A comment on Mims' activities through the week and the latest news from Parliament.
After another sun filled week I’m sure that many of us will still be looking back on the wedding of the year that saw Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marry in Windsor with warmth…and not just because it was so sunny!
On Friday I was in Eastleigh and like so many others really appreciated the huge effort that local people and shop owners had put into marking the event, particularly the Countess Mountbatten Hospice Shop which had put together a lovely wedding dress display. Meanwhile, Eastleigh Library hosted a ‘Royal Hat’ competition in which visitors could vote for their favourite. Then on Saturday the sun continued to shine as I joined a street party in Eastleigh and popped in to my local pub in Hamble for the main event. At a time when we can seem so divided it really was lovely to see neighbours and friends getting together to celebrate just how important love is.
In Parliament love was also at the heart of our debate last week – our love for the environment through a debate on plastics, and love more generally as I joined MPs from across Parliament for a debate to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
The first of these debates was a really great opportunity to hear about the brilliant local projects that are taking place in areas across the country to stop plastics getting in to the natural environment, and cleaning it up when it does – as I’ve seen first-hand in Hamble with local Surfers Against Sewage campaigners. The second debate was a poignant opportunity both to recognise how far we have come on LGBTI rights, whilst also acknowledging how much remains to be done, both in the UK as well as around the rest of the world. As former Equalities Minister Justine Greening said as she finished her speech ‘You can’t be at your best if you can’t be yourself, and that’s why this matters so much’.
Last Friday was also International Museum Day and I stopped by our very own museum in Eastleigh to see ‘The Odissi Journey’ exhibition. This fantastic exhibition celebrates story telling dance styles – some of which date back as far as the 2nd century BC Hindu temples – and served as a brilliant reminder ahead of the AWCA Eastleigh Mela, which is planned to take place on the 22nd July this year at the Leigh Road Recreation Ground! My thanks to Moss of the AWCA for coming along to meet me there and the hugely talented artist Sushmita Pati. This great local exhibition of film, costumes and display boards runs until the 5th of July giving plenty of time for everybody to enjoy it!
Friday afternoon was spent at the Ageas Headquarters in Eastleigh. Looking to the future, the Government has rightly invested in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and it was great to see how the Ageas team are using AI to improve customer service and satisfaction, employing 305 people within the constituency as they do so.
Wishing you everybody a really enjoyable and relaxing Bank Holiday Weekend.