MPs

MPs’ round-up Vaccine passports would set very dangerous precedent

In a spirit of measured calmness and stoic resilience, our market towns and villages are coming back to life. A buzz is returning to our high streets and long overdue village gatherings are taking place. Life is returning to normal. Of course, for many of us, August means one thing: exam results. And I’d like to say a huge congratulations to the thousands of local students who’ve received their GCSE, A-level and vocational results over the past few weeks. I have fond results day memories from my time as a secondary school teacher; watching hard work pay off and my students taking their next exciting step in life. Having had to contend with the disruption and uncertainly of the last couple of years, I’m incredibly proud of all that our local young people and school teachers have achieved. With so much to celebrate, I’m incredibly glad that more live events will be going ahead thanks to a Government-backed insurance scheme worth over £750 million which I spent months campaigning for. I met privately with the Chancellor to ask for this precise initiative, which I hope will give the folks at Gilcombe Farm confidence in planning next year’s FarmFest and Sunrise festivals, while also supporting the fantastic live events at Wincanton Racecourse and all those in the wider industry such as the brilliant Bradsons Event Services. I’m acutely aware of how challenging this pandemic has been for those who make a living from live events – with many sadly forced into cancellation. Now, the show can go on. Speaking of social events, there’s been a lot of speculation recently about the role of vaccine passports as we emerge from this pandemic. I should make it very clear that I do not believe that vaccine passports offer either the safest or most appropriate way forward when it comes to admittance to nightclubs or any other social settings. Equality under the law is an indivisible principle which underpins our way of life – and any attempt to apportion the freedoms which we all (rightly) take for granted according to the receipt of a vaccination sets, I believe, a dangerous precedent.

Somerton & Frome MP David Warburton

My predecessor founded community in Bermuda!

I hope you enjoyed Miranda’s interview with me in Edition 22. I wasn’t expecting to see a childhood photo on the front cover! But thank you to many of you who have been in touch with your kind comments. The West Dorset constituency is vast. It is 400 square miles with 137 parishes. So although the Blackmore Vale is my home, as an MP, I have an extended home, all the way down to Lyme Regis! A few weeks ago, I joined the commemorations of one of my predecessors, Sir George Somers, in the annual Somers Day celebrations at Lyme Regis. He was Mayor of Lyme Regis in Elizabethan times, and subsequently MP in 1603, and then naval leader who founded the island community known today as MP for West Dorset Chris Loder

Bermuda. Exotic foods and knowledge of the world are two things we take for granted today, but Somers and his crew endured considerable disease, starvation, and mutiny in the pursuit of discovery and knowledge. In Lyme Regis a few weeks ago, I was joined by the Mayor of St. George’s, one of the earliest settlements founded in Bermuda by Somers. And for many years now, the Somers Day parade has celebrated our continued close relationship with Bermuda where elected representatives are always keen to visit us. The Mayor of St George’s speech was moving and from the heart. He told us that these celebrations underscored how important it is that we learn from our history and to be always in the pursuit of truth, rather than what we are first told. I think it is important to hear from those who are much closer to historical issues like this rather than those who like to be the voice of others without a mandate.

n We take for granted today our ability to search on our phones or computers for any information we want to know about this world in an instant. It is important though to remember that sometimes what we first read might not be accurate and we have a responsibility ourselves to validate what we read too.

n Finally, this week, the Friends of the Yeatman Hospital in Sherborne celebrated its 70th anniversary on Monday last week. The Yeatman, with its continual service to Sherborne has a special place in the hearts and minds of those of us in and around the town. Our campaign to see the Minor Injuries Unit re-open after a year of closure, was met with success several weeks ago, but has certainly shown the importance of these facilities to the wellbeing of our town.

MPs’ round-up Rewilding? Cost saving more like...

