ANNA FIRTH MP FOR SOUTHEND WEST Monthly Westminster and Constituency Updates
A note from Anna:
Hello all,
I do hope this newsletter finds you well and that you're managing to find time to get out and about to enjoy our wonderful City and coastline.
The highlight of April for me has to be the unveiling of the statue of Sir David Amess on Thursday 11th.
The weather leading up to the big day had been pretty ghastly - cold, wet and windy, but on the day itself the sun came out and everything seemed to sparkle. I was so pleased to see large crowds of people arrive at the chosen site on Chalkwell esplanade to witness the ceremony.
Lady Julia and members of the Amess family joined an array of invited guests who paid tribute to Sir David and recounted anecdotes that prompted tears and laughter. I was so glad to be able to make this statue a reality and provide a permanent reminder to one of Southend's true servants and champions.
Other notable events have included getting my Pet Abduction Bill across the line in the Commons and seeing it safely on its way to the House of Lords. I've also spent time helping the Mayor of Southend raise funds to help his nominated charities (Music Man and Haven's Hospices) and was pleased to be there to welcome home Simon Lambert who cycled an epic 480 miles in memory of his little boy Archie who tragically lost his battle against cancer.
I also welcomed the Secretary of State for Health to Southend Hospital and was proud to show her all the progress being made on the new A&E wing and the radiotherapy bunker. A visit to the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance reminded me of just how much we rely on the commitment and professionalism of others to help us out in times of medical emergency.
Another ministerial visit by Huw Merriman for Transport allowed me to show him the access shambles at Chalkwell Station and press him to urge Network Rail to get a move on with the new footbridge and lift.
The House of Commons had the long awaited second reading of the Football Governance Bill. I was truly delighted to speak in the debate on behalf of Southend United and all its fans.
As you read this, the country will be going to the polls to vote in the local elections. I realise through speaking to so many of you each week, how fed up some of you feel about politics just now. But I urge you to use your democratic right to vote and to use it wisely. It's tempting (and understandable) to want to inflict 'punishment' on political parties but every vote really does matter and the future of Southend and Leigh is in your hands.
I look forward to working with all of my constituents to deliver on my pledge to make our city of Southend safer, healthier and wealthier for all.
Best wishes,
Anna
Safer
Healthier
Wealthier
Other
SAFER
Anglian Water publishes live storm overflow map
At 1000 on Tuesday 30th April 2024, Anglian Water published its 'Love Every Drop' live storm overflow map.
https://www.anglianwater.co.uk/.../sto.../storm-overflow-map
Having had early sight of the live map, I am pleased that Anglian Water took my feedback on board and have ensured the map is easy to navigate and will give local residents as clear a picture on what is happening with Southend’s storm overflows as possible.
Pushing for this map to be published as soon as possible has been a key ask at my recent water quality summits and I welcome this new level of transparency from Anglian Water.
We still have a lot of work to do on water quality locally, but we are making great strides. I will continue to hold Anglian Water’s feet to the fire to ensure they keep their promises to local residents and deliver the further improvements we need.
My Pet Abduction Bill clears the Commons
I was inspired to bring this Private Members Bill after becoming aware of a number of incidents in the constituency and learning that pet thefts have increased across the country with figures suggesting that at least 2,290 dogs were stolen last year, a 6% increase on 2022. Just one in six (16%) were found and returned successfully, the lowest level since insurer Direct Line started tracking the data in 2015.
Security specialists ADT run a yearly Pet Theft Report which shows that dogs are the most frequently stolen pets at the top of the list, with a staggering 4,403 theft cases between 2019 and 2023.
Here are just some of the thefts and attempted thefts that have happened in my constituency:
• In 2021, Ann Cushion had her four rescue dogs stolen. She has gone on to establish Southend-based group Tilly’s Angels with Helene Leader, an initiative seeking to reunite pets with their owners.
• In March 2024 in Benfleet, a pensioner was hit over the head by men who jumped out of a van in an attempt to steal his cocker spaniel.
• July 2023 - Twiglet the dachshund was stolen by a thief who smashed a patio door. Essex police released footage of the dog struggling to get away from the thief, who was believed to have sold her on.
