A comment on Mims' activities through the week and the latest news from Parliament.
When the weather is as lovely as it has been in the past couple of weeks, with the added hours of lighter evenings, every day and every weekend becomes an opportunity for groups to get out into the community and mark special celebrations.
The WI has long played an important role within our community and, having taken members of the Netley Abbey WI group on a tour of Parliament earlier this month, I was delighted to join them on Sunday to mark one hundred years since the Hampshire WI was first formed. Far from being ‘Jam and Jerusalem’, the WI today plays a pivotal role in supporting and inspiring women across the UK, Hampshire and the Eastleigh area, and it was a pleasure to speak to the many stallholders – over 63 – who came along to showcase their skills.
From the inspirational women of the WI to one of the most inspirational women in British politics, like so many of my colleagues across Westminster, I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dame Tessa Jowell at the weekend. Dame Tessa was a true champion of women, having served as Minister for Women in the Labour Government. More recently, following her diagnosis, she championed a campaign to make more cancer treatments available on the NHS. Further to this, and having been lobbied by local constituents since 2015, I am keen to visit the brain cancer research unit at Portsmouth University which is classified as a Centre of Excellence, and I hope that, like me, they will welcome that the Government has listened to calls for extra funding in this area, this week announcing that it will be doubling funding for brain cancer research.
As well as joining the WI for their celebrations last week, I was also really pleased to take-up an invite to visit Wessex Galvanizers - the UK’s largest galvanizer with 14 plants across the country - at their site in Tower Lane in Eastleigh. It was therefore great to be able to meet with the team on site and talk about their local plant in Eastleigh, and how by working together we can improve local productivity.
Our area continues to be a real hub for businesses large and small, however, I am all too aware of the impact that constant ques are having on the ability of businesses to do what they need to do to succeed and expand. That is why I invited the Transport Secretary down to Eastleigh last month, and why last week I met with the Chancellor to discuss the ever-growing need for local infrastructure improvements. As regular readers of this column will be aware, this remains a key priority for me, and I will be holding further meetings with the Transport Secretary, Hampshire County Council and the Solent LEP soon to further push this point.
Here’s to another warm and sunny weekend – what more could we expect for a Royal Wedding!