ANNA FIRTH MP FOR SOUTHEND WEST Monthly Westminster and Constituency Updates
Hello all,
Spring is nearly here and the days are getting longer, warmer and hopefully drier. Such a relief after the long and very wet winter we’ve endured.
In my fourth ‘clean water summit’ which took place at Leigh Sailing Club, I made sure that Anglian Water couldn’t keep using the excuse of ‘too much rain’ to excuse sewage overflow into our rivers and sea. They’ve promised to bring evidence of concrete improvements to the next summit and I’ll report back to you after that.
Work at Southend hospital is coming on apace and the new A&E wing and the new radiotherapy centre will soon be ready for use. I’m delighted that the Secretary of State for Health has accepted my invitation to come and see for herself how we are leading the way here in Southend in several areas of medical care, meaning that patients don’t have to travel to London hospitals for treatment.
I’m a long-time campaigner for children’s mental health and I firmly believe that less time spent staring at a phone screen is the way forward for our young people. I was very impressed that Eastwood Academy successfully implements a ‘phone-free school’ and I’d like to see other schools in Southend do the same.
I thoroughly enjoyed taking a boat trip with our local fishermen to see for myself, the razor and manila clam beds in the estuary. The beds are much larger than was previously thought and if managed carefully, present a huge and exciting financial opportunity for our local seafood industry as these clams are highly prized around the world.
After the disturbing events in Parliament last week, I’m pleased that the Prime Minister has spoken out about the dangers of Britain descending into ‘mob rule’, and I fully support his efforts to hold the police chiefs to account. The police already have many powers to stop peaceful protests becoming unruly, so we need to make sure that they have the confidence to use existing laws correctly.
February marked the second anniversary of becoming your MP and I can assure you that it’s still the honour of my life to be able to act as your elected representative in Parliament and continue Sir David’s legacy. I’d like to take this opportunity to renew my pledge to make Southend safer, healthier and wealthier.
Best wishes,
Anna
Safer
Healthier
Wealthier
SAFER
Fourth 'clean water summit' sees improvements
I was absolutely delighted that my fourth water summit was attended by six senior people from Anglian Water and two from Southend City Council. This format of a discussion, a question and answer session followed by a walkabout, is proving extremely productive. It holds the right people to account and also gives my constituents a chance to put their worries and complaints directly to those who can make significant changes to keep our waters safe and clean for us all to enjoy. I pledge to continue to work hard to make Southend a global exemplar for surface water management.
Making our streets feel safe for everyone
It's the right of every person in this great country of ours to be able to publicly protest against issues about which they feel strongly. Freedom to protest and freedom of speech are two pillars of our democracy that must never be dismantled. While I'm glad that those who feel strongly about the terrible situation in Gaza are able to take to the streets, I'm also concerned that others who may not share the same view are feeling increasingly intimidated by these protests which have become a regular occurrence since October last year.
By law, protest organisers must inform the police in writing six days beforehand. The police have the power to limit or change the route, set any other condition of the march, change the location, limit how long a rally lasts and the number of people who attend. In the case of the marchers who block traffic or public walkways, the police have the power to stop these altogether. I am backing the Prime Minister to make sure that the police use all the powers at their disposal to make our streets safe for everyone.
HEALTHIER
Progress being made at Southend Hospital
Visiting Southend Hospital to see how the work on the new A&E wing is coming along, I was very impressed with the layout and how many bed spaces will be available for emergency treatment. I was lucky enough to be given a tour of the operating theatres and saw a demonstration of the new and state-of-the-art robotic assisted surgery machines that are improving patient care. Speaking to the Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Pike, I relayed my constituents' concerns about cancer treatment waiting times being too long. Andrew reassured me that when the new LINAC (linear accelerator) radiotherapy bunker expansion is finished, it will provide cutting-edge radiotherapy for patients and reduce waiting times. £8m of the initial £118m funding that I helped to secure for Southend NHS has gone into the A&E expansion and the LINAC radiotherapy bunker and I was impressed by the progress on both.
You can watch a short video about my visit below.
Fighting for better NHS dental provision
I raised in the Commons, my concerns about the lack of suitable NHS dental care in Southend. I'm pictured here with retired Southend dentist Lesley Salter who supports my calling upon the Health Secretary to guarantee improved dental services in Southend West and Leigh. Everyone who needs an NHS dentist should be able to get an appointment with one. The Government has published its NHS Dental Recovery Plan which delivers an extra 2.5 million appointments over the next year. I made it clear to the Secretary of State that I would like to see progress on this happen within months rather than years.
