Alex Norris MP's Weekly Newsletter

Welcome to the latest issue of my weekly newsletter.

This morning the Prime Minister announced that she will soon be standing down after failing to deliver Brexit. While better than No Deal, her deal would have been bad for jobs, workers right, business and the environment, so this is no surprise.

Unfortunately however, the Tory’s seem stuck on putting their party ahead of the country and could desperately elect a leader who would enact a catastrophic No Deal. This leadership election will begin on June 7th, by which time we will know more about who is running and what that could mean.

What we do know though, is this Tory Government will continue to cut taxes for the richest at the expense of ordinary hard-working people who are left to suffer. Now their new leader won’t even be left with a minority mandate, a General Election and a Labour Government are even more desperately needed.

Despite the European Elections taking place yesterday, that was the big news this week, but I’ve been busy elsewhere too.

Read on to find out more...

As I’ve said before, I will strive to send you a newsletter like this each Friday to keep you updated on the work I’m doing in Parliament as well as in our community, and to inform you of any interesting events taking place in our area. To help me with the latter, if you are running or know of anything that you think may be of interest to others, feel free to drop me an email at alex.norris.mp@parliament.uk and I will include it in future issues. Please also forward it onto anyone you think may be interested.

Brexit and the European Elections

Yesterday we went to polling stations to elect the 73 Members of European Parliament who represent the UK in European Parliament, where EU law is made. Whilst our MEPs have little influence over Brexit it has undoubtedly played a significant role. We’ll find out on Sunday how this went. 

Disappointingly, the ‘bold’ new deal that the Prime Minister promised and has now led to her departure, was little more than a repackaged version of the deal that has already been rejected by Parliament three times. It offered no change on a customs union, no change on single market alignment, and no dynamic alignment on environmental protections. This failure to offer an option that both parties could support has left us in the worrying position we find ourselves in. 

The Prime Minister’s ten-point plan was contradictory and wishful thinking. For example, the Government wanted to align with the EU on goods to keep frictionless trade, but also wants to pursue trade deals that would undermine this process. This is simply not compatible, and it makes no sense to legislate for a plan that has already been comprehensively rejected by the EU. 

Yesterday, at the weekly business of the House statement, the Government did not announce the introduction of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill as the Prime Minister had promised, and we now know this was because she would be resigning. 

Labour set out a sensible compromise plan over a year ago, including a comprehensive and permanent customs union with the EU that gives us a say. I believe this is a credible and achievable alternative, and the best way to protect industry, manufacturing and jobs. 

Our country needs leadership to bring us together. Unfortunately, the Conservative Party are offering none. Labour can provide this.

In Nottingham

I returned to Nottingham to vote and campaign yesterday, before a busy day around the constituency today. My constituency office has had its tiles refitted, so I’ve been out and about this morning. Here’s what I got up to: 

•  I began the day with a visit to Warren Primary Academy in Rise Park, where I spoke to the year 5 class about Brexit. There was far more interest that I expected, and certainly far more than I had at their age when only football mattered! 
• The Rebalancing board then had our latest meeting at Bulwell Riverside, where we discussed the upcoming Basford Arts Week (from June 10th - keep your eyes peeled). 
• Out of the constituency to the East Midlands Conference Centre on the University of Nottingham campus next, where Groundwork Greater Nottingham were hosting a conference promoting Experience Works, which is the legacy of Talent Match, a project they led which supported getting young people into work through the use of Work Trials. Many who struggle with traditional employment processes are perfectly capable of doing a job and work trials can help businesses realise this. I gave the closing statement, highlighting the incredible difference this has made for people. 
• At Loxley House, my old place of work, I met with City Councillors and UCU to discuss the latter’s campaign surrounding staffing at Nottingham College. 
• This was all aided by an emergency tyre change by my good friends at K and M Autocentre after I got a puncture!

In Westminster

Away from Brexit, here’s what I got up to around Parliament this week: 

• The Draft Domestic Abuse Bill Committee met twice this week, and I partook in both very important meetings. Being required to complete our deliberations by 14th June, Wednesday afternoon’s session was the final oral evidence session, as we welcomed Heather Wheeler, Minister from the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Jackie Doyle-Price Minister for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention, at the Department for Health and Social Care, to hear what the Government has been doing.  
• On Wednesday I also met with ‘Surviving Economic Abuse’, to discuss aspects of the draft Bill. 
• Yesterday I asked Ministers from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport about Safe Standing. It turns out that they have finished their review, but for now are keeping the results secret. I’ll keep pressing until we find out what it found, and keep pressing for this change. You can watch this here. 
• I attended a briefing session on Parliament’s restoration and renewal on Monday, where the then-Leader of the House filled in MPs on the progress of the Government’s plans, before she resigned on Wednesday night. 
• On Tuesday, as part of Labour’s International Development team I met with campaigners from Mozambique who are trying to seek justice for illegal loans totally over £1.5 billion that were secretly made to state-owned companies from London branches of two international banks, causing financial turmoil in their country.

Looking Ahead to Next Week

Next week is another recess, so it will be a quieter week, but we'll have time to reflect on the Prime Minister’s departure before returning on 4th June.

What's On

I want these emails to be as interesting as possible. That means there’ll be some politics – it’s important that I am held accountable. But I also want to offer information about what’s on locally. So, if you have an event you’d like me to advertise, let me know.

If you would like your events advertised here, or further information on those advertised, please email me at alex.norris.mp@parliament.uk.

That’s all for now! Details of how to get in touch or to have a look at the things I’m doing are below…

All the best,

Alex