Good Evening john,

My newsletter includes reporting on the Government's proposed smoking ban, an update on Sycamore Gap, and dualling the A1.

As ever, if you have an issue you would like to raise with me as your local Member of Parliament, please email: [email protected].

🚭 Government to bring in smoking ban. Do you agree?

 

This week, the Government announced plans to raise the legal age to buy cigarettes by one year, every year. This means anyone aged 14 or younger will never legally be able to buy cigarettes.

Smoking causes 64,000 annual deaths, places a huge burden on the NHS and costs the economy £17 billion a year. And we know four in five smokers start before the age of 20.

But I want your thoughts. Let me know what you think by clicking HERE.

🌳 Sycamore Gap update

  

I had a meeting this week with the Director General of the National Trust and Lord Parkinson, the Minister for Culture & Heritage. We discussed what the National Trust, who own the land, are doing on the site and began to set out a road map for the future.

We know that this tree belonged to everyone. It symbolised so much; its loss grieves us, and affects us all in a truly unfathomable way. I was there myself a week before its loss.

I want to thank the hundreds of people who have got in touch. I am trying to answer everyone but the situation is complex: the National Trust own the land, and it is located in Northumberland National Park. Hadrian's Wall itself and the land around it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which brings significant complications.

In the short term, the National Trust have secured the site and saved seeds. There is ongoing discussion as to the future of the site and a mechanism for the public to add to the hundreds who have already made suggestions of what we do next. Both the National Trust and Northumberland National Park are preparing Q and A plans going forward. Bear with them. This is not simple.

The Northumbria Police investigation is ongoing. Further comment is inappropriate, but anyone with information on this crime should contact them direct, or anonymously, if needs be. We are all grieving.

This tree was part of us: part of our history, our culture, our heritage, our National Park and our nature. Hadrian's Wall, and the site, endures.

I will update more in time, but this will be a slow process.

🛣️ A1 Dualling victory!



This week, the Government confirmed the A1 will be dualled between Morpeth and Ellingham.

The upgrade will cut journey times and reduce congestion, making journeys quicker and easier. As well as delivering a huge boost to our local economy.

This has been a long-running campaign across Northumberland, a huge thanks to everyone who has helped. I will work with Government to ensure the project gets off the ground as soon as possible.

Improving our roads is one of my six priorities for Tynedale and Ponteland. This investment delivers on that pledge.

But I want to go further. I want the Government to dual the A69. If you agree, sign the petition HERE.

Guy Opperman MP

Member of Parliament for Tynedale and Ponteland