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Newsletter November 2023
from Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP
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I have met lots of constituents in the areas of Stroud and Tewkesbury that will be joining the new North Cotswolds constituency and may I extend a warm welcome to them.
November is drawing to a close and it has been a busy month in Parliament. This newsletter is in a new format, I want to use it to update you on a mix of Parliamentary and local news, but please get in touch if you have any suggestions on how it can be improved or if there is any specific content you would like.
If you think I or my team can assist you with anything please get in touch, please include your full postal address.
My Parliamentary contact details for casework are:
Email – cliftonbrowng@parliament.uk
Office Number – 020 7219 5147
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Geoffrey and colleagues out campaigning
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On the 22nd November the Chancellor delivered the Autumn Statement, 110 policies were announced, and a day later, when I am writing this I am still considering all of the measures. Below is a link for the entire Statement, but a few of the headline announcements which I welcome are:
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Following the Autumn Statement, I asked the Chancellor a question and spoke in the following debate to call on him to reconsider his decision on the tourist tax which is actively discouraging high-spending tourists from coming from abroad to benefit our shops and hospitality venues. I also raised taxation, inflation, and productivity. Working closely with colleges in the Cotswolds it is great to see them helping to educate and train skilled students, but this country is facing a skills shortage, especially in the digital sector.
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The Israel Palestine Conflict
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The violence and human misery we have seen are some of the worst that I have ever witnessed in the entire time since I became a Member of Parliament. My full statement on the situation can be found linked below, as well as a question I asked the FCDO Minister on the long-term political solutions for peace in the region.
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Kings Speech –
It was wonderful to see His Majesty deliver his first Gracious Speech as King, announcing the Government’s priorities for this year. I took the chance in debate that followed to raise the economy, the NHS, education, and the environment. I welcome the Government's plans to secure energy supply, reduce inflation, and support the transition to clean energy.
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Willersey Full Fibre Poles
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I convened a meeting in Willersey Village Hall with District Councillors and a significant number of angry residents who are up in arms by a proposal from Full Fibre Limited to erect a large number of new wooden poles to install an unwanted additional broadband system to the village.
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I paid a visit to Cirencester College and was absolutely delighted to learn that they have had a record number of 3000 students over the last academic year, traveling from a 60 km radius to attend the school. The college is filled to capacity, and they are concerned that they will not be able to cope with further increases in students interested in joining the college. Therefore, I will be liaising with the Government to see if we can find the funding for an extra building. The Principal and I also discussed the new Advanced British Standards announced by the Government which will eventually replace A levels and T levels, with the rollout planned to take around a decade.
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A great start has been made to the A417 Missing Link project, with top-soil being stripped off in parts. The new road which should be completed by 2027 will reduce the constant congestion and improve safety.
From an environmental point of view thousands of trees will be planted, a 38-metre green bridge will be built over the road, and a significant area will be planted with rare calcareous grasses. All in all, the road should produce a net biodiversity gain which, if any road can,will enhance the landscape, this will be a first for any major UK road scheme.
A visit was organised by National Highways so that the Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt. Hon Mark Harper MP, and the rest of Gloucestershire’s MPs could see for themselves the tremendous progress that has been made on the new road.
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Public Accounts Committee
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As Deputy Chair of the PAC, I actively participate in twice-weekly public hearings looking into spending across Government. In the last month, we have investigated Homes for Ukraine, HS2 and Euston Recall, and Whole of Government Accounts. We have also held sessions on the New Hospital Programme and New Schools programme which both include the issue of RAAC the decaying concrete. I write a summary of each inquiry we do and post them on my social media and website.
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Please get in touch with any suggestions for the next newsletter which will be sent in December. I am very keen that it should reflect your interests.
With kind regards,
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP
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