May Newsletter

Since my last monthly report the most newsworthy announcement has been that the Prime Minister, Theresa May, will resign as Leader of the Conservative Party on Friday 7 June. Theresa May became Prime Minister under difficult circumstances and they will undoubtedly be as challenging for her successor, particularly as the Parliamentary arithmetic will remain unchanged. As a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, I am required to be impartial during the election process but I will be listening carefully to all of the candidates about the credibility of their plans to deliver Brexit and the ambition of their post-Brexit domestic agenda.

At this time, I have not decided who to back, and wish to engage and hear from both the candidates and my constituents during this process – so I welcome your thoughts and comments, which you are able to give here.

However, a comment must also be made on the recent European election results, which of course were disappointing for the Conservatives. Anthea McIntyre was returned as an MEP for the Conservatives in the West Midlands, but unfortunately Dan Dalton was not. I was under no illusion that the Brexit party were going to do well, partly in protest against the established parties for failing to yet deliver on the 2016 referendum result.  But anti-Brexit parties such as the Lib Dems and Greens also saw their vote increase, showing the continuing division over Brexit in the country.  

I maintain that the Conservatives are not a single-issue party, which is why I was pleased that 36 of the 40 seats on the award-winning Wychavon District Council covering the Mid Worcestershire Constituency were won by Conservative candidates during May’s Local Elections, reaffirming that hard work and a clear focus on issues important to residents can win through. I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate our returning Councillors and our many new Conservative Councillors in Wychavon, express my thanks to those who stood but did not win, and express my personal gratitude to those Councillors who stood down at this election. I thank you for your many years of public service and wish you the best of luck in retirement and / or your next endeavours!

Aside the ongoing events in Westminster, it has been a busy month in Parliament. For instance, in the House of Commons I had the opportunity to stress the importance of education and skills funding to Theresa May during Prime Minister’s Questions, and I asked for assurances that the Government will give it priority attention in the upcoming Spending Review, which sets out the maximum each Government department can spend each year.

I participated in Rachel Maclean MP’s debate on Services at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and the NHS services across Worcestershire, where I called for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust to receive its fair share under the recently-announced NHS Long Term Plan. The Conservatives have committed to spending an additional £20.5 billion on the NHS between now and 2023/24, and Worcestershire MPs including myself will continue to make sure our region gets its share. This followed my earlier question to the Minister of State for Care, Caroline Dinenage, for assurances that the Government is committed to giving Worcestershire residents the same access to specialist care services as other people do in different parts of the country.

Other Westminster news includes the recent debate on the WhatsApp data breach, whereby hackers were able to install surveillance software on phones and other devices in the WhatsApp Service. I asked the Minister of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Margot James, whether the new powers contained in the Data Protection Act 2018 could allow the Information Commissioner’s Office to fine companies for future data breaches, and for the proceeds to go to our security services who help keep us safe online. I also spoke about the importance of the West Midlands to Britain’s booming videogames industry, and asked the Secretary of State, Jeremy Wright, how the Government intends to keep the UK and our area as a world leader in the industry. Over 1 in every 8 videogames developed in Britain last year was made in the West Midlands area, and it is important that we help these growing tech-companies prosper.

Elsewhere in Westminster, it was lovely to answer some questions from pupils at Flyford Flavell Primary School and Bengeworth Academy, who visited Westminster as part of their day trips to London. I attended the Therapy Dogs Nationwide event to learn how therapy dogs can help provide comfort to both children and adults, and I had the opportunity to sit down with Ellen Ferris of Teenage Cancer Trust to discuss how teenage cancer should best be covered in the aforementioned NHS Long Term Plan. I also met with apprentices from aerospace company Raytheon, who came to Parliament to talk about how their apprenticeships have provided them with the skills they need to succeed in such technical and important sectors of our economy. Apprenticeships are a great route in to the workforce, and I am pleased the Government continues to strongly encourage their expansion at all levels, from beginner to degree-level.

I also met with Justine Greening MP to discuss her Social Mobility Pledge, which aims to improve social mobility right across the country. Businesses, with their prosperity and the careers they can offer people, are key to improving social mobility - and it was great to hear some of the success stories that have been achieved already. As I visit shops and businesses across the constituency in the coming weeks, I will be promoting the pledge and encouraging more employers to sign up.

Closer to home, I had the chance to visit Chess Plastics earlier in the month to award them a certificate that recognises their high manufacturing standards in the automotive industry, as well as Kimal Holdings to officially open their new building. It is always great to see local employers expand their businesses and receive recognition for their high-quality manufacturing, adding to the attractiveness of Worcestershire as a beacon of investment and employment opportunities.

As many of you are aware, the British Asparagus Festival is well underway, and I had the opportunity to join other runners for the recent 5k asparagus fun-run. This followed my invitation to the Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, to visit one of the brilliant events taking place. Whilst unable to take up my offer, he did ask me for a sample of Vale of Evesham’s famous asparagus to try which he will be receiving this Wednesday. The Bank Holiday weekends throughout May also provided opportunities to go along to the Broadway Horse trials, Evesham Regatta, and Polish Heritage Day celebrations in Evesham’s Market Square, which really showed the strong community spirit of the town.  I also visited the Cropthorne Walkabout and St Richard’s Canal Festival in Droitwich.

In Droitwich, I joined the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association for the afternoon, where I walked blindfolded with a trainee guide dog to better understand the challenges people with sight loss deal with every day, which I found a very informative experience. I also visited nearby Webbs Garden Centre in Wychbold. Attracting over a million visitors per year, I learned about their growing e-commerce business that, like so many other local employers, is helping boost our local economy. I also toured Hartlebury Primary School and officially opened their new classroom block, which will provide an even greater learning environment for all of its pupils over the coming years. I similarly had another great morning fielding questions from Politics students at Droitwich Spa High School.  In a busy month for school visits, I also enjoyed a tour and Q&A session at Badsey First School. Topics often covered at school visits include the environment and global warming as well a Brexit, the NHS and – not surprisingly – school funding.

The forthcoming weeks will result in increased attention on MPs and on Westminster, so even more than usual I will be looking forward to spending time in the constituency talking to residents and attending some of the wonderful events taking place, including the Evesham Festival of Words and the Three Counties Show. I hope to see you there.