The Prime Minister has announced his priorities for the year ahead - halving inflation, growing the economy, decreasing national debt and NHS waiting lists and stopping small boats that cross the channel illegally. Lots of these issues affect people across Hertford and Stortford and I know many will be relieved to see them addressed and tackled so head on.
The Minimum Service Levels Bill is a major legislative priority in Westminster right now. It will ensure that vital services, such as health, fire and rescue and transport services, maintain a basic level of function when workers strike. To be clear, this is not about stopping workers’ right to strike. That freedom must always remain protected. However it does now need to be balanced with the public’s right to access the most critical and life saving services. This is especially true for the most vulnerable in our community.
The UK will also become the safest place to be online - the Online Safety Bill has now made its way through Parliament. Children's safety in particular has been its huge focus. New measures will tackle the growing threat of child sexual exploitation and abuse online, with tech bosses facing large fines and even sentencing for failing to protect them from dangerous content.
Locally, I held an urgent meeting with Greater Anglia to push for better rail replacement provisions. This followed their announcement not to run replacement buses along the Hertford East/Liverpool Street line during five days of planned engineering works last month. People across Hertford and Stortford need to know that the right provisions will be provided for them when their journeys are affected. I am glad Greater Anglia has taken this feedback from our meeting onboard and is now working towards making sure this does not happen again.
We are now temporarily without a post office in Ware town. Morrisons’ rush to shut it down meant this would, unfortunately, always be the case. I did look at getting Post Office vans to visit Ware in the interim, but none were available. I have had several meetings to push the Post Office and other stakeholders for action since, and am encouraged there continues to be more good news as a result. Discussions with to host the new premises are taking place. As soon as a successful applicant has been chosen, more details will be shared. Joining my Facebook group ‘Save Ware High Street’s Post Office’ is the best way to stay updated.
I was delighted to donate an original tile from the House of Commons to Sawbridgeworth Memorial Hall, following the Palace Of Westminster’s recent restoration. The tile has been placed next to a stone, also from the House of Commons, that was given to the Hall when it was built in 1953. I attended a lovely unveiling ceremony with local officials and school children to celebrate. I hope the tile will continue to be visited and enjoyed for years to come.