I'm absolutely delighted that my Bill has now passed its final stage in the House of Commons and I’m grateful for the cross-party support that it has received.
Our pets are part of our families. They comfort us when we are down and give us a huge amount of laughter, energy and joy when we are up—and, in fact, all the time. They make a house a home. That is why it is so heart-breaking when any one of our beloved pets is snatched away from us, and it is also why the taking, abducting or detaining of someone else’s beloved pet is such a sick and cruel crime.
Rail and Transport Minister visits Chalkwell Station
On 21st March I'd called out Network Rail in the House of Commons chamber for their repeated delays to beginning construction work on a new accessible lift and footbridge at Chalkwell Station.
Responding to my question, Transport Minister Huw Merriman promised to come to Chalkwell station with Network Rail to take me through the project and the challenges faced to see what can be done to speed up the delivery.
I'm delighted that Huw Merriman made good on this promise, meeting with me, local disability campaigner Jill Allen-King OBE, representatives from c2c and Network Rail, as well as Chalkwell Councillors Nigel Folkard and James Courtenay. This visit represented the first visit from a Transport Minister to a c2c train station since 2018.
As I thanked the Minister for his visit, I reiterated the need for the project to be completed as soon as possible. The Minister assured me that every opportunity to speed up the project without compromising its integrity, would be taken and promised to keep me and my team up to date with the ongoing works.
I am pleased that the Rail Minister came to Chalkwell station to see for himself how the station is near inaccessible to disabled people and families with pushchairs. The steep steps are simply not useable for many people, and it is essential that this gateway to our beaches can be accessible to all.
I appreciate the Minister and Network Rail talking me through the project and their assurances that work is now on-going, but now they must match those words with action. I will continue to hold them account until this project is fully delivered.
I am hugely grateful to Jill Allen-King for coming along to this meeting and making the case for all the disabled residents of Southend about just how important it is to deliver this vital infrastructure project.
Talking about Online Safety at the Westborough School
I was delighted to be asked to take part in The Westborough School’s Online Safety Assembly alongside presenters from Google.
The ‘Be Internet Legends’ programme is designed to help 7-11 year-old pupils become safer and more confident explorers of the online world.
The assembly covered the five main aspects of internet learning that support a child’s media literacy: staying Sharp about what you’re sharing online, being Alert to scams and misinformation, using tools to keep your devices Secure, being Kind with others online, and being Brave by talking to trusted adults about problems.
As I spoke to the children, I stressed how important it is to keep bedrooms screen free and leave their phone switched off in a drawer somewhere away from where they sleep.
I explained that this is key to a good night’s sleep which is essential for good mental and physical health, and will help keep them safe from cyber-bullying or being targeted by horrible people who might want to do them harm.
Educating our young people about how to be online and stay safe is absolutely vital. Letting young children go online without proper supervision is simply dangerous.
I was impressed by how engaged the children were at Friday’s assembly and they seemed to take in all the various messages of the talk.
My key point was for them to leave their phones switched off and downstairs when they go to bed. This will help protect them from entering into any unwise and late-night online chat and will ensure they get a good night’s sleep.
It’s a good habit to get into whatever age you are!
HEALTHIER
Secretary of State for Health visits Southend Hospital
I was really pleased to welcome the Rt Hon Victoria Atkins, Secretary of State for Health, to Southend Hospital. I invited the Health Secretary to show her the outstanding work being done at Southend which leads the way in treating fractures, cancer and emergency cases.
We were taken on a tour of the new Dowsett Ward which provides same-day emergency care where we were introduced to staff and patients. Next was a tour of the Radiotherapy Unit to see the construction work that is ongoing and because it is literally still a building site, we had to don hard hats and hi-vis jackets to tour the site and meet constructors.
A tour of the new Fracture Liaison Service – FLS - concluded the visit where I was pleased to introduce the Health Secretary to the staff who are implementing the service and the patients who will take part in the service.
I was so proud to be able to show the Secretary of State for Health, all the good work that is going on at Southend Hospital. The £118m funding from central government that I was able to help secure, is being put to good use.
