News - Justin Tomlinson

Swindon Advertiser Column: We Are Breaking Down Barriers To Employment For Disabled People

May 10, 2019

On Wednesday, Channel 5 rightly celebrated the hugely positive progress which has seen 930,000 more disabled people in work over the last 5 years; taking the disability employment rate from 44.2% to 51.5%. This is the first time ever that more disabled people are in work than out of work. It’s important, because behind these statistics are real people who want to be seen for their skills and abilities.This really matters. Whether it’s through events & meetings with fantastic groups locally, ...

Justin Opens Expanded McDonald's Site At Greenbridge

May 09, 2019

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson enjoyed a visit to a unique branch of McDonald’s after it reopened following an upgrade last month.The Greenbridge Retail Park McDonald’s reopened after a £1.6m refurbishment, which saw the restaurant raised above the ground on stilts allowing customers to drive under the restaurant – and it is believed no other branch in the country has this type of design.The upgrade, which took 11 weeks, was five years in the making and saw the restaurant increase its capacit...

Justin Tomlinson MP Presents Awards At Inner Flame Celebration Event

May 09, 2019

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson & his wife Kate were delighted to celebrate the latest wave of Inner Flame Young Champions at a recent dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Swindon.Inner Flame works with young jobseekers to help them build their confidence and reach their full potential. The organisation offers free courses, establishes personal goals and assists young people to make positive life choices.Justin has been personally involved with Inner Flame for a number of years. In 2011 he secure...

Local MP Welcomes Additional Funding To Help Tackle Rough Sleeping

May 08, 2019

Justin Tomlinson MP has welcomed the Government's announcement on how it will spend £25.6m of new funding to tackle rough sleeping across the country through the Rapid Rehousing Pathway.Swindon was one of 42 early adopters of the Rapid Rehousing Pathway - which forms part of the Government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative - and will benefit from an extra £115,000 of dedicated funding.The Pathway brings together four policy elements (Somewhere Safe to Stay, Supported Lettings, Navigators, and Local Le...

Justin Joins Students At Red Oaks To Learn More About How Technology Will Shape The Future

May 08, 2019

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson joined pupils at Red Oaks Primary School to understand how technology might influence jobs in the future.Anna Somaiya, Head of Digital Technology & Data Strategy at KPMG, visited the school to lead a series of workshops with Year 5 & 6 pupils to encourage them to consider a career or further study in technology.The event was organised as part of 'IT’s Her Future', an initiative set up by Anna which aims to improve diversity in the tech industry and inspi...

Highworth Artists’ Society Gets Ringing Endorsement from Local MP

May 07, 2019

An art piece by local Highworth resident Rebecca Hartley was narrowly chosen as the best among great competition by local MP and Minister Justin Tomlinson on a visit to Highworth Artists’ Society. Justin and his wife Kate visited the Society’s display in the Highworth Town Council offices and were impressed by the high standard of artwork on display, which ranged from acrylic designs to watercolour. All of the pieces were of a high standard and it was difficult for the North Swindon MP to pick a...

North Swindon MP Celebrates 10 Years of Highworth May Day Festival

May 07, 2019

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson and his wife, Kate, recently joined residents in Highworth for 2019’s May Day festivities in the town.The annual festival showcases the local community and the volunteers who have made the May Day Festival possible since 2009.This year the festival took on a wild-west theme, with lots of money raised from the stalls towards local causes. Visitors on the day were treated to live performances from local musicians and artists such as Lilia Slattery, Kerosene, and T...

Swindon Advertiser Column: I Am Delighted That We Will Ban The Use Of Wild Animals In Circuses

May 07, 2019

Since becoming an MP in 2010, I have campaigned on a number of animal welfare issues and have worked closely with organisations including the RSPCA, RSPB, the Dogs Trust, Cats Protection and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. I was delighted therefore that one of our long running campaigns has now been introduced by the Government as the Bill to ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in England by January 2020 passes through Parliament.The introduction of the Bill follows oth...

Justin Tomlinson Welcomes Additional Money For Schools From New National Funding Formula

May 01, 2019

Conservatives in Swindon have welcomed new data from the Department for Education which shows how the town will continue to benefit from increased schools funding under the new National Funding Formula.Nationally, core funding for schools and high needs continues to be at an all-time high, and has risen from almost £41 billion in 2017-18 to £43.5 billion this year. That includes the extra £1.3 billion for schools and high needs that was announced in 2017 and that we have invested across 2018-19 ...

Swindon Advertiser Column: From Charities In The Community To Businesses Thinking Globally Our Town Is A Hive Of Activity

Apr 26, 2019

Charities and community groups are the cornerstone of our communities. From the coffee morning I joined recently to support the Upper Stratton Baptist Church to the recent quiz in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance; one of my favourite parts of being an MP is being able to visit and support the residents who give their time to support fantastic causes of all sizes.In Swindon we are very lucky to have a wonderful voluntary sector and it’s great to see them supported by the local business communit...