Political Round-Up

Political round-up Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher EU countries selling weapons to Russia

Addressing the plight of Ukrainians continues to be my top political priority. It was a privilege to meet again and to hear first-hand from Oleksii Goncharenko, a Ukrainian Member of Parliament from Odessa. In an emotional speech to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg he described vividly the horror of being in Odessa over the Orthodox Easter weekend when Russian shelling killed innocent civilians in that city including a baby, her mother and grandmother. Oleksii was scathing in his criticism of those EU countries which continue to help finance the Russian aggression by buying Russian oil and gas. He also rightly criticised France and Germany for selling weapons to Russia in breach of an embargo while still being unwilling to provide the modern armaments that Ukraine desperately needs. He singled out the United Kingdom for praise in providing support for Ukraine with both modern weapons and humanitarian assistance. His speech was echoed by Mariia Mezentseva, an MP from the city of Kharkiv which is still under siege. Both MPs challenged those who are fearful of the war escalating by reminding us that Russia has already completed escalation of the war to everything short of nuclear conflict and that the rest of the world needs to wake up to that reality and provide more help. The Ukrainians have invited MPs from across Europe to visit to see for themselves the evidence of the atrocities committed by Russia in breach of the Geneva Convention. Ensuring that these war crimes do not go unpunished will be essential once the war is over. On the humanitarian front, there is good news to report about local families who have applied for Ukrainian families to be able to live with them in and around Christchurch. I have been in close liaison with the Home Office to ensure that decisions can be expedited and bureaucracy minimised while at the same time recognising the paramount importance of safeguarding the vulnerable, particularly children who may appear to be unaccompanied. It is heartening that voluntary organisations in the constituency are so eager to provide community assistance to support our warm welcome for these refugees from war. To that end, I had a most constructive meeting with representatives from local churches.

n On a different note, Amazon Logistics invited me to see their operation on the Airport industrial estate which facilitates timely delivery of Amazon goods and services to residents and businesses across Dorset. The quality of the service which they provide has been recognised as one of Amazon’s best across the whole world which is quite an achievement when we remember that Amazon is now the largest global employer!

Christchurch & East Dorset CHRIS CHOPE MP

Our government’s questionable priorities

We’ve read and heard a lot in the local media recently about crime. No, no… I’m not talking about the MPs for once, but crime here in our community. There’s real concern it is increasing and that the local police force is too thinly spread to respond to it. There was a spate of shed and garage break-ins over Easter in Blandford, catalytic converter thefts are on the increase, and even NHS vehicles are having their fuel stolen. Whilst these incidents are – rightly – getting a lot of attention, if we look at the statistics, crime levels have been relatively flat through 2021 and into 2022. What’s really worrying local people is the anecdotes of people calling 999, but no police car being dispatched. There was the recent incident when a campsite in Melbury was overrun with ravers, but when the owner called 999 they were told no police could attend as there was only one car covering the whole of North Dorset. If people don’t think that the police are going to respond, then they are less likely to report a crime, casting doubt over those statistics. The police and crime commissioner for Dorset was challenged on staffing levels recently, but refused to give details, citing operational reasons. If the PCC won’t say how many bobbies are on the beat, surely that tells us there are gaps. The issue – as ever – seems to be funding. The sense that rural communities are low crime communities pervades central government thinking. This year, Dorset received one of the lowest police funding increases, along with rural Gloucestershire and North Wales. Overall police funding has only just returned to the level of the last Labour government, despite the Tories pushing taxes up to the highest levels since the Second World War. No levelling-up money. No regional bus grants. And now one of the lowest police funding settlements. So much for Dorset being represented in Westminster. You can tell a lot about a government by what they choose not to do as much as what they prioritise. This week, they dropped the proposed audit reform bill. Four years, three reviews and one huge consultation since the collapse of Carillion, with a consensus painstakingly forged across auditors, the audited and both sides of the house... and it’s been dropped. Apparently privatising Channel 4 and crippling the BBC is more important than stopping corporate malfeasance. Priorities, eh?

Dorset Labour GREG WILLIAMS

The town mayor hosts an annual Civic Thanksgiving Service to which all are welcome. This will be held in the Minster this Sunday, May 8. Mayor Kelly Webb said: “The Town will welcome civic dignitaries from Dorset and neighbouring towns to the Minster and colours and standards from a number of local organisations will be presented during the service. A parade with all dignitaries participating will commence at 2.152.30pm from Church House, on to the High Street, turning into The Square, then turning into Church Street and entering The Cornmarket and on to the pathway to the Minster.” The service will be conducted by The Reverend Canon Andrew Rowland, Rector of Wimborne Minster Benefice Rural Dean of Wimborne. Commencing at 3.00pm, it is expected to last approximately 45 minutes, after which refreshments will be served at Church House. Please be seated by 2.45pm.

Spring in to floral club

Spring is here and already our gardens are coming to life, writes Janet Lee. At our meetings here in Colehill we can appreciate the beauty of flowers all the year round so why not come and join us and try something new? The Colehill Floral Arrangement Club meets every third Monday at 7.30pm in the Colehill Village Hall, Cannon Hill Road, Colehill. The next meeting is on May 16 when the demonstration will be A Night At The Movies by Denise Jones. We can promise people from Colehill, Wimborne and all the surrounding areas a warm welcome and you can watch talented professional demonstrators making beautiful floral arrangements. There is also the chance to win one of these arrangements. At other times we have sessions when we provide some guidance, and you can take home an arrangement for your own home. Refreshments are served during the evening. If you wish to give us a try why not come as a visitor for £5.00 per session; there is car parking at the hall. Please ring 01202 610902 for more information.

New Stour & Avon Competition Win an i-Pad!

With the New Stour & Avon and Peacock Computers of Lymington and Ringwood