Welcome to my weekly update no.346
Parliament is now in recess for the Easter break but the things outside don’t stop locally or internationally, not least as we all try to calculate the impact of the Iran crisis. Locally I met Thames Water in Alfold where they confirmed their long-awaited upgrade project to re-line their pipe network. Have a wonderful Easter – as I will, back eating chocolate and desserts again – and see you in a fortnight.
WESTMINSTER WHISPERS
DANGEROUS STRAITS We are in a very dangerous situation and President Trump now has to choose between backing off – which would reduce tensions but leave America’s reputation deeply damaged – or doubling down which could mean an Iraq-style ground war. For us in Europe the options are little better. As I told Andrew Marr on LBC last week, if we don’t keep the US onside, we risk Trump pulling the plug on Ukraine – or possibly even NATO. That was why, without endorsing or committing to war, I thought it was a mistake not to let the US use our bases (although it was a finely balanced decision.) What’s the lesson? We need to be able to defend ourselves. So why the delay on the defence investment plan which keeps getting kicked down the road?
MORE BAILOUTS SHOULD NOT MEAN MORE DEBT Last week, the Chancellor came to the House to outline her plan for a possible energy bill bailout – which she plans to be more targeted than my measures back in 2022. I actually agree with her. When I was Chancellor fuel bills were due to rise to £4,200 a household and we are nowhere near that. More importantly, we cannot keep dealing with economic shocks by increasing borrowing, which is why I asked her if any bail out would be fully funded. Her response – or non-response – did not fill me with confidence. In a recent article for the Sunday Times, I go through the maths: the average household already pays £3,400 a year in tax to pay for our debt interest. Do we want to hike this even more? If we do, we will never get the economy growing again. So I hope the Chancellor stands firm.
AND LET’S NOT FORGET THE NHS As far as former health secretaries go, I am probably responsible for more new guidance, inspections and regulations to improve the quality of care than any other. Sometimes they worked well, sometimes less so but in the end high quality care is about getting the right culture. In a recent article for the Health Service Journal I discuss why that starts with the lawyers employed by NHS trusts who often advise their clients not to tell the truth when things have gone wrong.. Preventing future deaths requires lessons to be learnt not cover-ups. And a safer NHS would massively reduce the overall litigation costs we face.
LOCAL LIFE
GOOD NEWS FOR ONCE FROM THAMES WATER After another awful winter for residents dealing with nightmare sewage overflows, I met Thames Water on Friday alongside local Alfold and Dunsfold councillors and parish representatives. The positive news is that Thames Water have now confirmed a major pipe relining project to stop groundwater and rainwater getting into the sewer network and overwhelming the system when water levels rise. That should mean the pumping station doesn’t get overwhelmed. Thames Water will spend the next nine months surveying the network, with the main works due to start next spring/summer. Frustratingly it still means one more winter before permanent upgrades are in place, so a big part of our discussion was about how we get through the months ahead. Thames Water has agreed to come back with a detailed winter plan to minimise any further disruption. I am meeting CEO Chris Weston soon (perhaps the most difficult job in the country apart from being Chancellor or Health Secretary) so will be keeping the pressure on.
WELCOME TO ASH It was a real pleasure to attend the Ahmadiyya Community Dinner this weekend in the Ash Centre. The Ahmadis are a Muslim minority persecuted in Pakistan who do an enormous amount of fantastic community work. As around 200 families live in Ash they hosted this dinner to get to know the local community. Thank you for a wonderful evening celebrating everything that makes our local community so strong.
CALLING ALL BRAMLEY RESIDENTS Join me for an update on the Bramley Fuel Leak - and thank you to St Catherine’s School who have kindly offered their auditorium as a venue.
LONGACRE SCHOOL CLOSURE UPDATE Very sadly its looking increasingly like the closure of Longacre School is confirmed following a short consultation period. Longacre has been a cherished part of the Shamley Green community for 80 years and, having met with parent representatives from Parents4Longacre, I know how distressed many families are as they now face the urgent challenge of finding alternative school places and wraparound care. I also met representatives of Longacre’s owners, Bridewell Royal Hospital, urging them to give all viable options full consideration so it is very disappointing that these discussions will not now be progressed. VAT on school fees has not helped, to say the least.
AND A NEW PEDESTRIAN CROSSING FOR BRAMLEY! Absolutely fantastic to see a new pedestrian crossing secured for the A281 close to Bramley Infant School. Many thanks to Cllr Kevin Deanus, Cllr Jane Austin and Bramley Infant School parents who have been campaigning for this for years.
LOCAL ELECTIONS HERE WE COME… on May 7th we all have elections to the new West Surrey Council following the Labour Government’s decision to reorganise Surrey into unitary authorities. This means in April 2027, the existing county council and 11 district and borough councils will be replaced by two new unitary councils – East Surrey and West Surrey. The constituency of Godalming and Ash will sit in the West Surrey Council. Elections will be held on Thursday May 7th and once elected these Councillors will form ‘shadow’ authorities which will work alongside existing councils for one year, overseeing preparations for the new councils. The existing District and County Councils will remain in place until April 2027 when the new Councils come into effect. For further information, updates and resources there is an excellent information hub called ‘Future Surrey’ which has been developed by Surrey County Council and the 11 district and borough councils - worth a look.
….SO DON’T FORGET YOUR POSTAL VOTE! Did you know postal votes now need to be renewed every 3 years, so even if you’ve had one before, you may need to reapply to keep it active. You can apply online at www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote..
RAILWAY CROSSING DELAYS AND NOT JUST CHILWORTH Since I posted about the delays at Chilworth’s Tangley crossing, I’ve had a large number of emails from residents right across the constituency sharing similar frustrations. It’s clear this is not just a Chilworth (Tangley crossing) issue - concerns about delays, congestion and knock-on traffic problems at Milford, Farncombe and Brook crossings too, with residents understandably fed up by the growing disruption. Last week I wrote to the Chief Executive of Network Rail, and I have a meeting lined up to discuss what practical steps can be taken to reduce delays and improve the situation. I have also met fellow Surrey MPs and Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden so that we can continue pressing for change in Westminster as well as locally. Network Rail say it is about safety but the root cause is actually something different: approval for a train to pass through now has to be done manually from Reading.
MILFORD CLOCKHOUSE GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH I have been visiting the Clockhouse for over two decades so it was a real pleasure to visit Age UK Surrey’s Clockhouse Community Centre on Friday and spend time with the wonderful clients, volunteers and staff who make it such a special place. From tackling loneliness and supporting families living with dementia, to vital home support services, Age UK Surrey is doing a great job. Thank you to Catherine Hodgson, Richard Mills, Kerry Oakley and the whole team for such a warm welcome and for everything you do to support older residents in Surrey.
GODALMING RUN RETURNS Always one of the highlights of our local sporting calendar, Sunday 17 May sees the return of this annual event, with 5k and 10k races as well as a popular family fun run, it’s a fantastic event that brings together runners of all ages and abilities while raising money to support local athletes. I have run it in the past although sadly can’t this time (I will still be recovering from the Marathon!) but if you’re feeling energetic, do consider signing up or come along to cheer the runners on. You can find full details and register at https://www.godalmingrun.co.uk/
AND FINALLY Albury’s stunning Silent Pool is steeped in mystery and folklore - and now of course the namesake of the fabulous Silent Pool Gin. It was also the location for a feature film starring Cillian Murphy and Sienna Miller. It should have been a box office hit – so why did the production collapse? Listen to this BBC Secret Surrey podcast.
