Dear John, Football has been a dominant feature of political and cultural life recently. I have been on the Football Governance Bill committee and, during an evidence gathering session, we took evidence from Sharon Brittan, the Chairman of Bolton Wanderers Football Club. She didn’t hold back in committee and made it clear just how important the new rules would be for BWFC as well as the whole of the football pyramid. I was delighted that the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport visited me and the club to hear our concerns about the future of football and to take questions from an audience about the proposed legislation. The play-off final in Wembley against Oxford United was a little more forgettable and perhaps best forgotten. Taking up issues as diverse as the Northern Forest, funding for J7 on the M61 and the future of the hospice movement occupied much of my time but the Prime Minister provided a bit of a distraction. He called the much anticipated General Election for the 4th July. I have long thought that the mood across the constituency would be for an earlier rather than later election though I know that there is no unity on this. My judgement is that the PM thought that, despite abundant commentary in the media, we are now in a politically stable position and that he had also moved the country into an economically stable position with us being on the verge of having interests rates cut, inflation returning to normal and the economy returning for growth. It is always a nerve wracking time for a politician running into an election and the final day of this Parliament is Thursday 30th May. During the election period, I can still act on behalf of constituents but in a much reduced way to normal. I am now hoping for good weather till 10pm on polling day. Yours sincerely, | 
