61st Weekly Newsletter
I hope you have had a good start to 2026. It has already been an eventful few weeks since my last newsletter. Parliament has returned in earnest, with a series of important votes, including Conservative efforts to defend the long-standing right to be judged by one’s peers in court. Labour, however, has once again shown its contempt for this fundamental liberty and remains determined to abolish jury trials. It rather begs the question: which Chancellor is doing more damage, the Lord Chancellor or the Chancellor of the Exchequer?
Greg
FEATURED THIS WEEK
Lib Dems’ vote to let sex offenders dodge jail
In a disgraceful display of betrayal, the Liberal Democrats sided with Labour on Tuesday evening in the Lords to vote against proposals that would help ensure domestic abusers and sex offenders are jailed for their crimes. This appalling decision is one that should not be forgotten.
Kit and Rachael working hard at The Bat and Ball
I caught up with the wonderful Matthews family at the Wrecclesham pub just ahead of Christmas to see how the much-loved venue is getting on. As ever with so many pubs in our area, its success is thanks to its hard-working staff and team. And there’s a great new play area too - perfect for my girls!
Surrey Child and Family Health
I visited the team to see how they support children and families locally. The service brings together health visiting, school nursing, immunisations and children’s therapies to help families get support early and reduce pressure on A&E.
Haslemere’s Gala Ball - Saturday 21st February
Mayor Jean Arrick is hosting a special evening at Haslemere Hall in February - with a two course meal, live sixties music. The event is in support of the Friends of the Royal Surrey Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre and the 1st Hindhead Scouts.
ANOTHER LABOUR U-TURN COMING?
Reports this week suggest we may be seeing a familiar Labour pattern once again: announce a damaging policy, then quietly water it down months later. This time, it is proposed tax rises for pubs and hospitality venues. The Chancellor’s Autumn Budget made sweeping changes to business rates that are still set to hit pubs hard – on top of higher national insurance and rising wages. Even looking at just a handful of local pubs, the impact is stark.
Under the current plans, some venues in our area would be forced to pay tens of thousands of pounds more each year. One pub in Liphook is facing an increase of £32,000, while others in Farnham and Haslemere are looking at rises of around £20,000. One village pub will see its bill rise by £23,000.
I know many publicans locally are anxiously waiting to hear that the Chancellor has changed course. But this cycle cannot keep repeating. Our pubs and small businesses deserve better than being treated as an afterthought.
VODAFONE CONFIRMS IMPROVMENTS IN OUR AREA
Many of you completed my broadband and mobile signal survey last year, and I am pleased to share that VodafoneThree has now confirmed that 10 mobile sites have been upgraded across the constituency since I began raising these issues.
I am keen to hear whether these upgrades are translating into better coverage for Vodafone, Three and O2 customers on the ground. Please do let me know if you have noticed an improvement - and just as importantly if you have not - so I can feed this back as I continue to press for reliable mobile signal across the area.
THIS WEEK’S CASEWORK
Thank you to everyone who sent Christmas messages and cards to me and my team - they were very kind and much appreciated.
Casework continues throughout the year, and over the Christmas period I received several cases from parents whose children still do not have school placements. I have raised these concerns with both Hampshire and Surrey County Councils. I am also continuing to press providers on poor broadband connectivity, an issue I have been actively pursuing since being elected and one I know matters greatly to many residents. SGN has confirmed essential gas works on Churt Road in Bordon, which will involve road closures for up to seven weeks. I will stay in close contact with SGN to ensure disruption is kept to an absolute minimum.
