GOOD AFTERNOON & welcome to my weekly update no.302
Last week was a very fraught week in international relations which kept me busy with my former Foreign Secretary hat on - but not so busy that we haven’t been able to make real progress, including on sewage spills in Alfold with Thames Water. This week I also have two meetings with mobile phone networks about how to improve coverage locally.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER
LET’S AIM HIGHER Last week was a big moment for those of us who care about defence: the prime minister finally re-committed the UK to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence. I committed to this as Chancellor but Labour initially reversed our pledge to do so by 2030 so it was a welcome announcement (although I would have preferred the money to come from welfare reform not the aid budget - see why here). The announcement was just in time for his visit to the US – which was a success as I said on LBC last week. The key issue for the UK is not just the future of Ukraine but the future of NATO, as I asked Sir Keir Starmer about last week and again this afternoon. For that we - and others - will need to match the 3.4% of GDP being spent on defence by the US. I explain how we could afford to do this without putting up taxes in this Telegraph article. In a nutshell if we reduced our spending on working age benefits to pre-pandemic levels we would save £40 billion a year, more than enough for the extra spending. Not easy for sure, but it is something that would be good for growth and good for welfare claimants themselves.
THE WRONG PATH TO PEACE Many were very dismayed by the Oval Office bust up between Presidents Trump and Zelensky. I have met both men. Trump is a disruptor who - however much he offends - might just get the Russians to agree to a peace deal when others couldn’t. Zelensky is, in my view, probably the bravest man on the planet. The only sliver of hope, as I said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, is that both men now need each other. Trump does not want to abandon Ukraine as Biden did Afghanistan and in some ways needs a deal almost as much as Zelensky. So let’s hope they both get back round the table soon. To that purpose, Sir Keir Starmer rightly gathered European leaders in the UK over the weekend and also unveiled a £1.6bn missile deal for Ukraine.
My question on defence spending to the PM this afternoon
NHS MUSICAL CHAIRS Last week saw the surprise announcement that NHS CEO Amanda Pritchard had quit. I have always liked Amanda and worked with her closely to get the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan agreed when I was Chancellor. This Sunday Times article has an interesting take on why she may have left. As I am quoted as saying, every prime minister since Blair has told every health secretary to grip the NHS leading to too many targets and the most micro-managed system in the world. Let’s hope changing that really is part of Wes Streeting’s reform agenda. Talking of the NHS, on Wednesday I spoke at a Westminster Hall debate on maternity services, where I suggested that because midwives and obstetricians are often concerned about the legal ramifications of speaking out, they are not speaking out when perhaps they should be.
WHAT’S GOING ON LOCALLY
BETTER SIGNAL PLEASE On Saturday I tried to pay for parking at the Cranleigh Leisure Centre on RingGo which was a struggle with a 3G signal…so this week I will talk to just the people to sort it out. I'll be having the first of my follow-up meetings with Vodafone and Three to discuss the results of my mobile phone signal survey, which almost 2,000 residents across Godalming and Ash have now responded to. Cranleigh and Godalming High Streets are top of my list alongside Bramley, Shamley Green and some other villages. Thank you for arming me with the ammo I need ahead of the meetings.
CHARLIES PROMISE As many will know, the lovely Cosser family tragically lost their 16 year old Charlie in 2023 to knife crime. This week I took Charlie's Mum and Dad Martin and Tara to meet Justice Minister Nick Dakin. They have set up a brilliant charity called Charlie’s Promise to tell literally thousands of children (and counting) about the dangers and impact of knife crime - a totally inspirational mission.
ASH LODGE PARK LAND Following my survey it is disappointing to learn this week in the Guildford Dragon Bewley Homes appear to be progressing a sale of this land for profit to a private care home. My survey shows this is NOT the use local residents want for the space, now the NHS has confirmed a GP surgery is off the table. Disappointingly Guildford Borough Council did not exercise their option for a community use for this space within the 5 year period in the S106 development agreement, which would have offered protections for the site. I am meeting both GBC and Bewley Homes to feedback residents' wishes and to ask what has gone wrong here. I will keep you posted.
