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Protests at the Dartford Crossing
Earlier in October, we saw the deplorable actions of two Just Stop Oil protesters at the Dartford Crossing.
These two individuals scaled the bridge demanding the Government halt all new oil and gas licences and consents.
Their actions brought traffic misery and gridlock to people in and around Dartford. Their utterly selfish protests are simply wrong and have no consideration for the general public, as well as being counter-productive to their cause.
It is completely wrong for this group to impose their views on people who are just trying to get to work and take their children to school.
The operation to remove the protesters was led by Essex Police, who used a cherry picker to reach and remove them from the Crossing.
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New Chief Executive at Darent Valley Hospital
I recently met with the new Chief Executive of Darent Valley Hospital, Jonathan Wade, who took over in September from Louise Ashley.
Prior to this, Jonathan was the Trust’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), leading the operational performance of the organisation. Before joining Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, he worked at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn.
During our meeting we discussed the challenges facing Darent Valley Hospital this winter, along with issues around parking for both patients and staff and the impact on the Fleet Estate
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Dartford Sports Bar
It was a pleasure to visit Dartford Sports Bar and meet with the Licensee, Chris, and the Business Development Manager, Paul Gornall, shown in the photo above.
Chris and his team have put a lot of hard work into renovating the building to make it such a thriving venue. It has something for all age groups and is really inviting to everyone from sports fans to music lovers. It is dog friendly too, giving customers
who bring their pet dog into the pub a discount off their bill!
Dartford Sports Bar has recently won the Dartford Living Customers' Choice Award as part of the Dartford Business Awards 2022. In addition, it has been named as Admiral Taverns Pub of the Year in the Great British Pub Awards.
Following the difficult days of the pandemic, I am really pleased to see this pub doing so well and I look forward to seeing it flourish in the coming years.
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Dartford and Crayford Sea Cadets
I was delighted to attend the West Kent Sea Cadets' Trafalgar Day Parade.
Each year, a different unit within West Kent District is tasked with hosting the parade and this year it was the responsibility of Dartford and Crayford Unit.
It was a pleasure to be invited to inspect one of the divisions during the formal ceremony. A church service and parade followed afterwards.
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Health Walks through Dartford
Earlier on this Autumn, One You Kent launched its latest health walk through Dartford.
The Leader of the Council, along with other councillors, joined trained volunteers who are working with the Peppercorns Day Centre, to put on a dedicated health walk around town for its members every Thursday.
Peppercorns provides a wide range of opportunities for adults with learning disabilities. If you would like to find out more about Peppercorns, please click on the link below.
Dartford Health Walks is an accredited Walking for Health scheme. Walking for Health, managed by the Ramblers and Macmillan Cancer Support, is a national programme of free, short, accessible and sociable walks that last between 30-90 minutes. They aim to help
people get the most out of walking for their physical and mental health, plus they provide a great opportunity to meet new people. There are a number of free existing health walks already in the Dartford Borough area on a daily basis. For a link to more information,
please click on the button below.
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Dementia Diagnosis
I was pleased to visit the Alzheimer's Society stall at the Conservative Party Conference, to be given an insight into the barriers to diagnosis that some people living with dementia face.
Research from Alzheimer's Society shows some people don't seek a dementia diagnosis because they think memory loss is just a part of getting old, fail to recognise the signs of dementia, or are in denial about their symptoms. Though the thought of diagnosis
can be daunting, over 9 in 10 people with dementia say they benefited from getting a diagnosis, for example by helping them come to terms with it or planning for the future.
I was delighted to pledge my support to the charity's dementia diagnosis campaign. One in four people have battled dementia symptoms for over two years before getting a diagnosis. If you are worried that you or a loved one may have dementia, you should contact
Alzheimer's Society for advice and support.
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Southeastern timetable changes
Southeastern will introduce a new timetable from 11th December 2022. Some of the changes include:
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Bexleyheath and Sidcup lines will terminate at Cannon St and Victoria only in quieter, off-peak times.
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A new service in the morning and evening peaks between Crayford and London Blackfriars.
