We now know exactly what Labour thinks of defence. Month after month of delay on a funding plan was damning enough - but yesterday, both the Defence Secretary and the Armed Forces Minister resigned in protest, because Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are simply "unwilling" to fund our military properly. The consequences of that are serious: we have a Government that will not defend this nation, and now the whole world - including our enemies - knows it. Make no mistake: this is a choice, and Labour’s mask is slipping.
Greg
FEATURED NEWS
Lloyds Bank asked to reconsider cheque policy
Banking Hubs in Haslemere and Bordon have clearly improved access to banking services for residents. But while I continue to pursue opportunities to establish one in Farnham, I have signed a cross-party letter to Lloyds after it withdrew cheque deposit services from Hubs and Post Offices.
A clear choice on tackling knife crime
The results of my policing survey so far shows more than half of you want to see more ‘stop and search’ powers - a vital tool to catch dangerous criminals and take knives off our streets. While the Lib Dems want to cut these powers, the Conservatives would triple ‘stop and searches’, leading to 300,000 more arrests.
Fill out my crime and policing survey
Thousands of skilled jobs lost in oil and gas
Labour are pretending that nothing is going wrong in our domestic energy industry, but we are losing one thousands jobs a month thanks to Ed Miliband’s misguided policies. New reports also suggest that BP, who has operated here for more than six decades, is considering exiting the North Sea altogether. This is not what Britain needs, but Labour won’t listen.
The case for better patient transport
As part of my ongoing campaign to establish a new, non-emergency patient transport service in East Hampshire, I met the local Primary Care Network to gather more information about what local GPs feel needs to change. I am grateful to all of you that have already completed my survey, and I’ll be presenting the results to key decisionmakers next week.
STANDING UP FOR FRAUD VICTIMS
Cyber crime and fraud are now the most common crimes in the UK, and too often, victims are being let down by a system that isn't joined up. At my constituency surgery in Bordon last Friday, Mr De Mesquita raised serious concerns that Report Fraud, the new national reporting service, is failing to pass vital information about identity fraud victims to local police forces. These are often vulnerable people, at risk of being targeted again, and their local police simply aren't being told about them.
I took this straight to the floor of the House of Commons, raising it directly with the Security Minister the very same week. The Minister has committed to referring the matter to Lord Hanson, who leads on fraud policy, and I will be holding them to that. With the Government having invested £250 million in tackling fraud, there is no excuse for this basic breakdown in communication between national reporting and local policing. Victims deserve better - and I will follow this closely until this is fixed.
SERIOUS FAILINGS IN CIVIL SERVICE PENSIONS
I was shocked to learn after I was contacted by people across our area facing deeply frustrating and, in some cases, genuinely distressing delays in receiving their Civil Service Pensions - administered by Capita.
I am now holding weekly meetings with Capita and a Cabinet Office adviser to push hard on every unresolved case. One constituent retired last August, having given five months' notice, and is still waiting for his lump sum and monthly payments. Another, with more than 37 years of service, has been waiting since September for her pension options - while Capita confusingly continues to send her letters telling her she is still yet to claim. A third, having survived cancer and a heart attack, simply wants to retire in peace - but cannot get the clarity he needs to do so. The list goes on.
The Cabinet Office has given Capita a deadline of the end of June to clear its backlog - and I have serious doubts that will be met. The people affected have given decades of service to this country and they deserve better than this. I will keep up the pressure at every level until my constituents receive what they have earned.
THIS WEEK’S CASEWORK 'WINS’
I was delighted to learn that a constituent in Haslemere has finally received a reimbursement from Surrey County Council that was agreed at the end of last year. Having written regularly to the Council to press for the payment to be issued, it is a real relief to know that the matter has now been resolved.
I was also pleased to assist a constituent in Farnham in securing Surrey County Council's agreement to assess her son for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Elsewhere, I have successfully helped constituents in Hindhead obtain long-awaited passports and Home Office documentation.
I have also been working on behalf of residents in Hindhead to address ongoing drainage issues that have been causing blockages. I am pleased that action is now underway to clear the drains and tackle the problem.