Visiting Essex and Herts Air Ambulance
I was delighted to pay a visit to North Weald Airfield for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT).
EHAAT's helicopters are a familiar sight in the skies over Southend, and with its popular charity shop in Eastwood, the community has always been such amazing supporters of its local life-saving charity.
During my visit, I received a personal guided tour of the air base, including the Visitor Centre and Simulation Suite, led by CEO Jane Gurney, Medical Director Dr Tony Joy, and Associate Retail Commercial Director Leila Clarke.
We talked about the critical importance of helipads regionally and nationally, and the staff emphasised the indispensable role of local support in sustaining the provision of 24/7 critical care to those in urgent need. I also had the opportunity to chat with the helicopter crew, who are dispatched an average of seven times a day and who last year, treated over 1,900 patients.
Jane Gurney told me that she was delighted I'd come to visit as they were keen to continue to build upon the great relationship they'd had with my predecessor Sir David. They explained how with significant operational and charitable expenses amounting to £1million each month, the support from local communities, including my constituents in Southend West, is essential in ensuring the continuation of their life-saving missions.
Dr Tony Joy described how important it was to be able to show me the dedication of the crew and the cutting-edge facilities, including the Simulation Suite, which plays a vital role in providing advanced training for his clinicians.
I was incredibly impressed with the dedication and professionalism of everyone I met at the EHAAT base and I pledged to do everything I can to support their incredibly important, life-saving work in the future.
Why I'm fighting to keep this GP's surgery open
I am continuing the fight to stop the proposed closure of the 346 Rayleigh Road branch of the Eastwood Group Practice.
When the plans were revealed, I immediately went to work, contacting the head of the Eastwood Group Practice, as well as the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board to state my concerns.
Since then, I've continued working hard and I managed to secure both a meeting with the ICB - Integrated Care Board - and their attendance at the “open meeting” which took place on the 6th April.
As well as contacting the surgery, I visited the branch at 346 Rayleigh Road to speak to staff and residents about the plan, many of whom were opposed to the ideas. The GP branch promised to respond in full to my concerns as soon as possible.
I've been working alongside Verina Weaver, the Conservative Candidate for Eastwood Park ward, who has also been vocal in her opposition to the plans, calling them “dreadful”. Ms Weaver has also set up an online petition for local residents to sign. She hopes this will show the strength of feeling on the matter and hopes as many residents as possible will sign.
The petition can be found online at: https://www.change.org/p/prevent-the-closure-of-eastwood-practice-surge…
WEALTHIER
Estuary to have first new fishery in centuries
I'm delighted to announce that the Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (KEIFCA) have approved plans to establish a trial fishery for Manila clams in the district.
I previously raised the potential of two new shellfisheries in the Thames Estuary with Rishi Sunak and DEFRA Minister Mark Spencer, as well as engaging with the local cocklers and fishermen and taking their views direct to Ministers and other stakeholders.
On Thursday 4th April I held a hugely positive meeting with local cocklers and fishermen as well as Will Wright (Chief Officer) and Dominic Bailey (Deputy Chief Officer) of KEIFCA to discuss how the trial will be carried out as well as discuss both the challenges and opportunities that this trial presents for our local fishing industry.
The Manila clam is a high-value seafood indigenous to the sub-tropical and temperate coasts of the western Pacific. Since the early 20th century, it has been spread by human activities and is now widely established in the north-eastern Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Manila clams were first introduced to the UK as an aquaculture species in the late 1980s - early 90s. The Manila clams in the estuary have been developing over the last three to four years as the water temperature has increased, helping their survival, and improving their sustainability.
This new clam fishery will be the first new fishery established in the Thames Estuary for centuries and offers huge potential to the local fishing community, helping to safeguard an industry that has existed in Southend and Leigh-on-Sea since the Doomsday book.
This is a hugely exciting development and one that has the potential to be game changing for our local fishing community. Ever since I found out about the potential for a new clam fishery in the estuary I have engaged extensively with Ministers and stakeholders to see what can be done to deliver it.
This will be the first new fishery locally in my memory and I will continue to work closely with our local fishermen and with Kent and Essex IFCA to ensure we deliver a successful and sustainable clam fishery.
