That all happened rather suddenly didn’t it! With the Election on July 4th, I remain the MP for the existing Ashford seat until Parliament is dissolved tomorrow. Then there are no MPs until July 4th.
Of course the existing Ashford seat is cut in half, with the western part forming half of the new Weald of Kent seat, and the urban area now linked with different rural areas to the east, also including Hawkinge.
I would like to say thank you to all those in Tenterden, Smarden, Pluckley, Egerton, Rolvenden and the other villages who I have come to know so well.
It is perhaps appropriate that the last meeting I attended lobbying a Minister on behalf of these constituents was about Hoad’s Wood, a massive issue for people in Bethersden. I am very pleased that the lobbying was successful in that the DEFRA Secretary of State Steve Barclay has agreed to direct the Environment Agency to clear up the site as soon as possible. You can find out more on this further down the email.
Some of the challenges of the “new” Ashford seat remain the same. We still need the international services back at the station, and we need to continue to create good jobs to enable people to work locally. The Kent countryside needs protecting as much as ever.
These and others will be matters to be debated over the coming weeks. I hope of course to continue our discussions, but this is the point in the political cycle where it really is up to you.
