It's so important for my constituents that the
#LoanCharge
is paused & independently reviewed. Very pleased to see that both
@Jeremy_Hunt
&
@BorisJohnson
have agreed to do so if they become the next PM. I hope they will consider signing the
#loanchargepledge
Today LCAG launches its Candidate Commitment for
#GE2019
. We want every Parliamentary Candidate to commit to SUSPEND, SCRAP and INVESTIGATE the
#LoanCharge
.
Is your candidate supportive? Will they help
#STOPtheLoanCharge
and
#SaveLives
? Ask them to sign up to this commitment.
Today I was proud to be one of the 521 MPs who voted in favour of the EU-UK Trade Deal in the House of Commons. No-one believed we could achieve it, yet we finally got Brexit done! That together with the roll-out of the Oxford vaccine is the best possible news for the New Year.
Tomorrow I will host a reception in Parliament to honour the St John Ambulance volunteers for their support during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment and I also thanked them yesterday in the House for training and co-ordinating volunteer vaccinators.
I am truly shocked and saddened by the brutal murder of my friend and colleague Sir David Amess. He was one of the kindest, most thoughtful people in Parliament, and I have known him for 30 years. It is a particular wickedness that he lost his life just doing his ordinary job
I have signed this cross-party letter calling on the Government to abolish visa fees for Commonwealth servicemen and women. It has been signed by 133 MPs from 8 parties.
#stoptheservicecharge
@PoppyLegion
I have added my signature to the cross-party letter to Theresa May MP which was handed in to 10 Downing Street today by Ian Austin MP, marking a year since the Prime Minister called for a “speedy resolution” to access to cystic fibrosis medicines.
#LifeSavingDrugsNow
Thinking of
@BorisJohnson
and his family today. I know that you will join with me and the whole Nation in wishing him God speed to a full recovery to his robust best health.
Get well soon, Boris. We are all with you.
I have asked the Foreign Secretary to clarify what role British troops could play to aid
#Ukraine
against possible Russian aggression during Oral Questions for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Here is the full clip:
It was a pleasure to hear from
@ZelenskyyUa
in Westminster Hall this afternoon. I know the Untied Kingdom and people of North Wiltshire stand with Ukraine. 🇬🇧🇺🇦
Thank you to
@GreenpeaceUK
for hosting such an informative reception, talking about how to address the problems of plastic pollution and the impact that it has on our rivers and wildlife.
#PlasticFreeRivers
Earlier this week it was my pleasure to welcome Sir David Attenborough to Parliament for an event hosted by
@APPGPolar
to celebrate the RRS Sir David Attenborough and the hard work of all those at
@BAS_News
InuussutissarsiorsinnaajunnaarallarnersiutaarukkallartariaqaleraluarnersorunaIn - the longest word in the world taught to me by a Greenlander yesterday.
And finally, the House also debated the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill yesterday evening. Here is a clip of my speech in the Chamber, and I hope everyone will join me in celebrating the inclusion of “Ellie’s Law” into the Bill:
I have always been strongly opposed to these unnecessary planning proposals and I believe now is the time when every concerned citizen in North Wiltshire should oppose them too: via
@38_degrees
Yesterday I emphasised the importance of neighbourhood planning in the House of Commons and hope that the upcoming housing White Paper will reform the planning system to give a bigger voice to local residents. Here is my full speech and the Housing Minister's reply:
I have been working for many months on the tragic case of my constituent Ellie Gould, who was murdered in her home last year, and raised the issue of the short sentence handed to her murderer Thomas Griffiths in the House of Commons today:
It was standing room only when
@GretaThunberg
addressed the APPG for Climate Change. She gave a fantastic speech highlighting the need to unite behind the scientific evidence and act now to prevent
#ClimateCatastrophe
As I said yesterday in this Western Daily Press article, I support Ellie Gould's friends' petition for self-defence to be taught in schools - the petition has now reached 10,000 signatures. The link is below if you wish to sign:
After my surgery in Calne yesterday morning it was good to bump into the team of volunteers from River Warriors who had recovered bikes, car parts and scaffolding from the River Marden. Thank you for all your hard work and I look forward to joining you in a pair of waders soon!
I have added my name to this cross-party campaign to request that the Spring Budget ensures that we have continued access to cash points and free cash withdrawals. No one should have to pay a fee to access their own cash.
Nobody should have to pay a fee just to access their own cash. Today I led a cross party campaign asking
@sajidjavid
to ensure that the Spring Budget commits to making cash easy and free to access.
I am pleased to see that the Government have taken this decision. I had written to the Secretary of State for Education to highlight the impact that the algorithm had on students across North Wiltshire. I hope that they can now get the results their hard work deserves.
I greatly enjoyed supporting the 'Our Bright Future' project in Parliament yesterday. This is an ambitious and innovative partnership lead by The Wildlife Trusts, which brings together the youth and environmental sectors. A fantastic imitative.
#OurBrightFuture
Last Friday I visited the new Community Policing Team hub in Royal Wootton Bassett to see the newly revamped centre. It was great to see the site and learning more about the work of the Wiltshire Police.
