Weekly Column

Here’s a flavour of my week: -Mon 15 April. Up to London in time for Home Office Questions (not called to speak); then an afternoon and evening debating Lords’ amendments to Rwanda proposals. We reverse them; they will then send them back to us again- ‘Parliamentary ping-pong’. Huge Iranian air raids on Israel are largely repulsed. I hope that there is no further escalation.Tues 16 April. Meet Great Western Railway to discuss Kemble to Cirencester Light Railway, broken lift at Chippenham Station. Question to Minister for Energy about solar elicits a mildly encouraging response. Then it’s over to No10 Downing St for the Security and Defence Round-table discussions about what must go into Manifesto. ‘More than just 3% of GDP’, I argue. ‘Let’s have stuff about accommodation, education, way of life of military families’. To Mr Speaker’s grand house for BAE reception about Tempest their new super stealthy war plane. Decide to abstain on tobacco votes. Don’t believe it will work, and un-Conservative to go about banning things.

Most of my Easter Recess has been taken up with ‘campaigning’ of one sort or another. I’ve been out delivering and door knocking for our two outstanding Police and Crime Commissioners – Phil Wilkinson in Wiltshire and Chris Nelson in Gloucestershire. Very good for the step count. I’m out most Fridays and Saturdays these days, just taking the temperature and listening to the views of my constituents. Good to see Chris Bale (Reform), Zoe Billingham (Labour), Bob Eastoe (Green) and Ros Savage (Lib Dem) throwing their hats in the ring. Parliamentary democracy is alive and well, which I welcome. My instinct from three months of canvassing since Christmas is that people are coming back to the Tories after a period of disaffection as they come to recognise on which side their bread’s buttered; but that there is a clear threat from the Labour Party (be careful what you wish for). It should be an interesting election when it comes (my guess is 14 November).

There comes a time in all human life, in all efforts, in all initiatives, to call a halt. Ending something, which may of itself be perfectly justifiable, is much harder than starting it. The Middle East is now reaching that point. I absolutely supported Israel’s reaction to the 7th October outrage; I accepted their right to defend themselves (the Jews have been doing that for thousands of years); I remain appalled by the hostages which Hamas are so wickedly refusing to release; and I recognise the need to destroy Hamas once and for all. So I have been pretty resolute in my support for what Israel have done in Gaza. But the deaths of innocents has now reached such a stage that it cannot go on. The seven western aid workers killed this week come on top of several hundred Palestinian aid workers which got less coverage; and of course thousands of innocent men, women and children have died.

There was something deeply moving about the stoic dignity and bravery of the Princess of Wales’s statement to the Nation about her cancer. No sentimentality; no panic; no self-misery. She just sat there all alone and spoke clearly and sensibly about the treatment she is now facing. And as always she gave thought to others in the same plight. The King shows the same fortitude, keeping up as many engagements as he can through his treatment. Calm security in the face of adversity – how very brave, how very British. What an example to us all (and to various other members of their family.) I know that all of my constituents will join me in sending HRH our very best wishes- nay, love- for her treatment and we will look forward to a speedy and total recovery.

It is an easy truism to say that if you are worried about Climate Change (as am I), you must therefore support every application that comes along for solar energy production. Wiltshire already makes a huge contribution. Of the 10 largest solar parks in England, 8 are in our beloved County (Lyneham, Wroughton, Minety, Forest Gate, Leigh Delamere, Kemble, Studley, Snarlton); and there are a great many more just slightly smaller. The Council’s 2030 carbon neutral target for solar renewables is 590MW, which has already been exceeded (827MW – enough to power 500,000 homes is in production or planning.) We have 42 Operational Solar Farms with a further 12 under planning or construction, nearly all in the north of the County. They cover 3000 acres which is more than any other county in England.

Budgets come and budgets go…….. A bit more tax here, a bit less spending there (or vice versa). I have always found them hard to get excited about. After all, the Nation’s economy is pretty much a ‘zero sum game’. You win some; you lose some. Reducing National Insurance, (which I support- it’s an outdated concept), means that the burden is spread more widely than just the employed- to tax paying pensioners, for example.I am cross about what looks to be at best a standstill in defence spending. How can it be that at a time like this, with the Middle East in turmoil, and the first European war in decades, with Russia and China looming up as security threats, we are planning to spend less, not far more, on defence and our armed services. Yet an increase in defence spending would mean cuts elsewhere- in health or education, perhaps.