GOOD AFTERNOON & welcome to my update no.273.

It is an important week in the election campaign as - three weeks ahead of polling day - parties launch their manifestos. I write below about the Conservative one and am continuing to pound the streets. What has been an unexpected success are the public meetings I do most evening. So far I have hosted 7 - and they are invariably well-attended, good humoured but also frank exchanges. Perhaps it is because unlike any election I have ever fought in previously there are still so many undecided voters.

Anyway thank you Shamley Green for last night and hello Chilworth for this evening!

WESTMINSTER ANNOUNCEMENTS
 

MANIFESTO I joined Rishi Sunak at Silverstone on Tuesday for the Conservative Manifesto launch. I know I am biassed but I thought the Prime Minister did an excellent speech playing to his strengths: someone who likes to have a plan for actually solving problems. Our biggest problem (economically) is that post-pandemic we have too many people out of work on benefits when it would be much better for them, for the economy and for taxpayers if they were back in work. So we are funding an enormous back to work programme (which I announced in the Autumn Statement last year) and using the savings (around £12 bn a year) to fund the following: 

• 2p off National Insurance for those in work. When combined with the cuts to National Insurance that I introduced, this would mean that National Insurance will have halved from the start of the year – a total tax cut of £1,350 for someone on average salaries. 

Abolish self-employed National Insurance rate by the end of the next parliament alongside a commitment to move towards abolishing it for all employees as soon as economically responsible.

• Triple lock plus for pensioners meaning the tax free allowance for pensioners will always increase by more than the state pension, saving the average pensioner £100 next year.

• End the unfairness in the salary limit for Child Benefit by moving to a household system, meaning that families don’t start losing child benefit until their combined income reaches £120,000. That would benefit 700,000 households an average of £1500 a year. 

• Increase NHS spending above inflation every year, recruit 92,000 more nurses and 28,000 more doctors, and drive up productivity in the NHS through modernised GP surgeries and more Community Diagnostic Centres. We have already provided record funding for the NHS, and as a former Health Secretary I know just how important this is– and that it would continue to be in the next parliament. 

• Recruit 8,000 more full-time police officers. Having met our manifesto promise in 2019 to recruit more police officers, we now have an extra 200 police in Surrey compared to 2010– recruiting even more is the way to make sure we can continue to live in one of the safest areas in the country. 

• Help first time buyers by abolishing Stamp Duty for homes up to £425,000 and introducing a new Help to Buy Scheme. During the campaign I have spoken to parents who have expressed their concerns about how difficult it is for their children to get on the housing ladder– especially in London and Surrey where house prices are above the national average. These measures are targeted at addressing those issues, along with our pledge to deliver 1.6 million well-designed homes in the right places so our countryside continues to be protected.

This all comes together with other announcements already made during the campaign, including National Service, a pledge to fund 100,000 new apprenticeships, clear new immigration measures, and a boost to defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. The number of policies and details included demonstrates that there is a solid plan for the future, so I am proud to be running on this manifesto.

ANALYSIS Political parties try to paint election campaigns in primary colours to distil the choice in voters minds. For us, it is to return to being the society we were pre-pandemic in which hard work is valued and rewarded. That means welfare reform and tax cuts for the people who will power our economy forward - so we generate more money for precious public services like the NHS. Labour’s manifesto today has no mention of tax cuts and barely anything on welfare reform so this is one of the starkest divides in the election.

WHAT’S GOING ON LOCALLY

THIS MORNING IN ASH I have been knocking on doors around Hutton Road. Repeatedly I am hearing frustration about the difficulty of getting appointments with the Bartlett Group Surgery in Ash Vale - including the difficulty for older people of navigating their online system and the lack of same day appointments. I have been contacted by the Practice Manager on the issue and will meet up with her to discuss the issue after the election if I am elected. Also concerns about the state of the roads and being ‘dumped on’ for housing by Guildford Borough Council. But it is good news we have now secured (in the nick of time!) funding for step-free access to Ash Vale station.

LAST NIGHT IN SHAMLEY GREEN The latest picture postcard venue for a public meeting was the hopefully soon to be rebuilt Arbuthnot Hall. We had a good discussion on Labour’s plans for VAT on school fees, Rwanda, opportunities for young people and, of course, contaminated water! In Cranleigh on Monday we spoke about the dividing lines between Labour and the Conservatives, especially on tax…so a huge range of topics covered. I still have several more organised so please do come if you are an undecided voter and want to grill me on anything. All start at 7pm unless indicated:

• Chilworth Village Hall tonight

• Compton Village Hall Fri 14th

• Godalming Baptist Church Mon 17th

• Alfold Village Hall Tues 18th (7.30pm)

• Victoria Hall Ash Mon 24th (7.30pm)

• St Mary’s Church Shalford Fri 28th

• Hambledon Village Hall Sun 30th. 

ELSTEAD CROSSING Brilliant to see this Elstead crossing has had its much needed makeover. This follows my recent visit there and subsequent discussions with Surrey leader Tim Oliver to press the case for this work. This is the kind of issue that an active local MP can make a real difference on - thank you Elstead Parish Chair Pat Murphy for alerting me to it. 

ELSTEAD AND CRANLEIGH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANS Great that the referendum for both Cranleigh and Elstead Neighbourhood Plans will be heard on 20th June. Neighbourhood Plans are in my opinion a really good measure that this government introduced—they ultimately mean local people have more say on developments in their own communities. So do take part!  

JOIN THE FUN! Team Jeremy has lots of volunteers and we are enjoying the campaign! Indoors, outdoors, whatever takes your fancy – if you would like to help our effort we would love to see you! Just email [email protected]. If you would like more regular updates of my work locally and nationally, do follow me on Facebook, X (Twitter), WhatsApp or Instagram. Our posters are also starting to go up all over the patch. If you would be happy to put one up in your garden or indeed in your window, please do email me – any help is so appreciated.

AND FINALLY… A huge thank you to Osha and Clara Forge in Shamley Green for a wonderful coffee stop for my team in between door-knocking sessions. Osha supports a brilliant charity to support neurodivergent children into jobs when they become adults– check it out at forgingfutures.com.

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