Building more affordable homes to rent and buy, is one of the greatest priorities both for our community and the country as a whole. Over the last few years, whilst unemployment has fallen significantly, and the economy has continued to grow, house prices have consistently risen faster than prices and wages, making it harder and […]
Over the last few months we have seen further welcome falls in unemployment in the Folkestone and Hythe constituency, and the overall rate remains less that half of what it was during the last recession. This provided a positive context for my fifth annual jobs fair, which was held at the Leas Cliff Hall in […]
On Friday last week I met with the Chairman of the South Kent Coast Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Dr Jonathan Bryant, and Hazel Carpenter, the CCG’s accountable officer, to discuss the funding and support for GP services in Folkestone. Following that meeting I wanted to update you with the latest information that I have. The […]
Last week the Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening, confirmed that the government will be investing an additional £1.3billion in schools over the next two years, in addition to the spending commitments on education that had previously been announced. This means that there will be an increase in the funding that every pupil in […]
Our local GPs are the gateway to the NHS for many of us, and it's vital that this service is available for all. In May this year, the current operators of the Folkestone East Family Practice gave notice that they would not continue their work beyond the beginning of November. This decision means that the […]
The House of Commons returns this week following the summer recess and its main focus will be the government’s European Union Withdrawal Bill. In the wide ranging scope of its powers this is probably the most significant piece of legislation to be presented to parliament since we first joined the EU over forty years ago. […]
The fourth Folkestone Triennial festival opens this weekend, making the town once again a showcase for the arts world. Since 2008, the Folkestone Triennial has established itself as one of the major international contemporary arts shows bringing large numbers of visitors to the town. This year the Triennial’s curator, Lewis Biggs, has selected ‘double edge’ […]
The government department responsible for negotiating Britain’s exit from the European Union produced position papers last week setting out our proposals for managing trade and customs after Brexit. These are very significant issues for our area, as ninety percent of the UK’s trade with Europe carried by road freight runs through Kent, to the Channel […]
The process of awarding the rail franchise for the South East of England is well underway, and the new licence will be operational from the end of next year. I recently met with David Statham the Managing Director of the current operator, Southeastern trains to discuss service improvements we would like to see as part […]
On Tuesday last week I joined Amanda King, the head of the youth provision at the Romney Resource Centre in New Romney, for their study programme awards presentation. Amanda and her team support many young people from the Romney Marsh area, and further afield, by delivering training programmes that help to prepare them for work. […]