John,

A very happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate! As the Year of the Dragon begins, here is an update on some of the things I’ve been working on recently.  

From the Confederation of British Industry, to the British Chambers of Commerce and the Grantham Institute, many leading UK organisations have called for public sector investment now and at scale to get the UK to net zero by 2050. Responding to Labour’s U-turn on investing £28 billion a year in the green transition, I went on BBC Newsnight to argue the case for why it's vital we invest now to tackle both the climate and cost of living crises.  

The influence of the fossil fuel industry on our politicians and policymaking has got to stop. Despite all the warnings from climate scientists, successive governments are failing to act with the urgency the science demands. I believe that’s largely because of the influence of the fossil fuel lobby on our politicians. I secured a debate in the Commons to call for an end to the cosy relationships between the industry and ministers, a tightening of lobbying rules and a ban on the industry funding political parties or MPs.  You can read my speech here.

I attended a parliamentary event held by the amazing Save Me Trust, founded by Sir Brian May, which works to protect the welfare and dignity of wild animals. The Trust does brilliant work to protect our natural world, campaigning to end the badger cull, which is both cruel and not scientifically proven to have any impact on bovine TB.  It’s also working to defend and strengthen the ban on hunting – even though it’s illegal, foxes are still hunted and killed by dogs today. 

Securing government approval for a Natural History GCSE to be added to the curriculum has been one of my proudest achievements as an MP, but there is still work to be done before the qualification can be introduced. Mary Colwell, who deserves so much of the credit for her campaigning on this, joined me when I met the Education Minister Damian Hinds to urge the Department of Education to ensure enough time and resource are dedicated to teacher training and preparation.   

With the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) most recent report being published this week, I’ll be raising further questions about ongoing monitoring and scrutiny of the Trust’s Quality Safety and Improvement Programme. The CQC report recognises the amazing care from NHS staff on the ground, which is good to see and echoes many the comments I receive from constituents who have received treatment at the Trust. Yet I hear time and time again that when things go wrong, processes to escalate complaints and tackle problems are not joined up, and it’s vital that the Trust’s leadership team accepts the criticisms levelled at it, and there is a willingness to change. With Sussex Police currently investing patient safety concerns raised by whistle-blowers, I am making the case for robust and ongoing external scrutiny of the issues at the Trust.

For the past decade, I have been campaigning to save the magnificent Brighton Hippodrome which has been closed since 2007. Local company, Matsim, has already spent £5 million on the urgent repairs needed to halt the building’s further decline but have been waiting on planning permission to complete the work for the past seventeen months. You can sign the public petition here.

With so many parents struggling to access and afford nursery provision for children under two, campaigners are making a powerful case to halt the council’s proposal to close Bright Start nursery’s baby room. To support their efforts to retain it, you can sign the petition here.  

Brighton and Hove City Council recently published its budget papers for the next financial year, which are set to be decided by the local authority later this month. After 14 years of severe cuts from central government, the budget papers don’t make easy reading. A number of vital organisations and services are being affected, including the brilliant Youth Advice Centre, who do amazing work supporting young people at risk of homelessness in the city. The work they do often prevents the need for statutory services to step in later, and the quality of support is not something that can be replicated by already stretched local authority services. That’s why I’ve been raising my concerns with Brighton and Hove City Council that their proposed cut to YAC is short-sighted, and that any budget “saving” will not be deliverable because of costs being pushed elsewhere.

Southern Water has confirmed that some staff and customer data was stolen in a cyber-attack last month.  They are currently in the process of contacting affected individuals in line with their statutory duty – but for any concerns, they can be reached on 0330 303 0025.

If you are a local resident and need help with case work or to find out more about my activities locally please do contact me at the office of: Caroline Lucas MP, Brighton Media Centre 15-17 Middle Street, Brighton BN1 1AL. Tel: 01273 201 130. Email: [email protected]

I hold regular surgeries across the constituency. If you would like to book an appointment at a forthcoming surgery please call Liz Collis on 01273 201130. She coordinates my constituency office and is able to help with most local enquiries.

If you would like to know about my parliamentary work please get in touch at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Tel: 020 7219 7025. Email: [email protected]

You can also keep up to date with my news on:

Twitter: @carolinelucas

Facebook: /carolinelucas.page

My Website: www.carolinelucas.com

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