GOOD AFTERNOON & welcome to my weekly update no.311

We are well and truly into the fete season now which comes on top of many pressing local issues from planning to countryside protection. Meanwhile here in Westminster it is almost nostalgic to say we have been back fighting the Brexit wars…

WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER 

BREXIT BETRAYAL?  In London today, the Prime Minister met with EU leadership for the first ever post Brexit summit at which a deal was announced covering fishing, travel, trade and defence. Some of it is welcome (using E-gates on passport lanes), some unnecessary (giving fishing rights away for 12 years) and most of it pretty meaningless (a defence pact which appears to make absolutely no difference to European defence). I hoped UK companies might be able to bid for European defence contracts but even that hasn’t been agreed as you can see from my question to the Defence Secretary today. On the other hand we have made big concessions including ‘dynamic alignment’ with EU food standards, meaning that for the first time since Brexit we will be subject to EU rules and the European Court of Justice. Even for those wanting to be pragmatic in our relationship, it is quite hard to see it as a balanced deal.
 

MENTAL HEALTH BILL Some of you may recall that I have been campaigning with Peaslake resident Fiona Laskaris and fellow MPs Chris Coghlan and Jake Richards to reform mental health laws following the tragic death of Fiona’s son Christopher. We desperately need to make sure that the voices of parents are heard louder when it comes to protecting vulnerable young adults - like Christopher - and in particular make the authorities think harder about whether people have mental capacity. As the government is reforming mental health laws (picking up from the last government) I asked the minister about the issue today in the debate. 
 

INFECTED BLOOD Last week, Paymaster General Nick Thomas-Symonds updated the house on the infected blood compensation scheme. One of my last acts as Chancellor was to approve full compensation for victims of the scandal following the public inquiry I persuaded Theresa May to set up when I was Health Secretary in 2017. But although there was cross-party support to do so, the whole thing has taken ridiculously long to get going as a constituent called Sue Collins came to tell me. So I took the opportunity to raise these concerns with Paymaster General Nick Thomas-Symonds last week suggesting that at least 90% of the 4000 known infected blood victims should get their compensation by the end of this year. I’m afraid his response was not very encouraging.

IT’S NOT ALL BAD NEWS When I was Chancellor, I implemented plans to unlock investment from UK pension funds into the British companies – known as the Mansion House reforms – which included a compact to invest at least 5% of default DC pension funds into unlisted equities by 2030. Last week Rachel Reeves announced she would continue that work with their Mansion House Accords. As I said to the pensions minister in Parliament last week, Westminster works best when we don’t tear up the work of our predecessors. And sometimes the right thing happens!

WHAT’S GOING ON LOCALLY
 

WHERE’S OUR LIFT? It has been a year since the previous government announced £350 million of funding for step-free access across 50 stations across the UK and that one of them would be Ash Vale. The new government has said it won’t honour that commitment so I tackled the Transport Secretary on the issue in parliament. Getting to the platform is a nightmare for wheelchair users and many frail older people - we want this sorted…

WONERSH WONDERS Brilliant to be able to join the Wonersh community on Friday in glorious sunshine to celebrate the opening of Healys wood and Barnett Fields which was purchased by the community to protect the land forever. This beautiful area right next to the village is now safe from development - well done Graham and Louise Healy, Anthony Shutes and the Parish Council for pulling it off. And thank you for allowing me to unveil my first hedge

GODALMING COLLEGE Busbridge residents have real concerns about parking by Godalming College students which tends to get worse as the school year progresses as more students pass their tests. So I went to see principal Emma Young to try and work out the best solution.

SURGERY CALLS My first call was to a Witley parent who has had enormous battles to get appropriate education for her 12 year old daughter. The child has now been signed off as not being able to be educated at school (for which her parents had to go to a tribunal) but having won the case in November still nothing has happened. That is a ridiculous delay so I am going to intervene with Surrey County Council. I then spoke to a Godalming resident about failures by the Office of the Public Guardian over the way legal powers of attorneys work and how they regulate them. Getting an LPA is a really complicated process - could it not be made simpler with something like the NHS App (which I proudly started as Health Secretary)? It sounds a really smart idea so I will raise with the Justice Secretary.

SUPER SATURDAY! Thanks to the brilliant teams in Bramley and Compton for putting on glorious fetes - the Bramley tug of war was as competitive as ever. It was also great to mark the village’s continuing recovery from the fuel leak with Bramley Business Network founders Gill Longdon and Sharon Withers who launched their brilliant Discover Bramley marketing campaign. Bramley is officially thriving once more! Then it was singing and dancing at the Compton Fete - thanks to all the volunteers in both villages for making it such a fun family day. 

GODALMING BUSINESS BREAKFAST Fascinating meeting with Godalming businesses at breakfast on Friday. Thanks to Nicole Speller of Churchill Accountants for organising and for Dad Derek for joining us for a really good discussion.

CHINA TO PARIS OVERLAND Totally inspiring that Ed and Jamie, two great friends of my brother, are making an epic trip as part of the Hero-Era Peking to Paris Motor Challenge to raise funds for Sarcoma UK. The duo are travelling in a restored 1972 Lancia Fulvia which (they hope) will transport them over a gruelling 14,500 km via twelve countries in around five weeks. Charlie would be proud! 

ALFOLD AMUSE BOUCHE If you ever need a break in Alfold check out the brilliant Alfold Larder. Delicious salads and an exquisite flat white...thank you to Carole and the team!

AND DON’T FORGET THE ASH PARISH COUNCIL BY-ELECTION for Ash South ward is upcoming next 29th May. Naveed Mughal is standing for election for the Conservatives and would make an excellent councillor.
 

AND FINALLY Knocking on doors in Wonersh on Friday I met this lovely couple who have lived in the same house for 65 years and been married for 68 years. What's the secret to a happy marriage, I asked the husband. 'Do what you're told!' he replied…

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. If you would like more regular updates of my work locally and nationally, do follow me on Facebook, X (Twitter), Bluesky or Instagram (although email me rather than comment for a guaranteed reply.) See you in a fortnight - off to Cornwall with the family for half term - in the rain!