Newspaper column 26 August 2021 - Afghanistan

 

Last Wednesday saw Parliament return to sit to debate the situation in Afghanistan.

What has happened in a very short space of time in Afghanistan is incredibly concerning and raises numerous questions on all sorts of issues. What we have seen is failing on numerous levels, not least a failure of intelligence to anticipate that the Talliban would take back Afghanistan so quickly after western forces including our own pulled out.

Wednesday’s debate reflected that and while I did not speak in the debate, I was struck by the number of passionate contributions from Members from all sides of the House, many of them veterans who have served in Aghanistan themselves, about the nature of what we are seeing unfold, what we could have done to avoid it, and what we should now do to assist those many people in pressing aid who wish to flee the Taliban.

Firstly, there are those saying that our leaving now and the subsequent take-over by the Taliban has invalidated everything that has gone before with our prior occupation and work in Afghanistan. I would like to say to our veterans, the 150,000 who served Queen and Country and to the families of the 457 who gave their lives, as well as those who came back physically or mentally wounded, your sacrifice and time spent doing your duty was not in vain.

Our work over the past two decades made the world a safer place during that time, and allowing improvements in lifestyle, work and education choices for women and girls across Afghanistan, breaking the cycle of conflict that existed for so long. We must provide all the support needed to our veterans and their families to help them through this difficult time.

Our priority in Afghanistan now needs to be both to evacuate our own citizens from the country, but also all those who have helped and supported our operations over the years as well as those who worked with the previous Afghani government via the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP).

With this in mind I welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement of a settlement scheme of up to 20,000 over the coming years and 5,000 this year. This is in addition to those we bring through the ARAP scheme which has already seen more that 2,000 people brought to the UK since April of this year.

We also need to make sure that of any further international aid that goes to Afghanistan will need aid comes with strong conditions to ensure it is only delivered on the basis of honouring women’s rights and human rights, and those of the ethnic minorities as well.

In the longer term it is clear that we can no longer be so reliant on the US as the backbone of future international efforts such as these. We cannot again be allowed to be in a position where our operations and the stability of an entire country is solely dependent on the decisions of a single ally, which has now shown itself to be increasingly isolationist and inward looking. I am pleased that the UK has stepped up and responded quickly, showing global leadership once the seriousness of the situation in Afghanistan became known and I hope we will continue to show real leadership in issues such as this as well as via NATO in the future.

It has been an incredibly difficult week and my thoughts are with all those caught up in the conflict in Afghanistan as well as those who have served and their families at home. But we must learn from what have undoubtedly been mistakes and move forward to ensure lessons are learned and that they are not repeated in the future.

Newspaper column 19 August 2021 - Plymouth

This past Thursday we had the most devastating news from Plymouth as, in a tragic incident, a gunman murdered five people, including a three year old child, injuring others before killing himself.

This was deeply shocking and my condolences go to the families of all involved as well as to the wider Plymouth community.

Thanks also to our emergency services, who responded to the developing situation quickly and professionally.

We are fortunate in the UK that mass-shootings such as this are relatively rare – however one is too many and it is only right that we now take the time to investigate how this tragic event occurred.

With the ongoing investigation in mind, it is apparent that the shooter, based on social media content that he recently posted, shared views with, and may have been inspired by, and radicalised by, the so-called ‘Incel’ movement.

Incels are people, usually young men, who are “involuntarily celibate” and blame women for depriving them of sex. They often hate people in relationships, and in extreme cases they advocate violence or “retribution”. They have been linked to at least six mass shootings in America.

If this is the case, then we must as a country, have a conversation about the nature of online radicalisation. I have written earlier this year about the Government’s work in calling for evidence to help inform the development of their next Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.

The Incel movement represents a very real threat to women and girls – promoting and encouraging chauvinistic and ultimately violent behaviour towards them from young men, and in this context there certainly is a real case to be made for ensuring forums that promotes this sort of behaviour and could lead to similar incidents such as we have sadly see occur in Plymouth this past week happen again the future, be monitored in the same way other platforms that promote and nurture terroristic behaviour are by our security services.

Turning to the immediate aftermath of last week’s incident, there is a dedicated Devon and Cornwall Police number  -  01752 487880 for anyone wishing to speak with the police with information regarding the shooting.   Victim Support are also providing support for anyone affected with support available 24/7 either by phone or webchat.  If you have been affected by the tragic incident in Plymouth, there is help available.  Victim Support provide practical and emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  You can speak to a specialist by calling 08081 689111 or by visiting victimsupport.org.uk

Finally, I should also add that following the quickly developing circumstances in Afghanistan over the weekend, Parliament has been recalled to debate the situation on Wednesday. This debate is happening after I have submitted this column so I cannot tell what the outcome will be, however it is a very difficult situation with no easy or quick answers, one that requires international co-operation in order to achieve any sort of lasting solution.

As ever, if you need my assistance with anything then my team and I are here to help. Please get in touch with me by email at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk , or by telephone on 01872 229698. I have now restarted my regular constituency advice surgeries, 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 12 August 2021 - Fixing the housing crisis

A priority for me over this Summer Recess is looking at ways to solve the housing crisis that we are currently experiencing in Cornwall.

I am being contacted daily by local people who are struggling to be able to find or keep accommodation, for a variety of reasons.

There have always been issues with affordability of housing in Cornwall, as a long-term renter I know this first hand, but recent impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic have created a perfect storm of pressures which is affecting both the regular housing market as well as the private and social rental sectors.

Resolving the housing crisis is a top priority of the newly elected administration at Cornwall Council, and of this Government. There are long term issues in the housing sector that have been left unaddressed for some time but the new administration will now work with the Government to sort out this issue. A lot of hard work is going in to addressing it but it is not going to happen overnight.

