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GOOD AFTERNOON and welcome to my South West Surrey update No.183. This week the Prime Minister addressed the Ukrainian Parliament and got a grilling from Susanna Reid on the cost of living crisis - which is a pretty good summary of the state of our politics. On the local front, it’s election day but not for us in SW Surrey…but a lot riding for all political parties on the results.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER

UKRAINE STATEMENT The Prime Minister became the first foreign leader to address the Ukrainian Parliament ([link removed]) on Tuesday. In what he described as Ukraine’s “finest hour” he stated that “Ukraine will win. Ukraine will be free.” He also announced a very welcome additional £300m worth of supplies which will include radar equipment to locate artillery, night vision goggles and heavy lift drones. This continues our excellent support of the Ukrainians, makes us the largest European donor to their cause and cements our position as the anchor of the Western alliance combatting Putin’s aggression.

REID IT AND WEEP? In a tougher part of his week the Prime Minister got a grilling by GMB’s Susanna Reid ([link removed]) . To be fair, so too did Keir Starmer the next day ([link removed]) so it was democracy at work. The government has provided £9 bn to ease the cost of energy bills including £150m for the poorest pensioners, but it was none the less challenging for the PM to come face to face with how tough it is for pensioners like Elsie - and Keir Starmer found himself equally struggling on ‘beergate.’ Whatever you think about either encounter it is worth reflecting on the sometimes brutal election debates in Britain and France compared to the sycophancy of the Russian media.

ELIZABETH LINE With government departments operating under strict purdah rules that ban them from announcing anything in the run up to the local elections there isn’t much else Westminster news this week but strangely that didn’t stop the Mayor of London announcing that Crossrail, or more officially, the Elizabeth Line will open on 24th May ([link removed]) . This is a full ten years after the tunnelling work started but should be worth the wait.

COVID UPDATE There’s a pretty dramatic decline in cases in the recent ONS survey. 1 in 25 people had the virus in the week ending 23rd April ([link removed]) compared to 1 in 17 in the previous week. As of 10am the Covid dashboard shows that we have had a total of 22,090,523 positive cases of COVID-19 with 175,546 confirmed deaths in the UK. There have been 41,705 confirmed cases in Waverley and sadly 322 confirmed deaths, with an estimated 203 active cases in Waverley. In the last 7 days cases are down 36%, hospitalisations down 25% and deaths down a large 47%.

None the less that key number is 0300 200 1008 for anyone with pandemic related difficulties. Also please check out my full list of local groups ([link removed]) working to support vulnerable residents.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOUTH WEST SURREY

SURGERY STORIES [link removed]*NK-R Sometimes the smallest problems cause the biggest frustrations as I found out yesterday morning when I spoke to a man from Farncombe who is worried about safety issues in his flat. His boiler has had a safety notice put on it because it may be leaking carbon monoxide so even though it has been fixed he can’t use it because the pipes leading out of his property appear to be leaking. Neither Waverley or the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will take ownership of the problem - basically means requiring the landlord to fix the pipes - so I have said I will write to the HSE to try to get them to sort it. My second call was to a man from Dockenfield about a planning issue with a property he wants to buy. There is a conflict between what the
parish council and Surrey highways are demanding concerning the width of the driveway - again the frustrations of Orwellian bureaucracy. I will try to arrange for him to meet the Chair of the Parish Council.

SEN UPDATE Earlier this week, I had a good meeting with Surrey County Council leader Tim Oliver about SEN issues following many extremely difficult meetings with local families. The main issue I raised was the sense that families of children with special needs often feel they have to engage with a legal process and get right up to the point of a tribunal before Surrey gives them the support package they need. I know caseworkers at Surrey are doing their best, but earlier intervention by more senior colleagues would mean these often distressing issues could be settled much quicker - so Tim is going to look at what can be done to speed processes up. We also spoke about staff and recruitment difficulties (a major issue in a high cost area like Surrey) and I will discuss these issues more when I meet with Rachael Wardell (Executive Director for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning at Surrey County Council) tomorrow afternoon.

WITLEY WALKABOUT As part of myBounceback South West Surrey campaign ([link removed]) , I spent some time visiting businesses and meeting local people in Witley last Thursday. I visited Uppercut ([link removed]) - the stylish place to get your hair cut and beauty needs met, the brilliant new dog grooming business Bubbles Pooch Parlour ([link removed]) , and Wizard Video Productions ([link removed]) - a hidden gem who have been producing films for schools and businesses for over 33 years. Also, very inspiring to see Kay's Witley Village Stores ([link removed]) back on its feet and fully refurbished after the terrible fire in 2020. I then met several residents and discussed the need for a crossing on the Petworth Road, speeding, overdevelopment and rural crime, all of which I have been following up on this week. A quick reminder that we also have the long awaited
Witstock ([link removed]) this Saturday (12-4pm at The Chichester Hall ([link removed]) ) - a family focused event, which will be raising money for vital community services and clubs and showcasing local businesses and services. I hope to go along and get Poppy’s nails cut at Bubbles at the same time, what a joy.

FARNHAM REPAIR CAFE - The next free FRC session is scheduled for 14th May (10am - 1pm) at The Spire Church (previously Farnham United Reformed Church), where Farnham residents can bring one product for repair. There will be five repair stations covering; electrical, laptops, mechanicals, bikes and textiles. If an item is larger than hand luggage or unusual, please email [email protected] to assess the feasibility of repair. Registration is not required, but if you want to beat the queue, I’ve heard you can pre-complete two forms that can be downloaded here ([link removed]) , and brought along on the day. More details on FRC can be found on their website ([link removed]) , via their frequently asked questions ([link removed]) page or on their YouTube Channel. ([link removed])

AND FINALLY Having had my curiosity tickled after seeing it on the menu, I did in the end try a beetroot latte ([link removed]) at Roots in Farnham and to my surprise it was delicious! Non-dairy, super-healthy and perfect if you feel ‘caffeined out’!

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Promoted by Sean Donovan-Smith on behalf of Jeremy Hunt MP and South West Surrey Conservatives, all at 2 Royal Parade, Tilford Road, Hindhead, Surrey GU26 6TD.

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