By Julian Whittle

Published at 05:41, Friday, 22 August 2008

CONSERVATIVE Party leader David Cameron breezed into Carlisle this week and gave his perspective on the city’s Renaissance plans.

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Save Our Streets campaigners, who oppose the demolition of homes in Rickergate, will take heart from his view that ideas should come from the people, not politicians.

Mr Cameron said: “Regeneration should be about people as well as bricks and mortar.

“Regeneration needs to be driven by the people in Carlisle.

“It’s not a good idea for politicians in Westminster to say, ‘this is how you do it’.”

Mr Cameron came to Carlisle on Wednesday as part of a Cumbrian tour that also took in Kendal and Barrow.

His visit coincided with the publication of a report from the Conservative-leaning think tank, Policy Exchange, which said attempts to regenerate the north have failed.

It advocated that people who live her should be helped to move to the south.

Mr Cameron dismissed those findings as “rubbish from start to finish”.

He said: “There has been a huge regeneration in Britain’s northern cities. Conservative councils are helping in this, like here in Carlisle.

“The idea that cities cannot regenerate is nonsense.”

Mr Cameron met teenagers at Education and Youth Services in Victoria Place, which helps youngsters with low self-esteem – many having dropped out of mainstream schools.

He said: “The number of 16-to-19 year olds not in education, training or employment has gone up in the last 10 years.

“These are the people Labour said they would help and they have failed them.”

The Conservative leader criticised the Government’s handling of the credit crunch and recent cost-of-living increases.

He promised that a Tory government would cut tax on petrol when the price went up and would exempt almost all first-time home buyers from paying stamp duty.

He accused the Government of doing nothing while the economy went to the wall.

“The Labour Party is utterly divided,” Mr Cameron said.

“The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary barely speak to each other.

“The Conservative Party is the one that speaks for Britain.”

Mr Cameron also visited Cumbrian Newspapers’ offices at Dalston Road, chatting to journalists in the news room and viewing the state-of-the-art printing press.

He was accompanied by John Stevenson, the solicitor and city councillor selected as Conservative candidate for Carlisle at the next General Election.

Mr Stevenson hopes that recent boundary changes will help him overturn a 5,695 Labour majority to become the city’s first Tory MP since 1964.

Carlisle is 93rd on the Conservatives’ list of targets and is a seat they must win to have a majority at Westminster.

Mr Cameron was upbeat about Mr Stevenson’s chances of victory.

He said: “I don’t make predictions. But I know we have a very good candidate, who works hard, and a city with a Conservative council.”

This was Mr Cameron’s second visit to Carlisle since becoming Conservative leader in December 2005.

He called briefly to meet party workers ahead of the council elections in May 2007.

He also visited during the 2005 General Election campaign when he was the Conservatives’ policy chief.

Carlisle’s Labour MP, Eric Martlew, argues that Mr Cameron’s latest visit was a missed opportunity.

Mr Martlew said: “I’m surprised that he didn’t visit the new university, the sites of the new academy schools or look at the new flood defences.

“A lot is happening with Government money in Carlisle and it is a pity he didn’t have time to see for himself.”

Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk