Article by Matt Leclere for the Folkestone & Hythe Express, published 7 April 2021 A multi-million pound funding package to support arts and heritage groups has been awarded by the government. The funding provided by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport will help support the arts, culture and tourism sector emerge from 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 […]
Article by Sam Williams for the Kentish Express, published 1 April 2021 District MP Damian Collins has backed Priti Patel's overhaul of the UK's approach to asylum, which aims to deter illegal entry and break the business model of people smugglers. For the first time, how people enter the UK will directly impact the status of their asylum […]
Wednesday 31 March 2021 On Monday this week we took the next positive step in our roadmap to lift the COVID-19 social contact restrictions. It is great to see that grassroots sport is back and that people can once again meet in public spaces and outdoors in their gardens in groups of six, or as […]
Article written for City AM - published 26 March 2021 Every time you pick-up a smart device, you’re entering a multi-billion-dollar war zone, where the battle for your attention rages. Tech companies make money from the apps we use and the ads we see. The longer we engage, the more money is made, and gambling […]
This week we mark the anniversary of the first national COVID lockdown. It’s been a year like no other, which has affected all of our lives. Our first thoughts are with the people we have lost to the coronavirus. Nationally it has claimed the lives of 148,125 people, and in the Folkestone and Hythe district […]
We have all been moved by the tragic death of Sarah Everard, and the discovery of her body in woods near Ashford. Given that a man has now been charged with her murder and will stand trial later in the year, it would not be appropriate now to discuss the specifics of this case. However, […]
Article by Ben Rumsby and Tom Cary for the Sunday Telegraph - published 14 March 2021 Anti-doping chiefs are facing a race against time to unmask the rider for whom banned drugs were ordered before the 2012 Olympics amid fears they have only two months left to do so. Leading MPs called for the 10-year […]
This week all students will return to school for the first time since Christmas. Many will have been looking forward to escaping from remote learning and having a chance to be with their friends again. This is an important step on our journey out of COVID lockdown. Nationally, the spread of the virus is now […]
NHS data published on 26th February showed that over one third of residents in the Folkestone and Hythe district had received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This is above the national average, and the highest vaccination rate in Kent. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the […]