Happy New Year! At the General Election, I committed to work on six overarching local priorities. Here's an update on my progress:
After raising the total lack of banks in Cheshunt at PMQs, I secured a meeting with the Minister responsible. I made our case for a Banking Hub crystal clear, and explained why the current rules on where they can be located are not fit for purpose.
The Government have so far refused to make any changes to make it easier to set up these hubs, but I continue to take every avenue to highlight my campaign.
Whenever I speak to local residents, I hear how difficult it is to see a GP. I’ve been visiting surgeries to see for myself how they operate and to voice your concerns.
I’ve pushed for changes in the law to guarantee new healthcare facilities are opened along with new housing, and, after hearing concerns from residents that they were being forced to book online, had it confirmed from the Health Minister that GPs should always allow appointments to be booked face-to-face.
As I have repeatedly said in the Commons, I strongly believe that the best form of welfare is a well-paid job. In that spirit, I’ve championed our local small businesses through my Best Small Business competition and regularly met with owners, employees and students to hear their perspective.
In Parliament, I’ve railed against Labour’s decision to raise taxes to fund more welfare spending.
Our area is repeatedly hit by roadworks and long waits in traffic. This costs our economy billions each year, and I am convinced that the Government, the Council and utility companies could all do more to coordinate works and minimise disruption. Just last month, I met with Thames Water and brought my campaign right to the top of Government with a question to the Prime Minster, but regrettably he doesn’t even agree that there is an issue.
There is a high risk of flooding in several parts of Broxbourne, and I was grateful to be shown the poor condition of the drains in Stanstead Abbotts by parish councillor Julia Whitting. I have demanded improvements from the Environment Agency on this, and I am pleased to say I have already been able to ensure the Agency dealt with a sewage leak on White Stubbs Lane.
Special educational needs provision too often falls well below the standard that families should expect. I have visited schools across the constituency to see the issues first-hand and I have met with lots of parents struggling against the system.
Locally, I’ve helped resolve complex case where possible, while in Parliament I have met with the Education Minister to push for fairer funding for Hertfordshire.
This article was first published in Axis Magazine.
