This week I have been in Manchester for the Conservative Party Conference, a chance for Conservatives MPs to get together with members, businesses and other stakeholders to share ideas, discuss policy and catch up on issues of the day.
The Prime Minister’s speech was one of positivity, having the courage to tackle the hard challenges head on, focusing on driving opportunity for everyone, especially the young. I am particularly impressed with the strategy on smoking. It is the number one preventable cause of ill health, costing the NHS £17bn every year. In Parliament, this will be a free vote and I will be backing it.
And we are also seeing more investment in our NHS, with a focus on a £30m fund to speed up the adoption of tech in the NHS, which could include new tools to detect cancer sooner or helping people to receive treatment at home.
When it comes to education, merging the T and A Levels into the new Advanced British Standard will transform education in our country, alongside £600m of new investment, with more support for teachers and students. It’s truly investing in a brighter future!
During Conference, I met with a host of charities and organisations, all of whom do fantastic work in Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and The Villages. These included the NFU Online, Guide Dogs UK, Royal British Legion, Alzheimer's Society, Versus Arthritis, British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK.
Speaking to the Guide Dogs team reinforced how important it is that we plan open spaces for the visually impaired. Locally, I continue to press for a resolution for lights at the bottom of Northgate in Bury & in Stowmarket and lifts at the station, due early 2024. It is vital that there is decent access for all.
And for our armed forces community, the Royal British Legion are there to provide support and advice for those who serve and have served. We discussed the role of the Armed Forces Covenant, a pledge that recognises that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces and their families should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they serve with their lives.
Suffolk County Council is a signatory of the Covenant, and has a dedicated website with information on how to access services and support: ➡️ https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/jobs.../suffolk-military-covenant.
Not all GP surgeries are aware of the covenant and I will be raising this at my next meetings with the ICB and with GPs.
It was great to meet so many members from our local area!