My Football Governance Bill Speech
When the House of Commons had the long awaited second reading of the Football Governance Bill, I was truly delighted to speak in the debate on behalf of Southend United and all its fans.
As often happens in Parliament, the time MPs are allowed to contribute to proceedings gets shortened considerably as time goes on so I wanted to publish the full version of my speech, so constituents have the opportunity to read my thoughts on the highly anticipated Independent Regulator.
Please find my speech below:
"For too long, football clubs like my very own, Southend United, have been left at the mercy of unscrupulous owners who are either unwilling or unable to fulfil their obligations to the clubs and the fans.
For too long, fans have suffered having vital decisions made on their heritage with little to no consultation.
For too long, there has been no focus on sustainability and future planning, leaving many clubs just one bad season away from insolvency.
Whilst I would normally be totally against any regulation, especially regulation that affects an industry as successful as football, so I welcome the Government’s plans to introduce the Independent Regulator which will set out to address these issues, and put fans back where they belong, at the heart of football.
To date, I have mentioned Southend United 11 times in this place, and a majority of those have been to raise awareness of a club on the brink of oblivion.
Were it not for the heroics of those at the club, like Tom Lawrence, Kevin Maher and all the players who somehow delivered result after result each week, we could very well have lost 117 years of history. The Southend United saga exemplifies why we so desperately need intervention now, to stop situations like those we have seen at Southend, Reading, Derby, Bury, Torquay and elsewhere from ever being repeated.
Under the outgoing owner, the club has been subject to 19 winding up petitions in 25 years. This instability is exactly what I hope the bill’s strengthened Owners and Directors tests will address.
Worryingly, the current Premier League and the EFL Owners and Directors Test requires that any prospective owner must not have been subject to two or more bankruptcy events; whereas Part 4, Clause 37, Subclause 4 of the Bill removes any minimum number of events.
However, I would like to hope that instead of just punishing poor owners, the regulator will have a mechanism to reward good owners who are making a positive, tangible difference to their club and community. Southend United’s Community and Educational Trust’s social value to Southend and Southeast Essex communities was £10.3m and tremendous work that gives back to the community must be encouraged and rewarded appropriately.
Southend United has a truly remarkable fanbase, who despite everything, kept supporting their club no matter what, throughout the season, over 150,000 fans came to Roots Hall to show their support and almost 18,000 travelled away. These astonishing numbers mean that Southend United were the 3rd best supported club in the National League at home and the 2nd best supported club away.
Almost every club has a Supporters Trust, and we are lucky to have the hard-working Shrimpers Trust, led ably by Paul FitzGerald and James Schooley. But throughout football there is such a broad depth of knowledge from supporters, and I am delighted that the Regulator will require clubs to engage with fans on all heritage matters. Although it is my hope that many clubs will join Southend’s incoming new owners and appoint a Fan Advisory Board to ensure fans are given a formal voice on the operations of the club.
I also hope the Regulator will be given the power it requires to mediate in all matters between the Premier League, EFL and National League, not just financial ones. I of course refer to last weeks concerning news regarding the unscrupulous scrapping of FA Cup Replays.
Whilst it is hard to measure or describe such an abstract concept like “the magic of the FA Cup”, every single person hearing these words thinks of something different, but equally real. For Southend United, the magic of the FA Cup is best shown in 1979, when 31,033 spectators crammed into Roots Hall to witness their heroes take on European Champions, Liverpool. To put that into context, more than 11% of the entire population of Southend at the time, was at that game.
The FA Cup is the world’s oldest football competition, and for such monumental changes to be proposed with little to no consultation with Clubs in the National League is shameful. I would appreciate clarification from the Minister on this and how he intends for the Regulator to address similar issues in the future? Replays are a huge opportunity for smaller clubs bringing extra income and capturing the imagination of the community. Scrapping them to appease the top 7/8 teams in the Premier League with European commitments midweek shows a complete disregard for the rest of the pyramid.
The Regulator needs to be seen as an opportunity to safeguard the future of English football for generations to come, so our children and grandchildren can find the same joy and sense of community that we all have from our football teams.
