Earlier this week MPs gathered in Westminster Hall to hear a passionate address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Westminster Hall is an incredibly impressive building, and at over 900 years old it is steeped in history. Other world leaders to have spoken there include Nelson Mandela and Queen Elizabeth II, along with former Popes and US Presidents. It was a fitting backdrop for such a celebrated world leader and excellent representative for the brave men and women of Ukraine.
I am very proud that the UK has been a leading proponent in supporting Ukraine as it battles against Russian aggression. In his address, President Zelensky said, “London has stood with Kyiv since day one, from the first seconds and minutes of the full-scale war". We must continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people and ensure that Putin’s barbaric venture ends in failure.
On Monday, I gave a speech in the debate to approve the Draft Social Security Benefits Up-Rating Order.
I welcomed the increase to the triple lock on pensions, which has seen pensioners £2600 better off since its introduction in 2010. I also welcomed the rise in Universal Credit and disability benefits and I took the opportunity to highlight my campaign to provide additional support for people on these benefits.
I have long called for better co-ordination of support offered through local charities and support groups. As readers will know, my Community Office is available for free to charities and local community groups, and over the years we have had many different groups reach out and utilise the space for a variety of uses. This includes a monthly Parkinson’s Coffee Morning, training sessions for IPSUM and a Sepsis Trust support group. I have seen first-hand what a difference these support groups are, providing advice, sharing best practice and helping co-ordinate wider support. Therefore on a national scale, we need to be better at identifying the fantastic local groups and charities that are out there so we can signpost people to the support available in their area.
I also had a very productive meeting this week with Andrew Wickham, Chief Executive of Go South Coast – which run Swindon Buses. Bus usage has been hit post Covid as the onwards march of internet shopping continues to hit our High Streets and more people switching to work from home. That said, we spoke about the positive impact of Government support to maintain services during and post Covid; and how the £2 cap on fares until the end of March was helping not just with the immediate cost of living challenges but also encouraging people back onto the local bus networks.
A new Managing Director for the Swindon buses will start soon, so I raised the importance of making advertising and marketing more relevant and working with local businesses to incentivise people to use the buses through joint promotions – e.g. a coffee shop could offer a free upgrade with every bus ticket. Our local bus services are vital so we all need to work together to ensure bus networks remain sustainable and are well promoted - bus companies, Parish Councils and the Borough Council.
To end on a positive note, Swindon Town and Swindon Town Supporters Trust confirmed that they had bought The County Ground. This is fantastic news, and I am proud to have supported this throughout as Swindon Town Football Club continue to push the club forward on a solid, sustainable footing.
