Following the Easter Recess, it’s great to be back writing my weekly column. With spring having finally sprung, I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the #SpringCleanWeekend. I was joined in West Kingsdown by Cllr Lynda Harrison and Emily Bulford, our Conservatives candidate in the upcoming Fawkham and West Kingsdown ward By-Election on 5th May. It was a fantastic community effort, and I am very grateful to the organisers, the sponsors, and all those that took part in this superb initiative.
While on the topic of protecting our green spaces, I was delighted to hear that Sevenoaks District Council have turned down the large-scale development which had been proposed on Green Belt land alongside Brittains Lane. Earlier this year, I visited the site and met with local councillors Avril Hunter and Andrew Eyre to see for myself how inappropriate the proposal was. Many worried residents wrote to me, and I was pleased to make representations on their behalf to the council. Green Belt land must not be developed without community consent, and if this application goes to appeal, I will oppose it in the strongest possible terms.
In other local campaigns, I recently posted on Facebook asking for your experience locally of our hospitals – especially in relation to visiting friends and family who have been admitted. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to reply. I read all your comments carefully and last week raised them with Miles Scott, CEO of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. Following our meeting I am pleased the Trust have now updated their guidance for visitors in the Emergency Department. Each patient can now be accompanied by one guest, which brings it in line with in-patients who are allowed one visitor at a time. I firmly believe that visitors and family and friends are vital advocates for patients in hospital and I will be speaking to other surrounding Trusts to try to ensure this issue is addressed in all other local hospitals. While I would still like all restrictions to be lifted as soon as possible, this is welcome progress – and I thank the MTW NHS trust for making this change.
Finally, I cannot let this week’s column pass without acknowledging the wider political context. As I have said before, the events in 10 Downing Street should not have happened. There was, and remains, no excuse for anyone breaking the law. And I remain completely clear that those who make the rules must not break them whether intentionally, or otherwise. Last week a motion was put to the House of Commons to refer the Prime Minister to the Committee of Privileges to investigate whether he knowingly misled the House. I supported the motion being approved and it will now be for the Committee to determine whether the PM knowingly misled the House of Commons. Please be reassured, I am continuing to listen closely to my constituents’ views on the matter, as I have done previously.
