GOOD AFTERNOON & welcome to my weekly update no.293

A big day on Friday with some extraordinary speeches from both sides on assisted dying. After which I hot tailed it down to Bramley for a public meeting on the fuel leak issues and an interview with the Guildford Dragon. And if you haven’t already told me where you think the mobile phone ‘not spots’ are locally please fill in my connectivity survey - over 1200 responses to date!

WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER
 

ASSISTED DYING As you will know, on Friday the House of Commons voted for what may well become a historic decision to change the law on assisted dying. After much soul-searching I joined MPs voting in favour of a change which won majority support with 330 voting in favour and 275 voting against. I previously opposed it but am one of those who changed my mind after listening to heartbreaking stories of suffering caused by the law as it stands. I was also very influenced by a senior doctor and friend who I worked with at the Department of Health who had a terminal illness and wrote this powerful article in support of changing the law when he was alive. Many who opposed the Bill did so for religious reasons and, as someone who considers himself a Christian, I listened carefully to their concerns about unintended consequences. Interestingly though the views of churchgoers were not unanimous - former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey wrote this thoughtful article in the Telegraph. I will continue to scrutinise the Bill to make sure, as far as possible, it does not lead to the unintended consequences many understandably fear. I will also campaign for more investment in palliative care services. I know many will be upset at how I voted and all I can say is that I really did vote with my conscience (even though I fully accept that is no guarantee it was the right call to make).


WE NEED ELON! After Donald Trump appointed Elon Musk to make the American state more efficient, what about the UK? I recently spoke with Soumaya Keynes in this FT podcast about the enormous potential to cut waste here - and in doing so avoid the need for the anti-growth tax rises in Rachel Reeves’ budget. We discussed how productivity is measured in the public sector - and how Treasury officials had advised me that just increasing annual productivity improvements from 1% to 2% would stop the need for taxes going up at all. Tantalisingly close but in practice not easy. But I predict that Rachel Reeves will reinstate the civil service efficiency programme she cancelled when she came into office (and I used to pay for an increase in defence spending). If, as she often says, you believe the key to improving living standards is boosting productivity, why not start with the 20% of the economy the government actually controls?


FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF Recently, I published an article in CapX marking Red Wednesday – a day dedicated to raising awareness of the persecution of Christians worldwide. I spoke about how despite increasing levels of religious persecution worldwide, the government seems to have put the issue on the backburner. I made freedom of religion and belief a foreign policy priority within the FCDO following a seminal report from the then Bishop of Truro which I commissioned. The government needs to get on and appoint a  Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion of Belief.
 

WHAT’S GOING ON LOCALLY 

BRAMLEY FUEL LEAK MEETING Thanks to the 135 people who attended last Friday. The meeting felt more upbeat than previous ones but there is still a way to go - especially tackling the hundreds without functioning telecommunications. It will be years not months until the village is completely free of the petrol contamination which is frankly tough to hear. The clean-up, however, is really progressing; of the 62 boreholes across the village only one now has floating fuel remaining in it. Reassuringly Thames Water’s ongoing testing results continue to come back clear. Good questions from the floor including on compensation which is generous but also has some issues which I think Asda recognised.  Great to see much improved comms from all sides (here are the Openreach presentation slides) and finally thank you to all involved in the monumental effort to get local residents and businesses back on track and to St Cats for hosting. For Councillor Austin’s take on the meeting click here (1hr 37 mins in).

CHESTER BRIDGE DELAY After a week of high drama in Ash it was a relief to receive confirmation on Friday the level crossing will not close before the new Chester bridge opens. GBC remaining tight lipped on the reason for the delay, but traffic mayhem averted for now at least.

ALFOLD - THAMES WATER STRIKES AGAIN Following last Tuesday night’s deluge overnight we woke up to huge swathes of Godalming and Ash underwater and flash  flooding. Lots of emails received about the overwhelmed sewage network in Alfold, especially Clappers Meadow. This is only the latest in a series of incidents for locals which I raise in my letter to Chris Weston CEO of Thames Water here.

