SINCE my last Westminster Diary, the Boundary Commission for England has finalised its proposals for new Parliamentary boundaries that will come into force at the next General Election.
At this point, the Mid Worcestershire constituency will be renamed ‘Droitwich & Evesham’, and two wards will transfer into the neighbouring Redditch County constituency.
They are the Dodderhill and Harvington & Norton wards, which currently sit to the north and south of my constituency, respectively.
“I will be sad to see any of my current constituents move to another constituency, because I have built good relationships, associations and friendships with individuals, elected representatives, businesses, charities, schools, and other institutions in every ward I represent.
However, I want to reassure residents that the changes will take time; they will be applied at the next General Election, which could still be some time away. Moreover, your local services, such as bin collections, will remain with Wychavon District Council.
In Westminster, I answered 52 Written Parliamentary Questions in June and spoke from the Despatch Box in 4 debates, but I would like to draw particular attention to a Westminster Hall debate about Tackling Rogue Builders. My Worcestershire colleague, Mark Garnier MP, brought this debate following his Private Member Bill that sought to improve regulation of small-scale builders and tradespersons who carry out domestic repairs work. His Bill intends to protect vulnerable persons from rogue builders, and I commend his work on this topic.
I was also pleased that the Developing Nations Trading Scheme, first announced in 2022, came into force in June. A major step towards further liberalising UK market access for developing countries, the new scheme takes advantage of our post-Brexit independent trade policy to offer developing countries one of the most generous sets of trade preferences in the world. This scheme also builds upon over £830m that the UK has spent on Aid for Trade since 2015, helping to address burdensome regulations, increase the role of women in trade and support developing countries to negotiate and implement trade agreements.
As summer progresses, I know many remain concerned about inflation and the impact on their mortgages and cost of living. I want to assure you that the Prime Minister and the government he leads is working extremely hard to reduce inflation, encourage economic growth, reduce NHS waiting lists, reduce national debt and stop the boats. If you are struggling with the cost of living please contact my office, as we may be able to find you sources of help.
Evesham’s MP Nigel Huddleston with his Westminster Diary for the Observer…
