It never ceases to amaze me what can be achieved when we work together locally.
Some of the big challenges we face will always require national solutions, but actually some of the most impactful work I have seen during my time an an MP has been people pulling together to make things happen in their community. Collaborations between public bodies, local charities and organisations, and often just collections of individuals - people coming together to make life better where they live.
That’s why this autumn I’m launching five local priorities which I want to bring people together to work on. Having been your MP for 8 years and spoken to people every day about what matters to them, I've chosen five areas which I know people care about locally and I think we can make real progress on. They are:
1. More GP and dentist appointments
Working to increase the number of GP and dentists locally, and the number of appointments available from the ones we have.
2. Faster police response
Working to improve the responsiveness of local police, especially in rural areas.
3. Investment for schools and pupils
Helping local schools to win investment, and local pupils to get more from their education.
4. Environmental improvements
Protecting the local countryside, improving biodiversity and getting investment in our waterways.
5. Help for local business to grow
Finding out what’s holding local businesses back from growing, and helping them bridge those gaps.
Of course, these five things are far from an exhaustive list of everything we want to see improve, and I’m not going to hit pause on my other campaigns – like getting a new swing bridge for Faversham, getting broadband to hard to reach areas, or keeping up the fight for a Leeds/Langley relief road. But I want to see just how much progress we can make on these issues if we put our collective might together.
Please do keep an eye out for more information in the coming weeks, and have a think about how you might be able to get involved. I have been in touch with local GPs, police, and councillors among others who will have a big part to play, but to be most effective we will need your help too. Whether it's businesses talking to us about the barriers to growth, communities driving forward environmental projects, or even just individuals providing data on where GP and dentist appointments aren't keeping up.
I'm so excited to see the difference we can make together.