ALFOLD - GRAMPIAN CONDITIONS FROM THAMES WATER A month ago I wrote to Thames Water CEO Chris Weston on behalf of Alfold residents to request an urgent directive that no further development should occur in the Alfold area until sewage infrastructure has been upgraded. Alfold has had to cope with years of awful sewage leaks and floods, the existing infrastructure just can’t cope. It was a key victory then to see the resulting comment from TW on the application for a further 400 homes. Thames Water’s request includes ‘grampian conditions’ which are about as strong as TW can be as a consultee. I will now ask Waverley to request they are robust in any negotiations with the developer.
ASH CHESTER BRIDGE HIGHS AND LOWS Brilliant to take a trip to see the new bridge but I have written to Guildford CEO Pedro Wrobel about improving diversion signage because lots of HGV’s ending up on minor residential roads - watch my video:
At Chester Bridge in Ash on Friday
CRANLEIGH SWIM CLUB some of you may know I learned to swim in Cranleigh Leisure Centre so it's great that a new leisure centre is around the corner… indeed the planning application is coming before the planning committee on Wednesday. But I have been contacted by Cranleigh swim club (CASC) who are really concerned about the lower proposed spectator seating (55 seats vs 180 presently) which means they won’t be able to hold swimming galas, their main source of income. I have contacted Swim England and asked them to look into this. CASC currently has swimmers competing at national, regional and county level so I really hope the club can continue.
SURGERY My first call was to a Sands resident about the way the debate on assisted dying has been portrayed. She is a strong supporter of the Bill but felt strongly that the proposed law bears no relation to what is happening in countries like Canada and Belgium. I then spoke to a resident in Shamley Green about some issues with Waverley regarding a fence where they feel the council has not been fair so I will raise the issue with the council.
LAST CALL FOR GALA DINNER & DANCE TICKETS The amazing Friends of the Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre fundraising team - led by Judith Storey, are making their last plans and preparations ahead of their Gala Dinner and Dance at the Hogs Back hotel, near Farnham on Friday 28th March. It's set to be a brilliant night - The last few remaining tickets can still be bought here.
OSCAR-SEASON AT CRANLEIGH ARTS Cranleigh Arts has been able to get access to many Oscar-nominated films which are proving hugely popular with second and even third screenings selling out even before the new spring brochure has been distributed (don't miss out: make sure you're on their emailing list by visiting their website). Just added to the listings for Saturday 22 March is a matinee screening of the singalong version of the mega-hit WICKED (PG) so that musical theatre fans don’t just have to watch the film but can join in with it. Tickets for under-16s are just £6. Cranleigh Arts has also just installed a new hearing loop in its auditorium to help those people who need extra help with sound with a grant from Surrey County Council.
WALK FOR UKRAINE On February 23–24, the Walk for Ukraine brought together the English and Ukrainian communities of Godalming. Marking the third anniversary of the full-scale war, Ben Rogers (Godalming Minster) and Natalia Maievska (Ukrainian Community) walked 20 miles from Weybridge to Godalming to honour the resilience of the Ukrainian people and raise funds for lifesaving medical aid. They have already made significant progress towards their goal, but their mission is not yet complete — fundraising continues for an ambulance that will support paramedics and emergency services in Eastern Ukraine. If you’d like to contribute, please click here. Slava Ukraini!
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. If you would like more regular updates of my work locally and nationally, do follow me on Facebook, X (Twitter), Bluesky or Instagram. Please don’t always assume I will see every comment on a post - email is a more reliable way to ensure a reply.
AND FINALLY….tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday which means pancakes all round! Maybe head down to Guildford High Street 9-12am for its fantastic pancake race. Are you a fan of buttermilk american style or a crepe? Sweet or savoury Here are some recipes to inspire you. And please think of me as I give up chocolates and desserts until Easter Day…aargh!
Best start to last Friday: the perfect flat white at Vale Café in Ash Vale
