WELCOME TO MY WEEKLY UPDATE no.286
Autumn has definitely arrived with colours to enjoy when dog walking but an extremely wet start to the week. In Westminster we had Labour’s first hundred days and Conservative party leadership shenanigans - the less said about either the better! But lots going on locally as ever including good news on the Guildford to Godalming greenway/cycle route.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER
INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT SUMMIT At this morning’s speech designed to woo international investors Sir Keir Starmer referenced the importance of his growth ‘mission’ saying that he wanted to make the UK the “highest growing economy in the G7.” Luckily for him when I left office in July the UK was already the fastest growing economy in the G7 - topping the table for the first six months of 2024. He also talked about us having the largest technology sector in Europe, something else that happened under his predecessors. Today tech companies have announced another £6.3 bn into data centres as a result. We like to help our friends…
LEADERSHIP CONTEST We are now in the final stage of the Conservative leadership contest and party members (many of whom read this newsletter) must choose between Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick. I am staying neutral but not staying out of it: we should not assume those who have left us will automatically return and the litmus test for me is whether we attract back aspirational 30 and 40 somethings. When I meet them doorknocking they are the epitome of the younger Conservative voter I used to be. Spreading our appeal across the country matters but so too does spreading it across the generations if we are to be true to Edmund Burke’s who famously said that ‘society is a contract between the generations: a partnership between those who are living, those who have lived before us, and those who have yet to be born.’
HOSPICE CARE WEEK Last week was Hospice Care Week and as a former Health Secretary I have been lucky to visit many all over the country as well as our brilliant Phyllis Tuckwell and Christophers/Shooting Star. I dropped by Hospice UK’s event in Parliament to chat about the ongoing funding challenges they’re facing. Interestingly the hospice movement is now officially agnostic on assisted dying having been traditionally very hostile to changing the law. I am planning to visit a Phyllis Tuckwell shop soon to catch up on the exciting news of their hospice rebuild in Farnham.
WHAT’S GOING ON LOCALLY
GUILDFORD TO GODALMING GREENWAY UPDATE You may remember last year excellent news Government confirmed further funding to improve routes between Godalming, Guildford and in between. The aim of this scheme is to improve accessibility for those who walk, wheel and cycle and so it's now great to see further detail especially for the first phase of the route. Construction starts in 2025 and will include improving the footpath and cyclepath along the A3100 and a new footpath for pedestrians and cyclists through Broadwater Park.
GOLF CLUB CHOOSES CANCER CAMPAIGN Yesterday I stopped by West Surrey Golf Club near Milford for the launch of the new captaincy year where Gary Chalcroft and Jenny Blake Thomas have both decided to choose theCancer and Surgical Innovation campaign as their chosen charity which means they will be organising a host of different events and initiatives to raise funds for our brilliant campaign. A massive thank you to them both and to Victoria from the hospital charity who came along to tell members all about it all.
MEETING RE VAT ON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL FEES This Friday I will be joining an event with Gregory Stafford MP and Damian Hinds MP to discuss the ridiculous decision to charge VAT on independent school fees - including special educational needs (SEN) schools. It is not going to raise any money and feels like thinly disguised class war. If you want to come please email [email protected] with your full name, address and school.
SURGERY CALLS My first call was to the head of Guildford Chantries Rotary Club about an exhibition of icons painted on used ammunition boxes used in the defence of Ukraine. They were displayed in Guildford Cathedral and he wanted to know whether they could be displayed in the House of Commons to raise money for Ukraine. He also wondered whether the NHS might spare some retired ambulances. Both brilliant ideas - I said I would write to the Speaker and Wes Streeting to see if either are possible.
I then spoke to a very distressed 84 year old about the injustice of the decision to cancel the Winter Fuel Allowance. She has had a remarkable life, always working incredibly hard, working nights to save money for a deposit on her house and looking after her husband with Parkinsons. But she is not eligible for pension credit even though she is less well off than many people who are.
I also spoke to Howard Barratt and Trevor Dale from the Cranleigh Heritage Trust who own the former Cottage Hospital about how we can develop the site in a way that works for the Cranleigh Community. They have a deadline to raise £35k by 10 November otherwise they risk losing over £700k from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It's action stations for all of us (including me) on this.
Finally I spoke to Jill Eyles from Compton about the campaign for an average speed check camera in Compton. Cllr Matt Furniss and I are working hard to secure this but we need to unblock opposition from the police so I am going to try to meet the Chief Constable.
WATER WOES A disastrous collection of Thames Water road closures meant long delays this Monday morning rush hour for Bramley / Cranleigh / Shamley Green / Shalford. At Gosden Common Thames Water work to unblock the rising sewage main has meant four way lights on on the A281. Compounding this the road to Shamley Green has been closed yesterday and this morning for an emergency repair. And residents of Ash saw SWT trains delayed with flooding on both sides of the track between Ash and Wanborough. The wrong type of rain no doubt…
NORTHERN LIGHTS DOWN SOUTH A phenomenal display on Friday night and it would be remiss not to share these incredible shots of the Northern Lights over the River Wey in Godalming taken by James Jagger - thank you for sharing. Fantastic to see so many amateur photographers posting all over Facebook - see below!
SOUTH ASH - DAN’S MEADOW (THE BRIARS) PLAYGROUND Great to see plans for a new and expanded Safari themed playground area. Have your say on the consultation here.
JOIN ME Want to get more involved with my brilliant election-winning team locally? Email me at [email protected] to help support our work in our community.
AND FINALLY…. take a look at this incredible video of a SpaceX starship booster caught on its return to earth by a giant mechanical arm via a ‘chopsticks manoeuvre.’ It really is a moment for mankind.
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