After a few delays, tomorrow will finally see the official opening of the brand new Blunsdon Community Shop. I am thrilled for all the volunteers who have been working so hard over the last few years for this big day, working on designs, building up community support and waiting for the for building to be ready for the handover. The new purpose-built building was used as the developers show home office and will replace the dated and small portacabin that has served the village for many years.
The shop will remain owned and run by the community, but will now be in a brand new, modern building with its own café. When the development was initially proposed I had pushed the developer to offer to upgrade the existing shop, but this went even further. I have met with the team many times as they have worked on the plans, and I have been so impressed by their enthusiasm and ideas. I have absolutely no doubt this will be both a boost for the village and will be a great success. Perhaps a model that other villages, or areas of new development could look to replicate in the future?
It was fantastic to welcome Gorse Hill Primary School students to Parliament this week. They visited as part of the UK Parliament Education Centre service. The students get a tour of Parliament and an opportunity to take part in fun, interactive sessions to get a broad understanding of how UK Parliament works, the roles and responsibilities of MPs and members of the House of Lords. As the local MP I was invited along to join them for a Q&A and it was great to see the students, all members of their school council, so enthusiastic and fully engaged – a real credit to their school.
The former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was summoned to give evidence at the Privileges Committee on Wednesday – which sent the media into a frenzy, whilst I have not had a single email on it. I am not sure what purpose this really seeks to serve? Everyone has made their mind up one way or another and ultimately, he is no longer the Prime Minister, a price he paid. Surely time to move on, as I suspect everyone else has.
On actual issues in Parliament. It was a real credit to the Prime Minister to secure the Windsor framework, which we voted through Parliament this week, with cross-party support. The vote meant we can begin to move on from the Northern Ireland Protocol that upset cross-community cohesion in Northern Ireland and caused power-sharing to collapse.
The Windsor Framework delivers free-flowing trade by removing the border in the Irish Sea, safeguards Northern Ireland’s place in our Union, and restores sovereignty to the people of Northern Ireland through the Stormont Brake – which gives the UK a hard-edged veto over, and prevents, new EU rules being imposed on Northern Ireland without cross-community consent.
We now have an opportunity to start to look forward rather than backwards in such a contentious area where thankfully the PM’s pragmatic and sensible approach has unlocked the long-standing deadlock.
