GOOD AFTERNOON & welcome to my South West Surrey update No.222
With Westminster barely recovered from the wonders of the Coronation, this week sees me in Japan for meetings with G7 Finance Ministers. Locally we had disappointing election results (no two ways about it alas) but we did get two superb new councillors elected in Bramley and Wonersh, Jane Austen and Lauren Atkins (alongside experienced veteran Michael Goodridge). Jane in particular has been brilliant in getting to the bottom of ‘that’ smell which we now know came from leaks from the petrol station.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER
CORONATION SERVICE I was lucky enough to be in Westminster Abbey for the coronation service, during which I sat in between the Defence Secretary and our new Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk for over five hours. But it never once felt like a marathon (I know a bit about those…), partly because I was right next to the choir who were just extraordinary. The service was special because it was musical and spiritual in equal measure – and of course there was a profound sense of history. Coronations have taken place in Westminster Abbey for nearly 1000 years, starting with William the Conqueror who chose it in 1066 to make sure he was accepted as the ‘true’ ruler after the Battle of Hastings. For me the standout moment was that very touching innovation at the start when King Charles pledged to a 14 year old boy ‘not to be served but to serve.’ The humility in that simple moment summed up the monarchy’s ethos of service which is what the monarchy is all about – as did having thousands of voluntary organisations represented in the Abbey alongside our own Carole Cockburn from Farnham.
A GLOBAL MONARCHY We had around 100 heads of state come to see the UK at its best over the weekend and I played my part in looking after them. I had a friendly conversation with the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan (but didn’t dare to test out my rusty Japanese on them). I was told by an African President that he calls his Finance Minister Dr No, which I may adopt. But perhaps the most remarkable person I met was the Chief Islander from Tristan da Cunha, a British crown dependency in the South Atlantic which has no airstrip and can only be accessed by boat - a seven day trip from Cape Town. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world with just 250 inhabitants. Because the boat trip only happens a few times a year the Chief Islander had to leave in early March to get to the Coronation. What commitment! Meeting so many heads of state, I found myself again wondering why it is that the UK is often so much more respected abroad than the respect we seem to have for ourselves. Whether defending security in Europe, tackling climate change, combating extreme poverty or defending free trade we are respected because so often we stand for things that other countries care about as much as us. King Charles exemplifies that with his many noble causes - yet another reason his coronation mattered all over the world.
TREASURY UPDATE Sticking with the same theme of diplomacy, this week I am in Japan ahead of meeting the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors at the end of this week. I have spent the last few days on visits to discuss how best to get the economy growing, including meeting business leaders such as the CEO of Nissan. We will talk about bank resilience (I have a meeting on Saturday with the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen) and inflation given this week’s Bank of England interest rate decision. We have slow growth this year but were the fastest in the G7 last year - everyone is basically going through similar issues.
THE END OF COVID Last week the WHO declared Covid-19 no longer represents a global health emergency, as cases continue to decline - a huge moment for many of us. So this will be the last email with a Covid update, quite a milestone in email no 222! Do remember that vaccines are key to keeping Covid numbers low, so when called, please do schedule your booster dose.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOUTH WEST SURREY
BRAMLEY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Over the last week or so I have been liaising with Bramley petrol station’s senior management team, and they believe the odour to be related to two incidents where a customer’s vehicle tank failed on the forecourt (November 2022 and March 2023). It seems possible that it is also linked to issues with the gauge risers in both tanks 2 and 4. Environmental consultants have visited the site and have confirmed that a small amount of fresh fuel was found in two boreholes near the store and exit crossover which could have come from customer fuel tanks. The fuel has since been removed, and the boreholes will be re-checked this week to see if there is any recurrence of the presence of fuel. In the meantime, samples of the fuel have been obtained and sent for analysis to confirm the fuel type, and to estimate how long it's been there. The management have reassured me that the site is currently safe and compliant, and that they are acutely aware of the concerns of the local community, not least the poor Jolly Farmer that is the business most affected. I will keep you updated.
GODALMING & ASH I am currently conducting a survey in both South West Surrey and the new Godalming and Ash constituency. Many of you are yet to receive it, but I am grateful for the number of responses I’ve already got. Locally, the biggest concern is businesses. I launched my Bounceback Campaign to help our local businesses recover post pandemic, and as Chancellor, I have cut business rates by an average of 10% (and up to 75% for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses like pubs). I will respond to all survey responses but please bear with me as we have had more than 1000 to date!
GREEN SPACES As part of my Godalming and Ash survey, I’m also asking what environmental action you would like to see locally. Over half of you would like National Park Status for the Surrey Hills which is one of the main asks of my Green Spaces Campaign. Natural England is currently consulting on the boundary extension, and you can have your say on the Surrey Hills AONB Boundary Review here. Your responses will help to inform Natural England's decision on whether to take forward my proposal. Many of you would also like better recycling service and all local supermarkets have replied to my recent letter where there seem to be improvements happening particularly in soft plastic recycling options.
ROYAL SURREY CANCER CAMPAIGN HITS £350k+ Funds raised for the Royal Surrey’s Cancer and Surgical Innovation campaign has now passed the £350k milestone! This is absolutely amazing, and testament to the generosity and team effort of so many people in South West Surrey and beyond. There are too many people to mention here by name, but a massive thank you to everyone who has contributed. We've a way to go, but this is a cracking start, and with lots of new fundraising initiatives and events in the planning, we are hoping to hit the half million mark before the end of the year.
FUNDRAISING REMINDER Don’t forget your tickets for the Quiz and fish n chip supper in Farnham on 19th May. Tickets cost just £20 and can be bought by calling 07932 411108 or emailing: [email protected] Why not grab a few friends and join others for a little healthy rivalry? There’s also an amazing raffle with some great prizes, kindly donated by local independent shops and businesses. See you there!
LOCAL EVENTS Witstock is back 12-7pm on Saturday offering live music, family fun (including a dog show) and a choice of local food and drinks. On Saturday and Sunday, there’s a brand new event - Secrett’s Spring Fest. Spring Fest is a celebration of seasonal local produce, accompanied by live music and kids entertainment. In Farnham, there’s a Repair Cafe session on Saturday 10-12:30pm at The Spire Church.
JOIN ME Want to get more involved locally? Email me at [email protected] to join my growing team supporting our work in our community.
AND FINALLY… Once again, Prince Louis was instantly meme worthy and stole our hearts during Coronation proceedings - here’s his best bits from an incredible weekend…
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