I understand Regulator has its sceptics who believe there could be unintended consequences that could make English teams less competitive. To those people I say, put yourself in the position of a Southend United, a Torquay United or a Bury, in some cases hours away from ceasing to exist, and you would understand exactly why this legislation is needed and there is not a moment more to lose."
Supporting the Mayor's nominated charities
I was pleased to attend the Annual Civic Dinner for the Worshipful The Mayor of Southend-on-Sea, Councillor Stephen Habermel. All proceeds from the evening went to the Mayor’s nominated charities, The Music Man Project and Haven’s Hospices.
I also attended the Mayor’s Variety Concert at the Plaza Centre which was also in aid of the Mayor’s nominated charities.
I had a wonderful time at both events and was pleased to be able to contribute to the fund-raising efforts for the Mayor’s chosen charities, both of which do such good work for so many people.
The Variety Concert was several hours of pure musical entertainment with a wonderful mix of singers and performers drawn from the local area. I thoroughly enjoyed being there and listening to all the fantastic voices! Huge thanks to everyone who made both events possible.
Welcoming home Simon Lambert after his epic 480 mile bike ride
I was so pleased to be at the finish line on Sunday 21st April to say huge congratulations to Simon Lambert! Simon cycled a whopping 480 miles from Leith to Leigh to raise much-needed funds for multiple charities.
Simon did the ride in memory of his son Archie who passed away aged just 5 after battling DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma), an aggressive type of childhood cancer that forms in the brainstem.
I was very moved when Simon said that he knew that Archie was ‘with him all the way, especially helping with his wind Pokemon’.
Losing a child is something no parent should have to go through. Simon has done something really fantastic and brave here and I was so glad to be there to help welcome him home.
The charities who will benefit from Simon's fundraising are: Little Havens, Gold Geese,Young Lives Vs Cancer,The Unbeatable Eva Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation UK, Thumbsupforcharlie, THHN (Torbay Holiday Helpers Network) and Abbie's Army.
If you’d like to donate to Simon’s cause which will help charities who were there for him when Archie became ill, here is the link:
https://www.justgiving.com/team/ArchieLambert
Statue to honour Sir David Amess
I was deeply honoured to organise and oversee the unveiling of the statue to honour the memory of Sir David Amess. On Thursday 11th April I joined Lady Julia and members of the Amess family ahead of the ceremony on Chalkwell seafront, close to Chalkwell Lifeguards in Southend. Huge crowds of people flocked to the scene, an indication of just how much Sir David meant to everyone he served in his time here as MP.
We were delighted to be joined by the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, the Rt Hon Dame Priti Patel MP, David, The Lord Alton of Liverpool, Andrew Rosindell MP, Mark Menzies MP, the Mayor Cllr Stephen Habermel, other local councillors, the CEO and Directors from Southend City Council.
Ann Widdecombe delivered a touching statement from Lady Julia Amess which had many onlookers in tears. Andrew Rosindell spoke of Sir David's enormous influence in Westminster and shared anecdotes and memories from their time together as MPs.
Father Jeffrey Woolnough, the parish priest at St Peter's Catholic Church, close to where Sir David was killed, delivered prayers and a blessing before sprinkling the statue with holy water.
Lord Alton took the microphone to reminisce about his long friendship with Sir David and said that the Southend MP had 'given politics a good name'. He said that he and Sir David had shared the belief that 'every human being is unique and not expendable raw material, and they should be valued for who they are.'
Beautiful music was provided by the ladies from the Orpheus Choir and David Stanley from the Music Man Project who played piano while his choir performed some of Sir David's favourite pieces, ‘Peace & Hope’ & ‘Music is Magic’.
David Stanley spoke of how Sir David always championed the 'underdog' or those who had no voice. He recalled some years ago trying to organise a performance for his choir, comprised of people with learning difficulties, at the London Palladium and how his calls were never returned. There was an audible gasp as he recounted how as soon as he asked Sir David for help, the Palladium was instantly on the phone to him and the concert was booked!
