Since my last update, we have triumphed in our campaign to save the London Day Travelcard - a great option for local commuters heading to London - from Sadiq Khan's funding cuts.
In a further boost to local rail passengers, the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, has asked train operators to stand down their plans to close some ticket offices.
Turning to our roads, there's still time to join my campaign to tackle heavy 'through' traffic originating from the A3 through our communities. More details on this, and my recent constituency visits, below.
In Westminster, Parliament is prorogued ahead of the King's Speech. Before prorogation, I spoke in Foreign Office questions on the need for the UK to shore up its supplies of critical minerals. You can read more about this, and my two recent Telegraph articles, below.
As ever, if you are a constituent in need of my assistance, please get in touch using the details at the end of this email.
Yours sincerely,
Dominic
In this week's newsletter
Campaign win: Sadiq Khan reverses plans to scrap the London Day Travelcard.
Calling on Elmbridge Borough Council to tackle illegal moorings.
Help me reduce A3 traffic through our communities.
Ticket office closures: government backs Esher and Walton commuters.
Out and about in the constituency.
Westminster Watch - a roundup of my recent contributions in the House of Commons.
State of the Nation - An overview of the national policy picture and recent government announcements.
Campaign win: Sadiq Khan reverses plans to scrap the London Day Travelcard
Thank you to everyone who signed our petition to save the London Day Travelcard from TfL's cuts.
At the direction of the Mayor of London, the Day Travelcard - used by commuters in Esher and Walton constituency when visiting London for leisure - was going to be withdrawn, in a bid to save TfL money.
Following our campaign, I am pleased to announce that this decision has now been reversed.
A special thanks to Katie Blake from Esher and local commuters for kickstarting the campaign. Read the Surrey Live article on the campaign below:
Calling on Elmbridge Borough Council to tackle illegal moorings
Nearly six months after promising a third consultation on the matter, Elmbridge Borough Council has not yet delivered a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to prohibit illegal moorings on council-owned land.
In July, the council promised this consultation ‘in the coming months’, but it hasn’t yet materialised.
I have reminded the Leader of the Council, Bruce McDonald to get a PSPO in place as soon as possible. Read my letter below:
There is still time to support my campaign calling on National Highways and our local councils to prioritise improvements to the A3 in Esher and Walton constituency and put an end to “through” traffic in local towns and villages.
I plan to meet with National Highways and our local councils to discuss the results of this survey and to find a resolution to this problem. Add your name below:
Ticket office closures: government backs Esher and Walton commuters
The Transport Secretary has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals to close rail ticket offices because they failed to meet high passenger standards.
Over the summer, I kept in close contact with South Western Railway whilst the consultation to hear your views on what the future of our rail stations should look like took place. I remained clear that any changes to the way our stations are operated must not come at the cost of station accessibility and consumer choice.
Out and about in the constituency
Since my last update, I have enjoyed catching up with local businesses, attending a coffee morning, and holding my latest pop-up surgery in Molesey. I also checked in with Charlie Swift and the team at Esher Theatre to discuss their ambition to use 100% green energy to power the theatre.
Westminster Watch
Speaking in Foreign Office questions before prorogation.
24 October: Four of the world's largest critical mineral producers are Commonwealth countries. I raised the importance of UK partnerships with these countries to shore up our mineral supply chains in the face of Chinese market dominance.
25 October: My column for The Telegraph on the need for a credible strategy to secure the UK's Critical Minerals’ supply chain. Read more here.
31 October: My column for The Telegraph on the changing geopolitical paradigm - and how the West can adapt to the challenges of a re-balancing of power. Read more here.
State of the Nation
The UK is poised to be a global leader in AI technology.
This week, the UK hosted the world's first multilateral forum on Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, exploring how the world can balance the benefits of AI while managing the risks. Back in June, I wrote an article in The Times on how Britain can be a tech superpower. Read that here.
On Wednesday, the ONS announced that the number of UK employees on low pay has halved since the government launched the National Living Wage. The National Living Wage will be increased to over £11 per hour from April 2024, in a boost to UK workers.
