Dear Constituent,
This afternoon marks the end of another parliamentary session as we enter Whitsun Recess. Although Parliament will not be sitting, I’ll continue working across the constituency, meeting residents, supporting local events, and listening to your concerns.
The final days in Westminster have been intensive. On Tuesday, I led a debate on the injustice of frozen state pensions for British citizens living overseas, an issue long neglected, which the Government has now committed to reviewing. I also contributed to debates on improving care for people with Parkinson’s, and on the damaging cuts to support for adoptive families and kinship carers. In Committee, we continued our inquiry into community mental health services, hearing from organisations delivering innovative local support.
Locally, I visited the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, attended a breakfast event at The Hunter Centre for Dementia Action Week, and stopped by the Beacon Hill Beer Festival at the Hindhead Royal British Legion Club. I also met Wayne at the Dairy Café in Bordon following recent vandalism, where the local community has shown swift and generous support.
I remain deeply concerned by reports of the Government’s plans to sell off the Chagos Islands, an historic injustice that could cost the taxpayer as much as £30 billion. I will be holding Ministers to account on this when Parliament returns.
If you or your family ever need support, please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected].
With every good wish,
WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER
JUSTICE FOR PENSIONERS ABROAD
I led a debate on the long-standing injustice faced by nearly half a million British pensioners living overseas whose state pensions are frozen simply because of where they live. Many of them spent their lives working and paying into the system here in the UK, only to find themselves excluded from annual increases - sometimes without warning - after moving abroad, often to join family or return to Commonwealth countries.
The financial hardship this causes is severe. I spoke about people like Anne Puckridge, a 100-year-old veteran who served in all three branches of the armed forces and now receives just £72.50 a week while living in Canada. She’s one of around 60,000 veterans affected. The injustice is clear - and the policy is damaging both to those individuals and to our international standing.
Since I raised the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions last year, pressure has grown. This week, the Government confirmed that it will now review the policy - a step forward that campaigners and many MPs across parties have long called for.
I’ll keep working with those affected to make sure this review leads to change.
PUSHING FOR PARKINSONS AS A PRIORITY
I responded on behalf of the Opposition in a debate on care for people living with Parkinson’s - a condition affecting over 150,000 people across the UK.
I’ve spoken before about why this issue matters to me personally, but what stood out in this latest debate was just how much still needs to be done to turn awareness into action. I reflected on conversations I’ve had recently with Parkinson’s UK and local residents about the day-to-day realities of the condition - from delays in diagnosis to a lack of access to specialist support. These are not new problems, but they are becoming more urgent.
In the debate, I asked the Government for clear answers: how they plan to fund research, whether they’ll continue rolling out new treatments, and how the recent NHS restructuring will affect local services. Unfortunately, while the Minister acknowledged the scale of the challenge, there was little in the way of specific commitments. I’ll keep pressing for the answers families deserve.
MORE LABOUR CUTS FOR ADOPTIVE SUPPORT
In a Westminster Hall debate on support for adoptive and kinship places, I spoke about the Government’s recent decision to cut the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund by 40% per child is already hitting families hard - with no warning, no consultation, and no clear plan to fill the £34 million gap it leaves behind.
I raised concerns not just about the impact on individual families, but about the wider effect on local SEND and children’s services that are already overstretched. In my own constituency, I’ve heard from carers who now face uncertainty about the future support available to them, at the very moment they need it most.
Adoption and kinship care offer children stability, belonging and the chance to grow up in a family setting. Undermining those arrangements is short-sighted, and risks pushing more children into a care system that’s already under strain. These families deserve better, and I’ll keep holding the Government to account until we see a reversal of this decision, or, at the very least, a serious plan to mitigate its impact.
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH AT COMMITTEE
This week, the Health and Social Care Select Committee continued its inquiry into Community Mental Health Services, hearing from a range of organisations delivering innovative, community-led support.
We took evidence from charities including Chasing the Stigma, Black Minds Matter UK, and Coffee Afrik CIC, alongside service providers like The Life Rooms (Mersey Care) and Navigo, and academic experts from Oxford and UCL. The session focused on good practice, barriers to access, and how local commissioning can better support peer-led and preventative models of care.