After the main speeches I opened up the floor to anyone who wanted to say a few words in tribute to Sir David and was so pleased that the Rt Hon Dame Priti Patel felt moved to tell everyone what Sir David had meant to her personally. Of course Dame Priti had been Home Secretary when Sir David was attacked by an Islamic extremist while holding his weekly constituency surgery. She recounted the absolute horror and shock of taking the initial call from the police.
Once unveiled, the statue looked magnificent in the wonderful warm spring sunshine, positioned as it is, to give the impression of Sir David standing and looking out over the estuary, Southend Pier and the Crowstone, all of which were some of his favourite parts of the area.
The site, surrounded by rose bushes - Sir David’s favourite flowers - is clearly visible from the road, providing a reminder to all who pass it of one of Southend’s finest champions and public servants.
I was absolutely determined on succeeding Sir David, to raise the funds so that this permanent memorial could be made a reality. We are all hugely indebted to and grateful for the deep generosity of Dr Vijay Patel OBE, a businessman from Basildon who knew Sir David when he was MP there before he came to Southend West. I'm so glad that both Vijay and Andrew Lilley, the talented sculptor were there on Thursday to see the reactions and receive personal thanks from the hundreds of people who witnessed the unveiling.
Oliver! Jr at West Leigh Junior School
On Saturday 20th April 2024, I attended a performance of Oliver! Jr at West Leigh Junior School and I was absolutely blown away by the children’s performance on the night.
I thoroughly enjoyed being in the audience and thought that the props and set had been extremely well produced. I was very impressed by the way the teacher/director Mr Dunn, had taken such a well known and well loved musical and given it a clever modern-day twist.
The cast worked so hard to give the audience a brilliant and entertaining show. I could tell just how much work had gone into the whole show by the staff and former pupils of West Leigh.
The acting was excellent and some of the singers were of a professional standard. I understand that most of the props came from a second-hand shop in Westcliff, whose owner was happy to lend to the school whatever they needed – now that’s community spirit in action!
Congratulating the winners of the Hungry Cupboard Competition
I was delighted to meet the young winners of the Hungry Cupboard poster competition.
Chloe and Eddie’s designs were chosen as the best and I was pleased to chat to them and congratulate them on their win.
St Vincent de Paul emergency food parcel provision helps families and individuals in a crisis when they have no other means of support.
When families and individuals find themselves in need of help, it’s so important that charities are able to step in like this.
Well done to Chloe and Eddie for designing such great posters!
Why I want to establish Leigh Community Centre as an 'Asset of Community Value'
I have published an open letter nominating Leigh Community Centre to become an 'Asset of Community Value'.
This comes at a time of concern for the future of the Community Centre with many residents seemingly believing it is set to be closed, despite Leigh Town Councillors regularly confirming that is not the case and a practical impossibility due to the terms of the contract with Southend City Council.
I'm issuing a plea for as many residents as possible to join me in signing the letter before it is formally submitted to Southend City Council for consideration, before the next Full Council meeting.
If you wish to join others in signing the open letter, this can be done at: https://www.annafirth.org.uk/Leigh-Community-Centre
Attending the outdoor opening drive at Chalkwell Bowls & Petanque Club
I was delighted to be asked to take part in the outdoor opening drive at Southend Bowls Club.
I attended along with the Mayor and Mayoress and with Cllrs Folkard and Courtney. Southend Bowls club has been in operation for over 100 years and provides its members with both indoor and outdoor rinks.
I was also able to try my hand at Petanque on the club’s purpose made pitch.
It was great fun to visit the club and bowl the first ball of the outdoor season. There’s a lot of skill involved in the game of bowls and I really admire those who do it regularly and make it look so easy.
I can tell you now that it isn’t easy at all!
The Club also offers loads of social activities for members, there really is something for everyone.
It’s so important as we get older to remain physically active and challenge ourselves with sports like Bowls and Petanque and I wish the club every success this year.
Our dancers are going to the World Championships in Prague!
I was delighted to visit Expressions Theatre Arts School with Cllr Helen Boyd to meet some of the dancers who are preparing for the Dance World Cup in Prague in June.
