MPs’ Round-Up

MPs’ round-up Light at the end of a long, dark tunnel of restrictions

The vaccination programme that’s currently underway has seen a mobilisation of the state’s resources that is unprecedented in peacetime. In the time that it usually takes a government proposal to migrate from one Whitehall desk to another, we’ve seen over 2.5 million people receive vaccines, two-fifths of the over 80s receive their jabs, 150 teams of our soldiers deliver crucial supplies to vaccination sites and over a thousand vaccination sites mushroom into existence, seemingly overnight. Mario Cuomo once defined the difference between politics and government as Parliament isn’t working as it should and the sooner we get back to some sort of normal the better. Meanwhile we have to largely take part virtually, a sterile experience that I hope we will see the back of just as soon as vaccination numbers allow. I have been pressing ministers on what level of vaccination it thinks would be sufficient to ease restrictions. Once the truly vulnerable have been jabbed there can be little justification for keeping society bottled up. At this time with liberty under pressure, we should be very wary of those who would curtail freedom of speech. There have been a couple of troubling examples recently. First, YouTube’s decision to suspend the radio channel TalkRadio. Its offence was criticism of lockdowns. YouTube’s programmers apparently decided that respected scientists, such as Professor Carl Heneghan, should not be allowed to Somerton & Frome MP David Warburton

analogous to that between poetry and prose. And that distinction is being given a new resonance as the new year starts.

MP for South West

Wiltshire Dr

Andrew Murrison speak out against “Covid-19 content that explicitly contradict expert consensus from local health authorities or the World Health Organization.” Possibly when reminded that WHO itself has questioned the desirability of lockdowns, YouTube recanted but the damage was done. The second, now infamous, episode was the ‘cancelling’ of President Donald Trump, not only from social media sites Twitter and Facebook, Having been in touch to offer my support to those tasked with delivering the vaccine in Wincanton, Bruton and beyond, I know the very real challenges they face in delivering those vaccinations that, it seems, offer our only way out of the restrictions we currently face. And as someone with a background in establishing and running small businesses, I find this renewed focus on action rather than rhetoric both refreshing and sobering. It is in the aggregate of thousands of individual efforts (from NHS workers, the human myriad links in the supply chain and the but from Apple and Google who removed the platform Parler from their services altogether. Scenes from Washington have been appalling in the dying days of the Trump presidency - the sort of thing you expect in a banana republic, not the US. I for one can’t possibly respect a man who has done so much to diminish his office, the standing of the US and political discourse in general. So, this is by no means a defence of Trump and I did vote for lockdown in the Commons. However, I am deeply worried about the high priests of social media who seem so ready to restrict freedom of speech and mute voices other than those subscribing to their own world view. These social media moguls have shown themselves to be what we might see as a new clerisy. Can it be right that half a dozen Californian individual responsibility of the public) that deliverance from this latest iteration of lockdown will be found. Over the next two weeks, we will see hundreds more vaccination sites established. This will ensure that by the end of the month, no-one will be more than ten miles away from one – and, if they are, they have access to a mobile team. Unlike the first lockdown, this period of restrictions can be plotted against a parallel track that offers not just a hope, but the certainty of release. And as these critical weeks progress, I’ll continue to offer all those engaged in this heroic effort

Half-cocked Commons & Cancel Culture

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my full support. billionaires should decide what can be said and heard? Some might say that they operate private companies; they can censor what they like. The problem is, the US Supreme Court has previously ruled that cyberspace represents a public forum. Thus Trump was not allowed to block people from his account because it breached the US First Amendment. Talk of media being free or independent generally implies independent of government. But the censorship recently applied to President Trump shows that independence is a quality that needs to be qualified. Are we really extolling the independence of a tiny cabal of eye-wateringly rich Americans against whose name nobody has ever scratched a cross? Say what you like about the wretched Donald Trump but at least he was voted into office.

MPs’ round-up We all have a role to play with education

Back in the day when I was paid to that and we are back early is also important in thinking about what career to to only a limited number of providing a huge amount of choose, one of my teachers identified children being in comfort or peace of mind to asked me what my plans school with all others being those on the front line of were. I wanted to be a priest home schooled. I liaise schooling. That is why I or a teacher. He told me that regularly with the heads continue to make the case to he did not feel equipped to across the constituency. I ministers on this point. advise on a religious know they are fully As a parent I know that vocation, but his hunch was committed to educating our home schooling is a daily that I should not be a teacher. children and to support them challenge. When I asked why he replied as best they can during this As your MP I hear of the (even then he was a bit of an period of lockdown. I can issues from parents. Access IT disciple) that he felt the say that the scope of home to IT equipment is being days of in-class teaching learning has increased and addressed through provision were numbered and that it MP for North Dorset improved dramatically since by the Department for would all be done by Simon Hoare the spring. As good as it is Education. Many broadband computer. Given today’s getting, we must all work to providers are offering free educational challenges of ensure that schools can data upgrades to help lockdown, I feel he must excellent. My political reopen fully as quickly as families deliver learning. All have had a crystal ball. mantra has always been that possible. That means us all of this is to be welcomed. Many of you will know that I education provides the keys playing our part and However, in areas where it is attended local state schools to unlock all of life’s doors. following lockdown rules to speed and reliability of in my home city of Cardiff Without it, opportunities are the letter. It means, if called, broadband that remains the and was the first of my barred. It is for that reason getting vaccinated. R rate hurdle I am raising cases family to attend university. that I was delighted when reduction and vaccine uptake with the providers. If your Likewise, many will know our schools reopened in will be among the key children are in such a that I have three daughters September and really criteria in determining the position please email me attending local schools here determined to see them resumption of normal simon.hoare.mp in North Dorset. Our local remain so. Well, the schooling. Getting teachers @parliament.uk or call education provision is continuance of covid put and support staff vaccinated 01258 452585. Mum offers support for kids with long covid

The focus of our national effort against covid-19 has, understandably, been on stemming the spread of the virus, protecting the NHS and saving lives. However, I am aware there are a number of those who survive the virus but who do not fully recover, or who take a very long time to recover, in a condition known as long covid. In the House of Commons on 14th January we held a debate on this subject and during my speech I highlighted in particular the children who experience long covid and those who care for them. I was grateful for the insight on this from Sammie McFarland, a West Dorset mum, who contacted me about the organisation she set up after she and her daughter became MP for West Dorset Chris Loder

covid positive last March; following which they both went on to struggle with long covid. Her support group Long Covid Kids helps children and their parents who are contending with some of the most difficult repercussions of the virus. To find out more, and to hear my speech in full, please visit chrisloder.co.uk/longcovid Schools remain open across West Dorset for the education of children of critical workers and those in particular need; as the Government works towards an assessment process, using teacher-assessed grades, for students whose A level, AS level and GCSE exams have been cancelled. I’m pleased that students and staff who have worked so hard to prepare for BTEC and vocational exams in January have discretion to continue with assessments where schools judge it appropriate and safe to do so. This will be a great help to those students who need practical qualifications to continue on to work or further training. In other news from Westminster, the Environment Bill comes to the House of Commons on 26th January and I’ve put forward an amendment to this Bill that looks to further get a grip on the excessive use of single-use plastics; of the type widely used in particular for pre-packaged food and drink. I feel so strongly that it is completely wrong that we generate so much single-use plastic here in the UK that it has to be shipped abroad. Therefore, I’ve put forward this additional legislation to the Environment Bill proposing that the Government sets targets not only to reduce plastic pollution but also to reduce the volume of non-essential single-use plastic products sold. You can read more on my website at chrisloder.co.uk/plastic 65