Just before Easter Recess, I had the pleasure to speak once more in the Commons Chamber on a topic very dear to me. I asked the Defence Secretary about the Arctic sea route and what he intends to do to protect Britain’s commercial interests:
Last week I joined a cross party delegation on a visit to Ukraine to mark a year since Russia's invasion. On a visit to deliver aid in the north of Ukraine I found this particularly powerful wall painting in the city of Bucha.
Appalled by the events yesterday at Capitol Hill. It is inconceivable that in an advanced democracy, the losing side should seek to disrupt the smooth transition of power. The Global Covid crisis demands sound governance and that principle must be restored in the US immediately.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting
@JamiesFarm
near Colerne and learnt about the amazing work the charity does to support vulnerable young people, who are struggling socially or academically. They offer highly beneficial residential trips and I am supportive of their work.
I stood with the people of Royal Wootton Bassett 167 times to see 345 of our fallen comrades repatriated from
#Afghanistan
. Yesterday in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister and I paid tribute to their sacrifices and indeed those by all our brave Armed Forces Personnel.
I joined
@plogolution
on their Ultra-Plog this Monday to help raise awareness of the scourge of single-use plastic and help pick up the plastic left along the Thames. We must use less, recycle more and pick up the waste that is thoughtlessly thrown away
#plasticpollutes
I have signed a letter to the Chancellor calling for changes to the National Funding Formula. We need properly funded schools that can provide a quality education for all students, regardless of where they live.
#schoolfunding
Was very pleased to be able to join the unveiling of the new Great West Way branded Calne Town welcome sign this weekend and to be able to shine a spotlight on the local area’s tourism industry, in a week devoted to travel and exploration during
#EnglishTourismWeek19
The £2 bus fare cap on single journeys in England is to be extended until the end of June.
And we’ve also committed £80 million to protect vital bus services 🚍
Find out more here:
#GetAroundForTwoPounds
Pleased to meet with
@WiltsWildlife
and other constituents at the
#TimeisNow
lobby outside of Westminster yesterday, to discuss the need to take urgent action to end the UK's contribution to climate change and pass an ambitious new Environmental Bill. I enjoyed meeting you all.
I have just completed and handed in my nomination papers for Chair of the Defence Select Committee. I’m very grateful to all who signed my nomination papers, and for the cross-party support I received.
#Parliament
#Defence
Great new initiative from Voices for Life ahead of the
#ChildrensMentalHealthWeek
! I They are also working on a brand new ‘oratorio’, which will hopefully be performed in Bath Abbey by choirs from primary schools across Bath, Somerset, and Wiltshire later in the year.
It’s been great to launch our video in support of
#ChildrensMentalHealthWeek
and receive so much support. Our children’s virtual choir sing our new wellbeing song brilliantly! It would be great to continue to spread the word
@ClassicFM
@BBCRadio3
@Place2Be
I’m pleased to share GWAAC’s Summer Appeal to help raise vital funds for training. Did you know that the crew trains every single day to be prepared for anything? Learn how you can help GWAAC’s crew save lives:
#airambulance
#charity
Thanks to
@NickGibbUK
for meeting with me and the Head Teachers from Royal Wootton Bassett, Malmesbury and Abbeyfield Schools to discuss school funding and PFIs. I am glad we had the chance to come together to discuss such important issues.
#schoolfunding
#education
As part of the Plan for Jobs, employers are being offered £2,000 for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25 and £1,500 for each newly-recruited apprentice aged 25 and over. I would encourage all employers of all sizes in the South West to apply
I have put together this leaflet for my constituents which includes some local information and advice about the Covid-19 outbreak. I appreciate that this is a difficult time for many, so I hope this information is useful.
The
@RoyalAirForce
C-130J Hercules Farewell Flypast will pass over MOD Lyneham and Royal Wootton Bassett in North Wiltshire this afternoon. Do keep an eye out!
One thing we Brits are rather good at is volunteering at a time of crisis. Philippa and I have both signed up to join the Red Cross Community Reserve Volunteers. You can sign up on . It is important that we support each other during the coronavirus pandemic
Just attended the naming ceremony for the
@UKFisheriesltd
vessel
#Kirkella
. HRH The Princess Royal christened the trawler which will sail in Arctic waters off Norway and Greenland. The ship’s onboard fish processing factory supplies 8% of the fish sold at UK fish and chip shops.
I am also chairing a debate in Westminster Hall today to mark the 200th anniversary of the first sighting of Antarctica, and discuss the action we need to take to reverse the worst consequences of climate change.
#antarctica2020
#Parliament
I spoke a second time yesterday in the House of Commons during the Policing and Prevention of Violence against Women debate, and asked the Home Secretary an important question about the policing of extremely disruptive protests:
Delighted that Calne Town F.C, Malmesbury Victoria F.C., Royal Wootton Bassett Town F.C. and Wootton Bassett Town Ladies F.C. in my constituency have been awarded
@premierleague
funding to help prepare their stadia for football's safe return.
Desperately sad to hear that the Princess of Wales has been diagnosed with cancer. I know that thanks to the wonders of modern technology she will make a full and swift recovery.