Out of 5000 entries, twelve dancers from Expressions have been picked to compete at the Dance World Cup in Prague which will run from the 27th June to 6th July 2024.
The 12 students who are aged between 11 and 17 years of age, successfully auditioned for team England out of over 5000 applications, a fantastic achievement in itself. They will compete in the categories of ballet, national, contemporary, character and tap.
It will cost the dancers around £1000 each with travel, accommodation, team kit and rehearsals taken into account. The dancers’ families will go to support them as well so this will incur additional costs.
Expressions are doing everything they can to help with the cost including holding a cake sale on Friday which I was pleased to support.
The school has so far raised £4,500 which includes a considerable donation from Barrons accountants in Leigh which has gone towards costs of the kit.
The school wants to raise £6,000 and the link (below) for donations will be live for the next few weeks. Do support them if you can!
https://giveahand.com/fundraiser/lets-get-to-the-dance-world-cup
Supporting responsible dog ownership with the Blue Cross
Some of my favourite weeks in my job as an MP revolve around dogs! I was delighted to take part in the Mayor's Charity Dog Walk in Southend, before pledging my support in Westminster to the Blue Cross who are promoting responsible dog ownership.
The Blue Cross is one of the UK’s leading pet charities and celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2022. Its purpose is to help pets and people thrive together. To achieve this, they help pets and people in need, improve knowledge and understanding of good pet welfare and work to make pets a more valued part of society.
Responsible dog ownership is not just vital for dogs, but for society as a whole. A happy, well-trained and well-looked after dog is a joy to be around and we want to encourage dog-owners to learn more about what their dog needs to enable it to be received warmly wherever it goes.
If you'd like to know more about the courses run by the Blue Cross you can find out here: [email protected]
Getting Footloose with Southend Operatic & Dramatic Society
A huge thank you must go to Southend Operatic & Dramatic Society for inviting me to their fantastic production of Footloose at the Palace Theatre. It was an amazing evening and I enjoyed every minute.
The show is based on the 1984 film Footloose and includes all the songs from the movie, plus new material written specifically for the stage adaptation, and really was an all-singing, all-dancing affair.
As a Patron of the wonderful The Music Man Project UK, I was so delighted to meet MMP Global Ambassadors, Wendy & Daniel, and to hear they have collected £533.91 over the 6 performances!
Well done to everyone involved - what a splendid performance!
A clear win for Birbalsingh and a victory for common sense
This article was commissioned by GB News on 19th April 2024.
I recently wrote about how to bring back respect to our schools. As I put pen to paper, the person that sprang to mind as an exemplar of this was Katharine Birbalsingh of the Ofsted-rated ‘outstanding’, Michaela Community School in Wembley Park, London.
The Michaela, set up ten years ago under the Conservative’s Free Schools Scheme, now regularly tops the league tables and in 2021, 82% of its pupils got into Russell Group Universities. Quite a feat.
Birbalsingh, or ‘Britain’s Strictest Head’ as she is sometimes known, is someone who has the courage of her convictions and is not afraid to run her school in a way that she believes, will get the very best out of each and every one of her pupils who are drawn from one of the most deprived catchment areas in the country.
She’s also someone who regularly winds up those intolerants on the Left who pay lip service to boosting the life chances of children from impoverished or multi-racial backgrounds, but react with horror when someone like Birbalsingh actually does it.
The fact that Birbalsingh’s rich ethnic make-up (Indo-Guyanese-Jamaican) strips her opponents of the chance to call her a racist, must be infuriating as well. How they must have (briefly) rejoiced at the opportunity to brand her an Islamophobe instead!
When Birbalsingh, whose focus is on cohesion, equality and togetherness, forbade a Muslim pupil from praying in the playground at lunchtime, she was taken to court by the girl’s family. The school received bomb threats and teachers were verbally abused. Security guards had to be hired. When the case became public, Birbalsingh received death threats, pile-on’s of abuse and of course, accusations of Islamophobia.
Birbalsingh’s rationale for banning the praying – which had quickly mushroomed to more than 20 pupils - was simple: Firstly, Michaela is a secular school with no religious connection or affiliation. Secondly it has limited outside space and precious little inside space meaning that giving over an area dedicated to Muslim prayers was not practical. And thirdly and most importantly, Michaela thrives because it is truly inclusive and team-focused.
