Date: 13 October 2006

From Washington to Staffordshire Moorlands

Karen Bradley, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Staffordshire Moorlands, welcomed her American colleague, David Kerr on his first visit to Staffordshire Moorlands last week.

Mr Kerr, who works for a US Congressman in Washington DC, is in the UK giving a series of talks on American politics. A former US Naval Reserve Intelligence Officer, Mr Kerr is also a distinguished newspaper columnist in Washington and Virginia and has written for the Washington Examiner, the Fredericksburg Freelance Star and the Journal Press.

Mr Kerr gave his audience a fascinating insider’s guide to US presidential elections and spoke enthusiastically on the enduring US-UK relationship whichever party has been in power on either side of the Atlantic.

Mr Kerr, who was introduced to the area by Charles Hendry, the Conservative MP for Wealden and for the High Peak until 1997, has visited the Peak District several times but had not previously had an opportunity to come to Leek.

He said: “I am so pleased to have the chance to visit Staffordshire Moorlands and see how much the area has to offer and how beautiful and spectacular the countryside is. As a resident of Stafford County, Virginia, I am really happy to finally visit the county that gave my home its name.”

Karen, who hosted a reception for Mr Kerr said: “I am delighted to be able to host David’s first trip to Staffordshire and to learn so much from him about the upcoming US mid-term elections.”