Running Brighton Half Marathon for Sussex Beacon
With Parliament back from recess, it’s been a particularly busy week in Westminster.
On Monday the Water (Special Measures) Bill became law. This will block bonuses for water company executives who pollute our waterways, introduce new sanctions on those who continue to break the law, and help improve monitoring of pollution. This is a huge issue across Sussex, given the terrible record of Southern Water and constant price hikes. So it’s welcome that the Government has taken the first of what I hope will be many steps in reigning in the water companies.
At the other end of its Parliamentary journey, the Police and Crime Bill was introduced to the Commons this week. This will give police new powers to tackle violent crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB), which has become one of the major challenges in parts of my constituency and many areas of Sussex. As I’ve said in this column before, ASB is not low-level: it ruins lives and livelihoods. So alongside the extra £200m the Government has allocated for neighbourhood policing, I hope this will help turn the tide against rising ASB.
But the major issue in Westminster, and across the country this week was the announcement that defence spending will rise significantly in order to confront the growing global threats we now face. I welcome this – particularly as it comes after a decade in which our armed forces have been criminally underfunded and hollowed out.
Britain has rightly played a key diplomatic, military and humanitarian role in supporting Ukraine following Putin’s illegal invasion. I’m particularly proud of those – including in my constituency – who have opened their doors to Ukrainian families. But with the security of Europe now under renewed pressure, it’s right that the Government ensures we can protect our national security, rebuild our armed forces and reinforce our commitment to NATO. That’s why this week the Prime Minister announced the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War – an increase that will mean not just a modernised and better equipped armed forces, but the prospect of more jobs and economic growth as well.
As a parliamentary aide (PPS) to the Prime Minister, I’ve seen up close his resolve and determination to make sure that our armed forces have the funding and resources they need to keep us – and Europe – safe in this new era. I’ve also seen the trade-offs and hard choices Prime Ministers have to make at times like this, which includes having to reluctantly fund extra defence spending through cuts to the international aid budget. This Prime Minister and my Party – the Party who created the Department for International Development and renewed it in 1997 – believe passionately, as I do, in the soft power of Britain’s aid budget. That’s why the Prime Minister has been clear that Britain will not step back from playing a key humanitarian role around the world in places like Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza or in tackling climate change and supporting multinational efforts on global health challenges like vaccination. The PM was also clear that when circumstances allow, aid spending will increase. But at times like this, our own defence and security must come first. That’s a decision that was not easy, but will benefit Britain, Ukraine and our allies across Europe.
BRIGHTON HALF MARATHON – FUNDRAISING FOR SUSSEX BEACON
On Sunday, I’ll be running the Brighton half-marathon alongside thousands of others. This is my first half marathon (wish me luck!!), and I’m delighted to be running it for the Sussex Beacon, who are one of the amazing charities involved in the Brighton Half, and are based in my constituency.
For more than three decades, the Beacon has been an integral part of our local community, providing specialist care and support for people living with HIV. I’ve worked closely with the Beacon and got to know many service users and staff over recent months. It’s an honour to be able to help support them in the half-marathon, especially as funding and the future role of the Beacon has been in doubt over recent months.
Despite this, I am optimistic about the Beacon’s long-term future and have been in contact with the Beacon’s management throughout this difficult time. I hope that the move towards a community-based clinical model can help secure the Beacon’s future for years to come and ensure continued support for those living with HIV in our community.
I hope to see many of you on Sunday – whether running or watching on! If you’d like to donate to help support the Beacon, you can do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chris-is-running-the-brighton-half-marathon-for-the-sussex-beacon
Corridor Care at the Royal Sussex
As I covered here last week, I’m deeply concerned at the pressures on the A&E department at the Royal Sussex Hospital – despite the amazing work of staff who are frankly performing miracles in the most difficult of circumstances. So it was no huge surprise to read reports this week that The Royal Sussex are now recruiting staff to care specifically for people in A&E corridors. We should never normalise corridor care – it’s completely unacceptable for patients and for staff, and it’s an indictment of the state of the NHS after the last 14 years. I’ve raised this with the Health Secretary and I’ll will keep pushing for change and urgent improvement.