The ‘me me me’ culture is left at the school gates, as is religion. The children are encouraged to put others before themselves and to display respect for their teachers at all times.
This makes for a cohesive and harmonious learning environment where pupils take personal responsibility for their conduct, their successes as well as their failures. They learn that ultimately you get out what you put in. Not one of Birbalsingh’s 700-plus pupils is allowed to buck the trend and this is why it works and why her pupils consistently do so well.
The whole school sings the National Anthem daily and the overriding culture embodies those bygone British values of patriotism, self-sacrifice, helping others and behaving in such a way that the whole team benefits. It reminds me of a time when our country knew what it stood for and was unashamed in displaying it.
Another thing that feeds into the school’s success is that the pupils at Michaela know who is in charge and it definitely isn’t them. Children need good strong adults to show them how to get on in life and how to succeed. Children suffer without such guidance and it’s disastrous if they feel they’ve got one over on their teachers as they would have done if this court judgement had gone the other way.
Too much autonomy frightens children and puts them in a position for which they’re simply not equipped at such a young age. It’s no wonder that rudderless children act up and behave badly. They’re often just crying out for a firm and guiding hand.
Katharine Birbalsingh’s court victory is testament to her guiding hand and strong values. Michaela will now continue to grow and provide life-changing opportunities for those children whose one shot at escaping poverty might be a decent education.
Labour’s Unashamed Hypocrisy Is Laid Bare By Rayner’s Tax Troubles
This article was commissioned by GB News on 12 April 2024.
You reap what you sow. In a week where the Labour Party have outlined their plans to crack down on tax dodgers, Angela Rayner and the Labour party are starting to learn the meaning of the phrase ‘people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’ as questions over her tax affairs rumble on.
Angela Rayner and the rest of the Labour Party love trying to tar the Conservative Party with the moniker of ‘sleaze’, but now that she is embroiled in a scandal of her own, she seems to have gone incredibly quiet, doesn’t she?
A tax avoider is not just stealing from HMRC, they are stealing from every single hard-working taxpayer up and down the country, stealing from the NHS, our roads and our schools. Labour just this week have argued that paying tax is central to the values that we all sign up to in society. The Labour MP Margaret Hodge in a Guardian article this week said that not contributing what is due to the common pot is “both morally reprehensible and illegal.”
I agree and while it may prove that Rayner played things by the book, it doesn’t hide the fact that there may well have been some kind of tax trickery involved here be it legal or illegal. So how dare she and her Labour colleagues sit upon their high horses and present themselves as the arbiters of political morality?
David Lammy last week stated, “there is a different arrangement in expectation for the prime minister in this context, we’re not yet in government.” But Keir Starmer has spent the last few years repeating the line “one rule for them and another for everyone else”, so why do Starmer and his allies now seem to be suggesting that these ‘rules’ do not apply to his own deputy?
Angela Rayner is after all seeking to be in Government, and those seeking high office should hold themselves to the same standard they hold Government Ministers. What message does it send to the British public when they ask question after question of our Prime Minister and other senior Ministers but refuse to answer the same questions themselves? Why are the Labour Party so scared about questions being asked about their politicians' characters and conduct?
Could it perhaps be that they know they are not as infallible as they would like us all to believe and that their actions and words over the last few years have set them on a course that will prove them to be the unashamed hypocrites they are.
Rayner herself is as much of a hypocrite as her colleagues, in January 2022 she tweeted “Boris Johnson's Downing Street is under police investigation, how on earth can he think he can stay on as Prime Minister?”
So the news today that Greater Manchester Police have launched an investigation into Angela Rayner to see whether any offences have been committed begs the question, how on earth does Angela Rayner think she can stay on as Labour Deputy Leader?
Rayner’s position means she is the would-be Deputy Prime Minister and she owes it to the British people to be honest and upfront about her tax affairs.
I don’t want to suggest that Rayner had ill intent, this could have been classic Labour economic incompetence. We all make mistakes but come on Angela, just be honest!
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