Wednesday 9 June 2021 This week EDF energy has announced that they will not be resuming electricity generation at Dungeness B, but will instead commence the defueling of the power station later next year. This brings to an end the operating life of a power station that since 1983 has created thousands of jobs and […]
Wednesday 2 June 2021 There has been considerable interest in the new variant of COVID-19 that originated in the Indian subcontinent. This new strain, similar to the Kent variant last year, spreads quickly, and there are areas in the north west of England in particular where there are growing numbers of cases. All of the […]
Wednesday 25 May 2021 We continue to see excellent progress in Kent in our efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Infection rates in Folkestone and Hythe remain at their lowest level since the start of the pandemic, as are hospital admissions for the East Kent Trust. Based on the latest available information, there […]
Wednesday 18 May 2021 On Monday this week we saw another significant step in our route out of the coronavirus social restrictions. It’s great that restaurants, cafes and pubs can now re-open for indoor service, especially given the slightly mixed weather we have experienced in recent weeks. The rule of allowing six people to meet […]
Wednesday 12 May 2021 EDF energy, the operators of Dungeness B nuclear power station are expected in the next few months to decide on its future. Its two reactors began producing electricity in 1983 and 1985 respectively and currently have an operating license to continue until 2028. Dungeness B has been offline for planned maintenance […]
On Wednesday this week, along with other Kent MPs, I met with the Chief Constable of Kent Police, Alan Pughsley, for a briefing on the murder investigation following the death of the police community support officer (PCSO) Julia James. Her body was discovered on 27 April in Akholt Wood, in Snowdown, between Canterbury and Dover. She […]
Wednesday 28 April 2021 This week I met with Maria Landers, the Customer Service Manager at Folkestone Job Centre, to discuss the Government’s Kickstart programme, which has been created to support young people looking for work, and to help employers to take on new staff. Kickstart provides funding to create new jobs for 16 to […]
Wednesday 21 April 2021 On Monday I joined the twenty-seven million people who have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. I was administered with the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine at St Thomas’s hospital in London, just over the river from the House of Commons. The roll out of the vaccine is the best way […]
Wednesday 14 April 2021 On Friday 9th of April we learnt the sad news of the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His life had been one of dedicated service to this country, as consort to Her Majesty The Queen for sixty-nine years, a decorated Royal Naval officer serving during the […]
Wednesday 7 April 2021 The Cultural Recovery Fund created by the government to provide financial support for cultural and heritage organisations across the country has been vital during this year of Covid-19. I was pleased to see on Good Friday the announcement of further grants for our area, worth over half a million pounds. This […]