With apologies to the 19th century agrarian pamphleteer and parliamentarian, William Cobbett I spent a week touring 32 villages of the South West Wiltshire constituency on what I call my ‘Rural Rides’. I’m in the towns all the time, but it’s important to be present in the smaller communities as well, picking up local issues and casework. From Tollard Royal in the south to Bulkington in the north, I set up in village halls mostly – I have so many of these great buildings in my constituency I thought I’d write a book about them when I have time, dedicated perhaps to Cobbett – but also churches and pubs. I’m so grateful to my hosts, the parish councils and residents who turned out to speak with me. I collected a lot of work and am still ploughing through it. The biggest issue was roads –heavy traffic topping the bill. Everyone knows I can’t magic it away but I can make the issue more prominent with those who may be able to help. That’s how MPs work, and even sometimes change things, using whatever tools we have – meetings in high places, phone calls, tubthumping, letters and, whisper it, the media. The environment came up a lot – Cobbett would be pleased. Interestingly, verges and traffic islands have become a bit of a tussle with some bemoaning the unkept look currently favoured by the council under the cost-saving cover of rewilding and some urging even more emphasis on wildflowers and sanctuary for insects at the edges of roads. There’s nothing more lovely than a show of native wildflowers – and there seem more than I recall from my childhood – but all too soon it goes over and becomes a mess. How’s that for sitting on the fence? I’m certainly not fence sitting on the prospect of an incinerator at Westbury, a horror that of course came up a lot in villages close to the town. On Tuesday I spoke with planning Secretary Robert Jenrick urging a moratorium on these old style carbon-belching monsters pending a rethink on so-called energy from waste, not least as there is national incinerator overcapacity. What madness to permit more of these things in the very year that the UK proudly hosts COP26. If we facilitate dirty old incinerators how can we persuade developing economies to do what’s necessary to contain global warming or, indeed, persuade householders that they must pay megabucks to stop burning oil and gas? Among national issues, to my surprise, assisted dying came up a lot, that is to say pro assisted dying. Politicians have a reputation for being slippery but I do try to be up front when I respectfully disagree with voters, especially on matters of conscience like this. I would not support amending the law on assisted dying to make it easier. I fear where it might ultimately lead – societal pressure on vulnerable people to be complicit in their own demise. Personally, that makes me uncomfortable and, whilst I do appreciate there are heart rending cases that are inadequately helped by palliation, I prefer to put my trust in improving end of life care.

MP for South West Wiltshire Dr Andrew Murrison

New crime chief targets drugs gangs

Dorset’s new Crime Commissioner David Sidwick has said that putting victims and communities first and fighting violent crime and high harm – offences which involve domestic and sexual violence - will be the main priorities of his term of office. “These priorities have been formed during the three years I spent talking with the people of Dorset about what matters to them, whilst campaigning to become PCC,” he said. “I know how concerned residents are about the effects of drug misuse in our society and I know too that they want to see a difference in Dorset, with more enforcement, more arrests and more help for those who through no fault of their own become involved in county lines gangs and I intend to deliver on those priorities.” He thanked those involved in the week-long drive against county lines gangs –organised criminal networks involved in exporting drugs into areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of ‘deal line’ - which took place in Dorset in May. The operation saw 14 arrests, more than £40,000 worth of drugs and £7,100 in cash seized from suspected dealers. Officers also seized approximately 146 grams of suspected crack cocaine and 90 grams of suspected heroin with an estimated value of £23,600. Stolen bikes valued at £12,000 were also recovered. “This was definitely a good result,” said Mr Sidwick, who revealed the force had also carried out welfare checks in order to protect vulnerable people who had become snared by the criminal gangs. “The gangs are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence - including sexual violence - and weapons,” he said. He stated the on-going county lines battle would be reflected in his Crime Plan for Dorset. “I am intent on working very closely with Dorset Police, as well as a wide range of partners including both our local authorities, to make sure these gangs find it as difficult as possible to operate anywhere in our county,” he said. “I want them to understand that Dorset is not a good place to ply their toxic trade.”