Newspaper Column 31st October 2023 - The last Parliamentary session

Parliament went into Prorogation last week ahead of the King’s Speech next week. Prorogation is the period between the end of a parliamentary session of Parliament and the beginning of a new session which begins with the State Opening of Parliament, which itself features the King’s Speech, which on this occasion will be the first that King Charles III has given in his reign. The King’s Speech will set out the Government’s priorities for the coming Parliament.

Looking back at the previous Parliamentary session, I thought it would be good to highlight some of the 39 Bills that received Royal Assent over the last eighteen months. This is of course, the core work that we deliver as your Members of Parliament, and the delivery of various Parliamentary Bills into law is how Governments deliver on their manifesto promises made before General Elections.

Over the past 18 months we have delivered:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, part of our efforts to stop the boats and putting fairness back at the heart of the immigration system.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 (𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹) 𝗔𝗰𝘁, ensuring the public can access essential public services in the face of political strike action.

 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝘁, bolstering energy security and delivering net zero in a fair and proportionate way.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, clamping down on seriously disruptive protests including Just Stop Oil’s militant techniques.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝘁, protecting children from harmful content online and holding social media companies to account.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝘁, cracking down on economic crime and dirty money in the UK.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮, reducing domestic energy prices and encouraging the efficient use and supply of energy.).

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗨 𝗟𝗮𝘄 (𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺) 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, repealing certain EU law and delivering legislation that works for Britain’s interests. 

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 (𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴) 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, unlocking key technologies to improve food security.

T𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵) 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, ensuring universities protect and promote freedom of speech on campus, fulfilling a manifesto promise to bolster academic freedom.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴-𝗨𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁, speeding up the planning system to build more homes and unleash levelling up.

T𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, bringing together vital new measures to protect the British public and address the evolving threat to our national security.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗿𝘀’ 𝗪𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, protecting seafarers from being paid less than the National Minimum Wage.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻) 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, strengthening powers to tackle failing social landlords and improving support for tenants living in unsafe homes.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 (𝗢𝗶𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗮𝘀) 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮, helping us fund cost of living support for families and business.

This is a significant amount of legislative change delivered by the Government, but there is still much more to do. I will write in my column next week on the highlights from the King’s Speech, which will focus on the work we as a Government will be doing on your behalf over the coming months into 2024.

As always, I am fully focused on the job at hand and if there is ever anything at all I can do to help, then please do not hesitate to contact me. Please get in touch with me by email at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk, or by telephone on 01872 229698. My regular constituency advice surgeries are held in a covid-safe environment at my office, so please do get in touch should you wish to meet me about any matters that I can be of assistance with.

Newspaper Column 23rd October 2023 - The conflict in Israel and Gaza

My number one focus is to be the best representative for Truro & Falmouth that I can be. Sometimes, in Parliament, an opportunity is presented to also do something rather different. I have been a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), more recently to the Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon James Cleverly MP. 

My role is to act as the voice of MPs at the FCDO and help keep our fantastic Ministerial Team in tune with how events abroad are impacting MPs’ constituents on the ground here in the UK. I support the Secretary of State and other Ministers in debates and other events in the House of Commons.  On top of this, I ensure that MPs of all parties have regular briefings from the Ministerial team on current events and issues.

As you can imagine, over the last few weeks, the current situation in the Middle East has been of huge concern to constituents around the UK.  There are a number of Israeli and Palestinian families within the UK that have concerns for relatives in and around Gaza and I have had the privilege of championing those more difficult, emergency cases on behalf of my MP colleagues directly with our Team at the Foreign Office. Most of these cases involve desperately worried family members here in the UK, which I always find incredibly grounding as it demonstrates above all else that what happens across the world in the Middle East has a direct implication for local families and the security of all of us.

It is vital that a peaceful resolution is found to the conflict in the Middle East. I have been proud to stand by Israel in the face of Hamas’ terror attacks. Hamas is responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians on both sides of this conflict.

What has all this got to do with my work as your constituency MP? Earlier this year, you may remember that I also spent a lot of time with our Royal Navy and our Royal Marines as part of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. These two, largely unseen parts of my role inform the decisions I make on behalf of my constituents. They inform my debate and, God forbid, if we are called to vote on whether to send our armed forces into an overseas conflict, I will feel more able to make a more informed decision than I might have done a couple of years ago. 

These sorts of decisions affect all of us and I want to continue to do my very best.  When we think about what we want our Members of Parliament to do, all of us want somebody who cares about our communities. As a local mum in Cornwall who tries to get stuck in with everything in Truro & Falmouth, I hope I’ve already proven that! But we also need somebody who can think of the big picture and defend our British interests on the international stage, otherwise, we just end up with another representative doubling up on the work of our local councillors.

As always, I am fully focused on the job at hand and if there is ever anything at all I can do to help, then please do not hesitate to contact me. Please get in touch with me by email at cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk or by telephone on 01872 229698. My regular constituency advice surgeries are held in a COVID-safe environment at my office, so please do get in touch should you wish to meet me about any matters that I can be of assistance with.