GOOD AFTERNOON & welcome to my weekly update no.326

3 years ago tomorrow I was made Chancellor…and it nearly didn’t happen because I thought the text message I got ‘Liz Truss here please call’ was a hoax. It was a huge change for the Hunt family but we all reacted differently: when I asked one of my daughters what the best thing was about living in Downing Street she said ‘vending machines.’ This week parliament is back from conference season. I had a busy constituency day on Friday focused on health provision. Sadly now I will be looking into two fatal accidents on the Elmbridge Road.

WESTMINSTER WHISPERS

PEACE IN OUR TIME Finally, after two years, the remaining hostages held in Gazahave been released ([link removed]) . There is still a long way to go but it is a moment of hope – and we are all praying it lasts. It also shows how impossible it is to define Donald Trump in one word: one can despair of his cosying up to dictators, flawed policy on tariffs or undermining of the separation of powers…but also forcing Israel and Hamas into a peace deal, getting Europe to spend more on defence and reducing illegal migration by 90%. For those who dislike him or disparage him as ‘populist,’ I would advise learning to communicate as effectively as he does – the TV and social media of a 79 year old American puts most younger politicians to shame.

THE WORST TRAGEDY FOR ANY FAMILY is losing a baby. This week is Baby Loss Awareness Week ([link removed]) , which takes place every year to help raise awareness of 3,000 babies lost annually in NHS maternity units. We are holding a debate today in Parliament to mark the occasion. Because this will go out before my speech I will send you a link next week. One of my proudest achievements was reducing the number of baby deaths by around 700 a year – two fewer a day. But if we were as safe as Sweden another baby’s life would be saved every day and it is absolutely within our grasp to get there. More in thelatest edition of my Patient Safety Watch email ([link removed]) which also covers the threatened GP strike on online appointments.

SILLY CIL reared its head in the House of Commons when I asked Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook about Waverley’s abuse of the Community Infrastructure Levy to slap charges on homeowners for the ‘crime’ of doing a home extension. He assured me the government is on the case – and I actually believe him. So hopefully we can stop this nonsense which has made Waverley one of the only councils to try to squeeze money out of people who build a garage or extra floor.

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My question to the Housing Minister today on the CIL scandal which has seen numerous Waverley homeowners hit with huge charges by Lib Dem run Waverley. Click on Image to play

DISRUPTORS PODCAST In case you missed it, I recently appeared on a brilliant podcast called Disruptors ([link removed]) where we discussed the state of the economy and my time as chancellor, among other things. Presenter Rob Moore is a successful businessman so it is a very different type of conversation to normal political interviews … check it out!

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Click on image to play clip

LOCAL LIFE

HEALTH MATTERS A really productive series of meetings in Cranleigh on Friday with the focus squarely on health. Given that a quarter of the over 60s locally don’t have a car, we need to expand local health provision and improve transport to other local health hubs including the rapidly expanding Milford Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) and the Royal Surrey. Rosemary Hurtley and Dr Jill Rasmussen showed me the initial findings of their health and wellbeing survey which flagged a really important issue - geographical disadvantage, poor transport infrastructure and poor internet/wi-fi are not considered Health Inequalities and so are not taken into consideration a part of the needs assessment which determines which services go where. I am on the case with Louise Stead, Royal Surrey CEO and Cllr Tim Oliver
([link removed][0]=AZV4niofNgaaAZrpl1V0TRYq2fCKphjrdrzmDUy0MBl5_0wXSZwPq9jGTelcUGusHMykB3MOLHHziH__nhqnffI6d61faQ_BQv19N4BrAGzsBS19EE84-xWT7UANqT0Aw15rrnNIucXP11nT1tOwiB_n&__tn__=-]K-R) Leader of Surrey. I then moved on to Cranleigh Community Hospital for an update on expanding health provision. We also had a big discussion about how to unlock transport connections to benefit access to health. It all sounded encouraging, although it always seems to take forever for anything to actually change.
AND IN ASH disappointing news to learn that plans ([link removed]) are progressing for a care home on the site at Ash Lodge Park that was originally set aside for healthcare use under a Section 106 agreement. Guildford Borough Council stupidly allowed the five-year s106 period to lapse, which has left developer Bewley Homes free to sell the land to a commercial developer. Earlier this year, I met the CEO to request part of the site be retained for community use. I thought I had made progress but was obviously being fobbed off. Muller Property Group will be presenting their 64 bed care home proposal to Ash Parish Council this Wednesday 15th ([link removed]) so please attend and let’s try and salvage something for the community.

POLICE MATTERS On Friday I caught up with our excellent Borough Commander Rob Brian and his team to discuss Waverley crime concerns. The very next day it was incredibly sad to learn over the weekend of two fatal crashes ([link removed]) - unrelated but both on the same stretch of road in Elmbridge, Cranleigh. I have picked this up with Surrey County Council who are awaiting the results of the police investigations and report before any action is taken.

SHERE PARKING QUANDRY Shere division County Cllr Bob Hughes and I met the owner of a high street business who talked about the drop in trade following new parking charges at the carpark on the Rec. The council say charges are needed to make improvements to the car park itself and the famous Shere loos, but it looks like there will now be a free parking pilot in the New Year for Tues-Thurs which will hopefully encourage back local traffic.

SPIRITUAL HEALING Fascinating trip to the Harry Edwards Foundation at Burrows Lea Country House ([link removed]) which is less than a mile from the house I grew up in. Harry set up the home for his work in spiritual Healing in 1946 where it continues to operate – doing amazing work for those with mental and physical ailments. And its beautiful gardens are open to everyone throughout the year.

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 onFacebook ([link removed]) ,X (Twitter) ([link removed]) ,Bluesky ([link removed]) orInstagram ([link removed]) (although email me rather than comment for a guaranteed reply.)


AND FINALLY The person who inspired me to set up a business and enter politics would have been 100 today so there are numerous events to mark the 100th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher's birth. ([link removed]) As the longest serving Prime Minister of the 20th century she shaped all of our lives. She showed that strong leadership really can change a country’s direction – which is why we should never give up on democratic politics. If, like me, you are a fan take a look here ([link removed]) at some of her classic quotes - including the most famous “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."

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