THE WEEK IN WESTMINSTER
September already and we are back to Westminster as recess has ended. It has been a full recess, some work and, thankfully some relaxation. I have tried to get out and about as much as possible but also had two weeks of holiday, I hope most of you were also to get some quality time over the summer.
Of course, the big issue this week has been the result of the election for the next leader of the Conservative Party which has seen Liz Truss elected and as I am sure you are aware she is now the Prime Minister. I am confident that I can work with Liz to help her deliver our manifesto promises for both the country and in particular for the Sedgefield constituency.
This is an incredibly difficult introduction to deal with as the energy cost increases, driven by Putin’s war in Ukraine, puts massive pressures on our people and businesses. I know from my discussions with the Chancellor that his team have spent all summer evaluating the cost of options and it is now up to our new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, to decide what specifically to do.
As I said last week, on Wednesday I went to the Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) to meet Beth Russell. Beth is one of three Director Generals based on the campus. We had a good discussion about how the Treasury overall is structured and how the team at DEC fit into that. It was interesting to find out more about the organisation of the Treasury which has six divisions. One of these is Tax and Welfare, which Beth leads. The approach is that each of these divisions is obligated to have a presence at DEC which is measured both in terms of quantity and quality.
This means that anyone joining the Treasury at DEC will be exposed to all aspects and not just one silo. The rationale for this includes that all these functions interrelate as it would not work if they had one of them in Darlington and the rest in London. So far, 30 out of 130 employees have relocated and the rest have been recruited locally. They are recruiting at all levels, and these are permanent positions, so if you have an interest in Government finance, I would strongly encourage you to look for opportunities in Darlington.
They recently announced the permanent home is to be built on the Brunswick Street site, but there are strong rumours that they may need to retain Feethams House as well due to positive feedback so far. For those not aware DIT (Department for International Trade) and BEIS (Business Energy and Industrial Strategy) also have teams at DEC.
I also caught up with our neighbourhood Police Inspector, Sarah Honeyman, and we shared the concerns residents had raised with us. Whilst there is always more to do some good progress is ongoing and as always, we would both encourage you all to report any crime you see. Any method works, whether it is 101 or Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111. If you get any direct physical threats or damage to property, do call 999. It is important that incidents are reported as that forms the basis for any future resourcing plans.
I was able to call again to see Katherine Winter and her ladies at Sedgefield who I am supporting in their efforts for fairer treatment for ladies requiring HRT treatments. They have had some good success but there is still much to do, and I will be making representations to ministers for them. On Friday I put a team in the charity golf day at Blackwell in Darlington being held for St Theresa’s Hospice. It’s a strange fact that all of the “Darlington” golf courses are actually in the Sedgefield parliamentary constituency and it’s nice to sometimes combine business and pleasure.
My final engagement in recess was an absolute delight, it was joining the Women’s Institute for their Sweet Delights event at St Clare’s last Friday. I don’t think I have ever seen so many desserts in one place at the same time, nor so many bottles in a tombola! It was good to join the Mayor of Great Aycliffe, Ken Robson, who opened the evening, and later I closed it.
Along with our wives we were delighted to participate in the tombola and of course eating some of those desserts. One of the great things about a night with the WI is that they are a “politics free zone” so it was almost like a night off for me. Thanks to their Chair, Christine Robinson, and all the committee and volunteers for a fabulous evening and I hope they raised loads of funds.
If you would like me to pop along to one of your events, either with or without politics, please get in touch in the usual way by email to [email protected] or by giving us a call on 01325 790580.