You can see video of my question in the Commons below.
Meeting pupils and staff at Eastwood Academy
My visit to Eastwood Academy in Southend coincided with the school's Cultural Day activities which was great fun as I got to try my hand at some African drumming. I was shown around by the new Principal, David Piercy, and Scott Sterling, CEO of the Academy Trust who explained that the school’s Cultural Day is a ‘whole school experience’ and a ‘celebration of diversity and inclusivity’. I was pleased to see that alongside celebrating other cultures, British culture is recognised and celebrated as the important bedrock of the school, giving pupils from a variety of backgrounds a solid grounding on which to thrive.
I was particularly impressed with the school’s strict ‘no phones policy’ - which was implemented around 2010 – and which the school says vastly reduces incidences of bullying and unpleasantness in the classroom. I've been campaigning since 2016 to help parents, carers and teachers to educate children about the benefits of spending less time online. Research now shows that too much screen time can be damaging to mental health and wellbeing.
WEALTHIER
Exciting opportunities lie ahead for our fishing industry
Sunday 18th February was a little different from usual in that I went out to sea with local and regional fishermen to discuss the best ways to make the most of new fishing opportunities that have been identified in the Thames Estuary.
Alongside Cllr Nigel Folkard and National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) Chairman Paul Gilson, we joined West Mersea fisherman Christopher Mole on his boat for the day, where we talked all things fishing, oysters, clams and cockles.
I now plan to convene a Kent and Essex fishing summit in Westminster to bring together MPs and fishermen from across the region to discuss how best to take these opportunities forward.
Celebrating food and drink in Downing St
It was wonderful to attend a reception to celebrate British food and drink at Downing Street with Chairman of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations and Leigh-on-Sea resident Paul Gilson. Paul is a true champion for our local fishing community and has a wealth of experience and knowledge which has been of great benefit to me.
Leigh-on-Sea has a near thousand-year-long history of fishing, with the Domesday Book mentioning recording fishermen as early as 1086. I am determined to do all I can to support our local fishermen to take advantage of the new and exciting opportunities that have arisen in the Thames estuary which have the potential to be of huge benefit to our fishing industry, local community and for the UK as a whole!
Southend's best pub?
Pubs and breweries are a key part of British culture and history, and play an important role in our communities. Southend has so many outstanding pubs from the Bellhouse to the Broadway, and of course the brilliant Leigh Brewery. They absolutely deserve recognition for the important part they play in supporting a sense of community and pride of place.
You have until March 31st to vote for your favourite independent Pub in Southend and Leigh-on-Sea, with the pub with the most votes being crowned ‘Southend’s Pub of the Year’!
Let's find out which is your favourite, get voting at the link below:
Southend United update
At the game the other day, I spoke with a number of fans who asked me what the current situation was and what more could be done.
As such, I wanted to share an update with fans on what I understand the current situation to be, my thoughts on it, and my hopes as we move forward.
Supporting UK Dog rescue
It's always a pleasure to support the cause of animal welfare and to support UK Dog Rescue. Rescue groups, like Tilly's Angels in Southend, play an important role in giving forgotten pets a chance at a new and better life. My Pet Abduction Bill will make sure our pets are kept with their owners, and that cruel pet theft is punished. We can all push for better treatment and protections for the pets that are so important to families.
Community Champion Award
I'm delighted to announce my latest Community Champion - Joyce Lambert!
Joyce was nominated by John Twitchen for her role as Chair of the Iveagh Club.
Joyce is well-known in the community for being a Southend Councillor and for serving as President of South Essex Chamber of Commerce. She's described as 'an inspiration to everyone who meets or works with her'!
Joyce is also known for her years of involvement with the Southend Society, Southend Darby & Joan organisation, South Essex Building Preservation Trust and Southend Pier Museum. This picture is of me with Southend Mayor Stephen Habermel, presenting Joyce with her well deserved award.
If you'd like to nominate someone for my Community Champion award you can find the form here: https://www.annafirth.org.uk/.../community-heroes...
Music Man concert reminder!
After being invited by The Music Man Project to the first local massed choir rehearsal of the 'Music is Magic' concert, I want to remind you to buy your tickets to see this wonderful collection of talented singers and musicians perform at the Royal Albert Hall in April!
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