The Coronation is almost here! Preparations across the country are reaching a climax and the atmosphere is one of huge excitement, especially here in Hertford and Stortford. There are lots of special celebrations going on in Bishop’s Stortford and Sawbridgeworth – it feels like just yesterday I was admiring the bunting children taking part in my competition for Her late Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee had designed and strung up across the towns. It was a wonderful weekend of fun then, and I look forward to seeing what is in store for all the celebrations this year too.
Over the last few weeks, I have been running another competition with primary schools from all over the constituency to design a Coronation card to send to His Majesty The King. I love organising these kinds of community competitions and had lots of fantastic entries - it was so difficult picking a winner! Please continue to keep an eye out for any updates on the winning design on my social media channels.
Another important event coming up this month is the local election on 4th May. I have been out and about catching up with our brilliant councillors in Bishop’s Stortford and Sawbridgeworth in recent weeks. They work hard for our community and it is vital people turn out to vote and have their say.
I spoke at the wonderful Bishop’s Stortford Rotary Club last month too. I shared with them what it was like being an MP and working in Parliament - it was hard to know where to begin! Rotary is such a brilliant organisation that does a lot locally and I love supporting their events whenever I can. It was a fantastic event and I thank them for their warm reception.
In Parliament, I met with Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, to discuss a range of local issues. These were primarily the proposed Gilston developments and the importance of developers keeping to their original plans and commitments, including affordable housing and community infrastructure such as health and education provision. I also raised the issue of making sure this housing is made available for local people, and is not just overspill for London local authorities. We also discussed leasehold reform and getting the right balance between local renewable energy projects such as solar farms with the need to preserve important productive farmland. Raising local issues like these with ministers is one of the most important parts of my job and I will be sure to continue to follow up on and share any developments.
I have hosted lots of constituents in Westminster for tours of Parliament in recent weeks. If you would also like to visit, please email my office at julie.marson.mp@parliament.uk with your full contact details and availability. For any other queries, and as always, please do not hesitate to get in touch.