, which decide whether developments can go ahead.

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MP: new council must back Green Belt

MERIDEN Conservative MP Caroline Spelman has called on Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s new Lib-Lab administration commit to protecting the Green Belt.

In a press release, she said: “The change of the ruling group on Solihull Council from Conservative to a Labour/ Liberal Democrat coalition, does give me some cause for concern.

“Will the new council be as keen as the Conservatives are to protect the Green Belt?

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