Copy of Week In Westminster: w/c 31st August
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
It’s been my first week back in Parliament after the summer recess, and I have to admit, it’s felt a little bit like the first day back at school! I’ve absolutely loved spending the summer across the constituency, meeting residents, visiting local businesses and community groups, and hearing about the issues that matter most to people here. I’m going to miss being at home for the full weeks, but I’m also really excited to get stuck back into the work in Parliament.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister gave a statement and set out his priorities for the months ahead. I was particularly pleased to see a clear focus on giving communities more control over the things that matter to them, alongside action on the cost of living and improving essential services.
I was also glad to hear the Foreign Secretary once again reiterate that the UK strongly condemns the increased levels of settler violence across the West Bank, in particular recent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian communities and violent incidents in response. As the Prime Minister has said, the UK needs to take stronger action towards seeking a sustainable peace in Palestine and Israel, including an end to the terrible suffering of the people of Gaza and security for the people of Israel.
On Wednesday, I was in the Chamber for the Prime Minister's first PMQ's. I particularly appreciated Kim Leadbeater's question on the problems of isolation, loneliness and anti-social behaviour in rural areas like ours. I welcomed the Prime Minister’s response that we should not simply accept these problems as the norm, and his recognition that he and the Home Secretary are concerned about the impact challenges like these have on communities.
There is a real opportunity to fix these issues: making our communities safer, improving access to services and transport, supporting local facilities and creating opportunities for people to come together. Strong communities don’t happen by accident, and I want to see our rural areas get the attention and investment they deserve, and I know our Prime Minister does too.
Thursday began with Oral Questions to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with questions on access to grassroots sport and opportunities for young people, particularly in rural areas. I was pleased to hear more about how the Government is committed to making arts and culture accessible to everyone. The Government invests £600 million annually through Arts Council England to support access to arts and culture across the country, helping improve wellbeing and give young people more opportunities to get involved.
And then, today, it’s a full day of Private Members’ Bills. These are Bills brought forward by individual MPs rather than the Government, covering a huge range of issues. From a Bill on infants, parents and carers to one on multi-story car parks!
I’ll be spending this weekend back in the constituency, hosting a coffee morning and going to local events. As always, do get in touch if there’s anything I can help with. |
