Busy times, both locally and at my annual party Conference. I was pleased to meet several campaigners and hear about causes who residents had emailed me regarding and asking me to visit them in Manchester, including the Guide Dogs team, Marie Curie, the MND Association, The Samaritans, and Specsavers.
I also met with the Gatwick team to discuss jobs, investment, and opportunities for social mobility and transport upgrades to make the second runway work and manage the impact and opportunities for our area. Gatwick’s future is a huge topic of conversation for many constituents, some of whom live only 5 minutes away from the airport and many who work there or in connected roles. It was useful to meet with the team again and update them on the worries and concerns I've received from residents-there is a full statement on my website.
As Co-Chair of the All Party group on Mens and Boys' issues, it was an honour to speak at the 'What's happening to men and boys?' event in the Sir David Amess Theatre hosted by the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys. From high male suicide rates to boys’ lack of attainment; from youth unemployment to toxic influencers; from why so many men are ending up in prison due to the challenges of being a dad today and the problem of steroids and what makes a ‘good man’ – these were just some of the challenges discussed. I was proud to be on this panel with colleagues and experts discussing what policies need to be in place addressing these serious challenges and improve the lives of men and boys in East Grinstead, Uckfield, our villages, and beyond.
As we know, there were many new and exciting policy announcements made by Kemi during her speech on the final day of Conference. Just some of these included scrapping Stamp Duty, doubling apprenticeships, cutting overseas aid budget by £7billion, ending the use of asylum hotels reducing the costs of asylum saving £3.5billion, deporting all new illegal arrivals within a week and abolishing business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses–to name a few. The roundup is on my website under ‘News’. I’m interested to know how residents feel about our list of new policies so please do get in touch.
Last week was also Dyslexia Awareness Week. I have mild dyslexia, and my brother has very severe dyslexia, we know how difficult, frustrating, and upsetting it can be to manage, cope, and live with. 6/10 dyslexic people try to hide it, which can affect their everyday lives and level of confidence during education and work. However, there’s incredible advantages such as reasoning and in visual and creative fields and there is a lot of advice online.
Finally, I’m looking forward to joining residents in Copthorne for my final ‘Meet Mims’ of the year on Thursday 13th November. I know illegal immigration and the long-term future of the Copthorne Hotel have been causes for concern for residents. I’ve statements on my website on both. Free tickets here - https://meet-mims-copthorne-november.eventbrite.co.uk
