Westminster Report - Leigh-on-Sea

Share this story!

Leigh On Sea News: Westminster Report – BY David Burton-Sampson MP for Southend West & Leigh.

Westminster Report - BY David Burton-Sampson MP for Southend West & Leigh.

BY David Burton-Sampson MP for Southend West & Leigh.

Southend is open for business and Britain is open for trade. I am delighted to see the third major deal struck by the government in as many weeks, following the ones with the US and India.

Trade deals make it cheaper and easier to buy and sell goods to one another, to the benefit of everyone. That means more growth, more money in your pocket and that is what we need.

The new Strategic Partnership with the EU supports jobs, lowers bills and secures our borders. The new agreement will make it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported, by reducing red tape that placed expensive and time-consuming burdens on businesses.

Crucially, for the historic cockling industry in Old Leigh, it opens the door for produce to be sold into the EU, potentially giving a big bounce to exporters, given that 70% of seafood caught in the UK is sold in EU shops and restaurants.

Labour is also investing £360 million to back our coastal and fishing communities, with money for modernising fleets, training the workforce, supporting tourism and boosting seafood exports.

Some routine checks on animal and plant products will be removed completely, allowing goods to flow freely again and we will see fewer checks on food and drink exports and imports. This will lead to reduced costs in the shops.

The EU is the UK’s largest trading partner. Since Brexit we have seen a drop of 21% in exports and a 7% drop in imports. We want to see that change.

The deal will also bring closer defence and security arrangements and new police cooperation to combat drugs and restore access to Europol databases.

It introduces the prospect of Youth exchanges and Erasmus study for British students too. We will work towards a scheme that will allow work, study, au pairing, volunteering or travelling for a limited period under a young person’s visa programme. And there are plans for British travellers to access e-gates at airports in the future, solving those frustrating queues.

I believe this is a much-needed reset of our relationship with our nearest trading partners and we will reap the rewards of closer ties.

I have had busy weekends in the constituency lately. I enjoyed the Old Leigh Shanty festival, which certainly brought the Old Town alive with its traditional folk songs. It was a struggle though, to pick the winners at the Dog Show in Belfairs Woods. If I could, I would give them all a prize but well done to those who won.

The Harmony Festival brought together some of our best local charities. Stalls lining the streets showcased a diverse range of community organisations and small businesses, offering something for everyone.

It was great to join the Leigh-on-Sea Rotary Club for their Charity Pier Walk. We were helping raise funds for Southend Hospital Charity Foundation, which is a great cause, while getting our steps in at the same time – a win win situation!

Back in parliament, I hosted an important round table with Fair4All Finance, as part of the work I do on the Fair Banking parliamentary group. We were discussing the government’s forthcoming Financial Inclusion Strategy and the broader issues of access to credit.

With more than 20 million people living on the breadline, it is good to work with organisations like Fair4All, who are trying to increase the availability of affordable credit provision.

The debate over Assisted Dying continued in parliament during the Report Stage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. It was the second day of debate on this incredibly complex issue. The discussion was not about voting on whether or not this was going to go into law; it was about new amendments to the legislation.

I was disappointed that the House voted against having more debate on the matter, but we will be back on June 13th for more discussion then. Later in the year there will be the definitive vote on whether this passes into law or not.

An MP’s job is very varied, from judging the pooch in the pet show to voting on life and death. Nothing can prepare you for your role, but it remains a great privilege to serve as your MP.

about author

Editor