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All trains on the Woolwich line will terminate at London Cannon Street with quick connections available at London Bridge.
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Royal Mail swap
There are less than 100 days until non-barcoded definitive stamps cease to be a valid form of postage. Definitive stamps are the regular “everyday” stamps featuring the profile of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
From 1st February 2023, barcoded definitive stamps, as shown above, will be the only type of definitive stamps valid for postage. This follows an announcement made at the start of 2022 and is not connected with the passing of Queen Elizabeth.
Royal Mail is encouraging people to use up their non-barcoded definitive stamps. However, customers who are unable to use up their stock of non-barcoded stamps, of all values, may exchange them for the equivalent in barcoded stamps.
There is currently no end date for when customers can swap their stamps and this option can be accessed after 31st January.
They can be sent, with a completed form, to Royal Mail using its FREEPOST address. There is no charge to exchange unused stamps.
Swap forms are available from:
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www.royalmail.com/barcodedstamps where a form can be printed or requested
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Royal Mail’s Customer Experience team – customers can call 03457 740740 and request a form be posted to them
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From more than 1,200 Customer Service Points at delivery offices
Special Stamps – those issued to commemorate special occasions or to celebrate British achievement – will not be barcoded
and remain valid for use. Non-barcoded Christmas stamps also remain valid for use throughout the year. These stamps cannot be exchanged.
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Employment figures
In September 2022:
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There were 2,185 actual claimants in Dartford constituency, which was 2.9% of the population aged 16-64. The equivalent UK claimant rate was 3.7%.
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There were 375 claimants aged 18-24, which was 4.8% of the population aged 18-24. The equivalent UK claimant rate was 4.6%.
Over the past year the number of claimants has fallen by 785 in Dartford, as shown in the table. The table also shows
changes over the last month and since March 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic affected the claimant count.
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Unadjusted count in Dartford, September 2022
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Aged 16+
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Aged 18-24
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Claimant count
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2,185
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375
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Change on month
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75
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10
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Change on year
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-785
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-140
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Change from Mar 2020
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550
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55
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New Prime Minister
In the recent leadership election, I supported Boris Johnson.
I know there are those who feel that Boris Johnson should not be Prime Minister again and I recognise there are people who feel his previous actions did not make him a suitable choice to lead the country. My own view, along with that of many of my colleagues,
is that despite the mistakes he made, he possesses the ability to make difficult decisions to get things done at a time of crisis with a fearless determination. He also has the ability to perform on an international stage, particularly in Ukraine. I believed
that Boris Johnson had the ability and support to re-form a Government, a fact borne out by the number of my colleagues, including current and former cabinet members, who also supported his leadership campaign.
Whilst Boris Johnson had the appropriate levels of support to proceed to a vote of the membership, it was clear that a majority of my colleagues supported Rishi Sunak. The crucial thing is for the party to unite, get on with the job and be an effective government.
For that reason, it was the right decision for him to withdraw from the leadership contest to allow Rishi Sunak to become Prime Minister, given the clear support from MPs.
I offer my full support to Rishi Sunak as the new Prime Minister and hope that under his leadership there will be stability and an opportunity for the country to unite behind him as he addresses the very difficult issues facing us. Whilst he will no doubt have
difficult decisions to make in the days and weeks ahead, I believe there is a path forward which respects the commitments made in the 2019 Conservative Party Manifesto, the challenges faced by the economy and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
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Justice Minister
I was pleased last month to announce my appointment as a Minister in the Justice Department. However, politics can be a brutal business and during the recent reshuffle by our new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, I was moved out of my post. Having been a Minister
in the Government Whips' Office for a year and then a Minister in the Justice Department, I have now returned to the backbenches.
It was though, a busy time, during which I answered an Adjournment Debate, a debate in Westminster Hall and gave evidence to the Justice Select Committee. I also answered Oral Questions in the House of Commons on the issue of small boats and the backlog in
the Courts. A video clip of me answering a question on small boats from the SNP, can be found by clicking on the photo above.
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