Prime Minister Boris

Congratulations to Boris Johnson, who has been elected new Conservative leader and will become our next Prime Minister. In a ballot of Conservative Party members, Boris polled 92,153 votes to Jeremy Hunt’s 46,656. Whilst I voted for Jeremy Hunt, I will do my utmost to support our new Prime Minister in getting a deal through Parliament to leave the EU and in reforming our domestic agenda. There is much to do and I hope Boris gets it done.   

Children’s Services Consultation

A number of Children’s Centres and nurseries are facing closure as a result of the financial pressure East Sussex County Council is facing, including Egerton Park, which I recently visited. The Council is consulting on alternative ways to deliver support. I am encouraging constituents to write in and share their views. More here.

Bringing ATMS back to Battle

I have been working with campaigners to bring a 24-hour free cashpoint back into the heart of Battle and recently met the CEO of LINK, the body responsible for the Link network, in Parliament, who is seeking to support the provision of cash machines in towns. Read more here.

Rail Accessibility

Following on from my meeting with the Office of Rail and Road, I asked the Department for Transport what steps they had taken to improve rail accessibility. You can see my exchange with the Minister here.

Northern Ireland Bill

I attended a debate in Parliament on amendments to the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill. As well as giving parties in Northern Ireland more time to try and form a government it includes measures that would give Northern Irish citizens the same rights as those enjoyed by citizens in the rest of the UK. Watch here. 

Trains for the Future

In Derby, the Transport Select Committee viewed the first hydrogen train in the U.K. and met a manufacturer who believes more rolling stock could be delivered to the Marshlink via a new battery hybrid train before a permanent high speed solution can be found. Here we are with one of the new CrossRail trains which is about to roll off the assembly line. Click here to see us driving a train. 

Mental Health Support in Schools

I welcomed the recent announcement that Bexhill and Battle will be one of the first constituencies to benefit from Mental Health Support Teams. These NHS professionals will work with schools and colleges to ensure that all children get the best start in life. Read more here.

Office for Rail and Road discussion

In conjunction with my campaign to improving delay compensation and accessibility for passengers, I last week chaired a roundtable discussion with other MPs and the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The ORR briefed us on the recommendations in the Williams Review and the challenges that the rail network faces.

BBC licence for over 75s

After the recent decision by the BBC to only provide free TV licences to those over 75 and receiving Pension Credit, a petition to restore free TV licences prompted a Westminster Hall debate to discuss this. You can watch my contribution here.

John Howell Visit

It was great to bring the Government’s Neighbourhood Plan Champion to the constituency to meet our local Town and Parish councillors and clerks. Read more about our meeting here.

Transport Select Committee: Chris Grayling

In possibly his last appearance in front of the Transport Select Committee, Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling answered questions on HS2, Southern Rail and the Eurotunnel settlement and reflected on his time in office. Watch here.

Observer Article

In this week’s Observer article, I touched on my thoughts on the proroguing of Parliament as well as my work on the Transport Select Committee. Read here.