The Committee is looking at how these examples could inform wider reforms to mental health services across the country. A full recording is available on the Parliament TV website.
HOW I AM RAISING YOUR CONCERNS IN PARLIAMENT
By following each link you will be able to see the recent answers I have received from the Government.
Written Answers - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (15 May 2025)
Gregory Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has identified geographic regions where the closure of small abattoirs has resulted in livestock producers not having adequate access to slaughter facilities.
Written Answers - Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government (14 May 2025)
Gregory Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many applications for Gateway Two approval for higher-risk buildings have been submitted to the Building Safety Regulator since 1 October 2023; how many of those applications have (a) been approved, (b) been rejected, and (c) remain under consideration; and what assessment she has made of the reasons for the number of undetermined applications.
Written Answers - Department for Work and Pensions (12 May 2025)
Gregory Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the welfare system on people with disabilities.
Search for speaker:Gregory Stafford - TheyWorkForYou for more…
WHAT’S GOING ON IN FARNHAM AND BORDON
VISITING OUR LOCAL UNIVERSITY
I had the pleasure of visiting the University for the Creative Arts, in Farnham, where I met with Mark and his colleagues for a tour of their extraordinary facilities. From glass blowing and photography to welding, kilns, and foundry work, the breadth of creative talent and technical skill on display was genuinely inspiring.
What struck me most - beyond the artistry - was the scale of the space and campus. It’s a hub of innovation, craftsmanship and opportunity, and great for supporting the local economy.
For young people in the area with an interest in the arts and creative industries, it is well worth a look.
University for the Creative Arts
DEMENTIA AWARNESS WITH THE HUNTER CENTRE
Saturday started at The Hunter Centre in Haslemere with their Farmhouse Breakfast - a relaxed, community-led way to begin Dementia Action Week. The centre has long been a lifeline for local families, and this week they’ve gone even further, running events to raise awareness and improve support for those living with dementia.
The national campaign highlights how many people are still going without a diagnosis, and the difference early support can make. From the Virtual Dementia Bus to their carers’ information hub, The Hunter Centre is making sure no one has to navigate this journey alone.
BEACON HILL BEER FESTIVAL
I dropped into the Beacon Hill Beer Festival - a brilliant two-day event hosted by the Hindhead Royal British Legion Club, with live music, local ales, and a packed hall of volunteers and residents.
I first met Wayne a few months ago to talk about how I could support the club’s long-term future. It was great to be back and see just how much energy is behind that effort. Events like this show how much can be achieved when local people come together with a clear purpose - and why institutions like the Royal British Legion matter so much to our community.
AN EVENING AT UNDERSHAW
The Undershaw Educational Trust held a fundraiser on Saturday evening at their site in Hindhead - the former home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The evening raised money for a new sensory space in the school’s Arts and Media Centre, as a part of their commitment to helping every student thrive. With live storytelling, deduction displays, and a full house of supporters, it was a celebration not just of Sherlock Holmes, but of the school’s clear purpose and growing impact.
It was good to drop in and offer my support alongside local residents, and newly-appointed Haslemere Mayor Cllr Jean Arrick.
DROPPING INTO THE DAIRY IN BORDON
I stopped in to see Wayne at the Dairy Café in Bordon after the vandalism earlier in the week. It was a senseless act, but the response has been anything but. In no time, the local community came together to help cover the cost of repairs - a clear sign of how much this family-run business matters to people here.
Wayne’s already making progress, and it was good to hear first-hand how much the local support has meant to him and his team.
THIS WEEK’S CASEWORK BREAKDOWN
This week, I reported issues of running water on Wey Hill in Haslemere and Sandrock Hill Road in Wrecclesham to the relevant water companies for urgent attention.
I’ve also continued to support constituents navigating challenges with SEND provision, responded to concerns about the driving test booking system, and taken up new cases relating to adult social care.
If you’re experiencing difficulties with any local or national services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
As always, you can see the thematic breakdown of my inbox below.
