A comment on Mims' activities through the week, and the latest news from Parliament.
This week the Prime Minister has notified the EU that we will be leaving and has triggered Article 50. I sat in the Chamber as the Prime Minister delivered her statement on this just after Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday. She described this as a ‘great turning point in our national’ and set out the next stages of the process.
The Great Repeal Bill White Paper has since been published which sets out the Government’s approach to converting existing EU law into domestic law on the day we actually leave the EU. The fundamental principle of this Bill will be to put the current European law into our own domestic statute separate from the treaties of the European Union and give us time for our own Parliament to make its decisions about how these laws might be changed. The Bill will also repeal the European Communities Act of 1972 and return power to the UK’s representatives and institutions. I want to be absolutely clear – workers’ legal rights will continue to be guaranteed in law.
Many constituents write to me regularly about Brexit and I continually update them as we go through this complex and important process. Clearly it is crucial that we get the best possible deal with the EU that we can and that we ensure our place in the world by pursuing trade deals with other countries. I have been pleased to see the Prime Minister listening to the concerns that I, along with other MPs and constituents, have raised regarding EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens living in the EU. I hope that this is resolved as quickly as possible during the negotiations so we can give the certainty that these people, who play such an important role in our diverse country, deserve.
I am continuing with my work to secure the funding necessary for the Chickenhall Link Road. I met with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury this week to update him on my recent Chickenhall Link Road Summit. I organised this summit meeting, held at Southampton Airport, in order to bring together representatives from different local agencies to discuss this important road scheme. I will continue to work on this scheme and to get the necessary local consensus in support that we need to drive it forward.
Over the last few days many people from many different walks of life remembered the attack at Westminster last week by gathering together on Westminster Bridge. The flowers piled up opposite Parliament stand as a strong reminder of the tragic loss of life.
We are now in recess for a few weeks and I will be busy around the constituency. Alongside surgeries, I have a meeting with West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group, a meeting at the Point and much more. As always please do get in touch with me via my website or email if there is anything I can help with.
Mims