General Election 2019

I was honoured to be re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Dartford following the Election on 12th December 2019.

Dartford retained its position as Britain's longest bellwether seat and has consistently voted for the party in Government since 1964.  

The national swing was 4.5% from Labour, with the Conservatives gaining a majority of 80 seats.

The swing in Dartford was 5.6% and my share of the vote increased to 62.9 % from 57.6% at the last election.  I was also delighted to increase my majority by nearly 6,000 votes to 19,160.

it is interesting to see that the electorate of Dartford is now 82,209 and more than 54,000 people in Dartford voted.

We must now do what we promised during the Election campaign and get on with Brexit so that we can move on to other important issues affecting Dartford and the rest of the country.

Urgent Treatment Centre Consultation

As you may have seen in previous bulletins, a consultation has been taking place on where to site the new NHS Urgent Treatment Centre.

The new centre is to treat illnesses and/or injuries that are not life-threatening but do need an assessment or treatment on the same day.  

There are two options being proposed, the first of which is to move the services at White Horse Walk-in Centre at Fleet Health Campus, to join Minor Injuries at Gravesham Community Hospital.  The second is to relocate both of those services to a new Urgent Treatment Centre at Darent Valley Hospital to run alongside the current A&E Department.

Whilst more resources at Darent Valley Hospital would be welcome, I do have serious concerns as to how it would cope with more patients using its facilities.  I have made my concerns known to the CCG in person and via their consultation.

Having a 'one-stop-shop' at Darent Valley Hospital for both minor injuries and A&E sounds attractive but under the current plans there would be no expansion of the building and no extra car parking.  When you add this to the potential loss of some bus services going to the hospital, it could cause a lot of problems for people trying to access any UTC placed there.

The CCG has received 16,500 responses and it is due to announce its decision in January.

Queen's Speech

Highlights from the Queen's Speech can be found below:

• Prioritise leaving the EU on 31st January and bring forward legislation to ensure the UK's exit.  Seek a free trade agreement and begin trade negotiations with other leading global economies.

• Facilitate talks to restore devolved Government in Northern Ireland.

• NHS multi-year funding settlement will be enshrined in law.

• New visa will ensure NHS professionals have fast-track entry to the UK.

• Hospital car parking charges will be removed for those in greatest need.

• Cross-party consensus will be sought on proposals for long-term reform of social care, ensuring that no one who needs care will have to sell their home to pay for it.

• Continue working to reform the Mental Health Act.

• Introduce a points-based immigration system which will welcome skilled workers from across the world.

• Support working families by raising the National Insurance threshold and increasing the National Living Wage.

• Increase levels of funding per pupil in school.

• New sentencing laws to ensure longer in custody for the most serious violent offenders.

• Ensure those charged with knife possession face swift justice.

• Supporting businesses by increasing tax credits for research and development, establishing National Skills Fund and bringing forward changes to business rates.

• Continue to take steps to meet net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

• Undertake an Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review.