Here is a summary of my work for Brighton Pavilion locally and in Parliament from July 6 - 12. As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you need my help with anything.

The Budget 

This week saw the Chancellor deliver the first Conservative budget for 19 years. The plans George Osborne laid out will push further suffering upon those already struggling to get by. Most concerning to me, as I said in Parliament during the budget debate, is the ‘benefits cap’ which will hit people hard in Brighton & Hove. With real terms cuts in public sector pay and the slashing of tax credits for those in work, at the same time as giving further tax breaks to people handing hundreds of thousands of pounds to their children, this budget is a real blow for fairness in this country. I wrote a piece in the New Statesman on the subject of the demise of our welfare state:http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/07/welfare-cap-government-policy-its-worst-labour-wont-challenge-it

The other glaring omission from this budget was any credible plan on climate change. This was a real opportunity to put our economy onto a sustainable footing, but instead George Osborne trumpeted plans to cut taxes for fossil fuels, increase taxes for renewable energy and spend public money on building new roads. Here’s the piece I wrote for Left Foot Forward on the Chancellor’s lack of ambition on climate change: http://leftfootforward.org/2015/07/theres-a-climate-shaped-hole-in-the-budget/

Southern Rail

On Wednesday morning I spoke in a debate in Westminster Hall about the Southern Rail Franchise. With trains in and out of Brighton being subject to perpetual delays and overcrowding I asked whether the Government has a responsibility to look again at the whole franchise system. We have such a fragmented rail system and, time and again, the rail network and the rail companies are not joined up.  I’ll be keeping a very close eye on the record of Southern Rail, doing what I can to try to hold them to account at every opportunity, and continue to press for far more generous compensation.

Bees 

On Tuesday morning I met with campaigners as they handed in a mega petition asking the Environment Secretary, Liz Truss, to maintain the ban on the use of a pesticide linked to the decline in bee populations. It’s fantastic to see over 400,000 people sign a petition to protect our bee populations from the danger of neonicotinoids – a pesticide that’s use is currently suspended as investigations are made about the damage it causes.

Exposing price hikes in public transport

On Monday The Independent reported on a fact I extracted from a Government Minister on the real terms changes in transport costs. The statistics are shocking: The cost of driving and flying has plummeted, while public transport has become increasingly expensive. It’s no wonder that our roads continue to be so congested as people are hit in the wallet for choosing to catch a bus or a train. The statistics and my comments can be seen here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/driving-a-car-is-getting-cheaper-and-cheaper-while-trains-and-buses-just-keep-getting-more-expensive-10363354.html

All Party Group on Climate Change

I was delighted to be selected as chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change (APPCCG).  All Party Groups are a way for MPs to work together across party lines, raise awareness of issues and push Government to take action.   The All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group is one of the largest and most active groups and I’ve been discussing with other MPs and Peers what our early priorities might be, for example: the Paris climate summit, the financial risks of investing in fossil fuels (called the carbon bubble), climate impacts on water security, business action, or reducing carbon emissions from data centres.  We have a new secretariat so our new website isn’t up and running yet but you can find out about the APPCCG’s previous work here.

St Luke’s School

On Thursday morning, I visited St. Luke’s to congratulate the school on its magnificent achievement in raising £13,600 for solar panels. I met the Eco-Council children and the Solar School’s team representatives.

Visiting the Mosque 

On Thursday I visited the Al-Medina Mosque in Brighton to break the fast alongside those observing Ramadan.  There was a really wonderful sense of community and hospitality (as well as lovely food), and I really appreciated the opportunity to share in such a special time.

Bus Collision

Earlier this week there was a serious bus crash in Brighton.   My thoughts are with the families of all those who were injured.  I’ve been in close contact with the bus company and the police to see what lessons are to be learnt from the incident, and would like to thank the emergency services who responded so quickly on the day, as well as the staff of nearby shops who did so much to help.  On Friday I met with the Director of the Bus Company, Martin Harris, to lobby him about a number of other issues related to our bus services, including increasing the regularity of the 5b, looking again at the timing of school buses from Hanover to Varndean and Stringer, as well as measures to keep costs down.

Working together for a new kind of politics

In this week’s Brighton and Hove Independent I have written a piece on progressive politicians working together. This is ahead of a meeting  on July 27^th that I’d encourage Brighton Residents to come along to. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the piece. 

Fair Funding for 6^th Forms

This week I  have tabled questions to ministers to highlight the needed for both more and fairer funding for post 16 education after a key meeting with representatives of Varndean, City College and Bhasvic.