THOSE MAD HOUSING TARGETS As I say in my interview with the Guildford Dragon I just cannot see how the government's proposals to ramp up housing delivery targets (doubling Waverley’s target to 1,400 a year and Guildford’s up 48% to 1,110 a year) are either achievable or will have their intended effect. We want local people to be able to get on the housing ladder, but the targets set by Angela Rayner don’t factor in that up to 80% of our area is protected by AONB (now called National Landscape) and other planning constraints like green belt. When councils miss planning targets they lose the power to turn down inappropriate development which doesn’t generally mean more housing but just opportunistic developments in the wrong locations. I will speak to Angela Rayner as it is crazy to put in place undeliverable numbers - not least given that she reduced the targets for Labour strongholds like London. 

MEETING WITH MINISTER FOR DATA PROTECTION AND TELECOMS The battle to improve connectivity across G&A continued last week with my meeting with Chris Bryant MP after my question to him in the Commons. Good to get his take on the phone companies and to learn OFCOM will be improving the way they measure coverage from next year. I have invited Chris to Cranleigh to come and see for himself the terrible coverage… and to pay a trip to the always excellent Cranleigh Arts centre. In the meantime please don’t forget to fill in my connectivity survey.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOOK LIKE CHRISTMAS As advent calendars are now getting opened and decorations are starting to go up I wanted to thank Tina Playford for organising the Christmas Fair in Albury last Saturday which boosted the fundraising coffers for the Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre (CASIC) campaign by over £200.This Sunday 8th Dec we'll be at the Shed in Bordon from 12pm for another Xmas Fair and the chance to purchase gifts and cards from the CASIC stall. Then on 12th in Cranleigh there is the popular annual concert at The Arts Centre https://cranleigharts.org/event/the-community-choir-and-friends-annual-christmas-show/Friends of CASIC will be doing a bucket collection on the evening - please do come along, show your support and enjoy the brilliant concert!

CALLING ALL CRANLEIGH RESIDENTS It's been a bumpy road to get to this stage but the proposals for the High Street are evolving. Have your say on the latest consultation here or go and meet with the Project Team; the next session is this Wednesday at Cranleigh Library 11.30am-3pm.

WONERSH TREE PLANTING Well done to Wonersh Village residents who last weekend planted 1000 hedging whips on the 20 acres of land recently acquired by the Parish Council.  The Wonersh Environmental Group (WEAG) set up by the Parish Council now has nearly 100 members and a Woodland Management Plan. Work is ongoing, for more click here.

SURGERY CALLS My first call to an Elstead resident concerned about the budget and the disincentive it will have on people saving and investing for their old age. His particular worry is the new tax on pension pots, something I looked at and rejected because even before people still pay income tax as normal when they take money out. It reminded me how dangerous it is if Chancellors forget the way changing tax rates can reshape the social contract. I then spoke to a Shamley Green resident with a disabled child who has had a number of issues with Waverley over the adaptations he has needed to make to his house. Because Waverley didn't do them he had to fund them himself in an extremely frustrating and expensive process. I will take up the issue with the Council.

HAVE YOUR SAY ON POLICING Join Surrey PCC Lisa Townsend and Surrey Chief Constable Tim de Meyer on December 11th at 6.30pm. Book your place here.

JOIN ME Want to get more involved with my brilliant election-winning team locally? Email me at [email protected] to help support our work in our community.

AND FINALLY ... It's that time of year again - this 66ft Christmas tree is being placed in Trafalgar Square today after a long journey by sea and road (even partway via electric truck for eco credentials). The tree is an annual longstanding gift from the Norwegian people to recognise the UK’s assistance to them during WW2.  In place and ‘unfirling’, the tree will be ‘Ready Set Ho Ho’ for the big switch-on this Friday.

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