In terms of social rent, there are 17,000 people looking for council housing through Homechoice in Cornwall - and the average wait to find a home is 9 months. 20% of those already in council accommodation. It is not unusual for over 150 people to be bidding for one property.

Cornwall Council can get hold of significant amounts of finance to build the council housing that we need to start addressing this issue, but it's not a magic wand, we can't start building tomorrow, delivering the amount we need will take time.

Cornwall Council also needs to work effectively with the budget it has and a huge challenge has been the ambitious plans of the new administration to move away from expensive, short term hotel accommodation to temporary and emergency accommodation. The new administration have already introduced the first site at County Hall for the Bunkabins which will provide safe and secure accommodation for locals. The council has also moved towards creating council-owned accommodation where local people in need can be housed without worrying about being asked to leave at a moment’s notice. The council needs to own this provision so they can offer the security of tenure to the families and individuals in need. This will not only provide peace of mind and increased wellbeing for those being housed, but it will also make more financial sense.

Turning to the Private rented sector, sadly there are some landlords who are taking advantage of the high prices on the market at the moment and selling up, meaning that the private rented sector is shrinking. The Government suspended evictions during the pandemic, quite rightly, but that was solely for the duration of the pandemic. We need to now do everything we can to support those who were in private rented accommodation to ensure they are able to find another home to live in. If people are due to be evicted and need help and advice then please do contact my office – we are here to help.

Of course there are also Cornish families who rightly want to be able to buy their own homes in the communities they have grown up in and we need truly affordable homes for them to buy

Instead of building on our green fields in our villages, or mass developments extending our towns, we need to look at what brown field sites are available to us in Cornwall – there are plenty of them both in rural and urban areas. Equally, I fully appreciate that local families will want a plot in the village they grew up in with a garden for their children to play in. This shouldn’t be a luxury. Everyone has a right to a home of their own and we need to make this happen.

Finally, I want to touch on second homes. I am in discussion with colleagues about ways to better regulate them. For example, do we follow a similar model to plans proposed in the Lake District whereby if you want to take a full time residential home and turn it in to a second home, you need planning permission to do this.  By doing this we can start to regulate the housing market. For example Cornwall Council could then say that a particular area has its fair share of second homes, and will not grant any more change of use permissions for the time being.

There is a massive amount of work to do in this area, but I am working with both my Cornish MP colleagues and Cornwall Council to bring about the lasting change that is needed across the housing market to ensure people in Cornwall are able to have stable, affordable and permanent places to live, for ours and future generations.

As ever, if you need my assistance with anything then my team and I are here to help. Please get in touch with me by email at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk , or by telephone on 01872 229698. I have now restarted my regular constituency advice surgeries, 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 29 July - Rising for Recess

Parliament rose for Summer Recess on Thursday last week. Summer Recess means that Parliament does not sit until September.

Although Parliament is not sitting, I will still be busy in Truro and Falmouth, out and about visiting local people and businesses to talk about what matters to you. Please get in touch if you would like me to come and visit your business or group during Recess.

Last year I also did a charity walk during the Recess, and this year I will be doing one again - this time I will be walking from the south coast of our constituency to the north coast - Portholland to Perranporth - about 25 miles over some diverse terrain with lots of ups and downs.

I will be doing the walk for the Cornwall Wildlife Trust who continue to be an incredible local charity which does so much good work across Cornwall for our wildlife and environment.

To find out more and to donate, follow the link below:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cherilyn-mackrory

Prior to Parliament rising, I held a debate in Parliament about reducing baby loss - an issue very close to my heart.Every day in the UK, around 14 babies die before, during or soon after birth.

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of speaking with some members of our excellent midwifery team at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in my constituency.

The entire bereavement midwifery team at Treliske is outstanding. I continue to be in awe of our local team, how they do such a difficult job, are able to support families at their lowest ebb and continue to take special care of our babies after they have died.

The impact of COVID on these issues seems to be a mixed bag, which is against the expectation. There was a peak still birth and neonatal death in March 2020 and another in January 2021. In Cornwall, our team points to a “slow and steady decline” in the numbers since 2010. There have been 2 stillbirths this year so far. In a so-called usual year there would have been between 8 and 12 by now. It is difficult to commend this figure, however, as the team don’t really know what to attribute it to; apart from natural peaks and troughs. It could be a temporary irregularity and more research will need to be done to find a pattern. Also, this is no comfort at all to the two Cornish families who have suffered this unbearable loss.

So, what needs to be done to reduce baby loss?

Action is needed to address staffing shortfalls in maternity services, more funding is required to embed on-going and sustainable access to training for maternity staff and funding to backfill cover when training takes place would also be desirable. We also need to be involving families in a compassionate manner as a crucial part of the investigation process.

We are just past the half-way point on this important journey to 2025. I would like to thank all healthcare professionals who have contributed to the successes so far. I would like to call on the Government to work with them to achieve the rest and save as many lives as possible in the future.

As ever, if you need my assistance with anything then my team and I are here to help. Please get in touch with me by email at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk , or by telephone on 01872 229698. I have now restarted my regular constituency advice surgeries, 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 22 July 2021 - Stage 4 of the Roadmap to Recovery

 

This past Monday saw the easing of most COVID-19 restrictions as we enter Step 4 of the Roadmap to Recovery.

This has seen a number of significant changes including the lifting of the legal requirements on how many people can meet, social distancing in most places, and the requirement by law to wear face-coverings in many settings.

I fully appreciate that while these changes will be welcomed by many of us, there will be some who still have concerns about them. Monday’s changes move the onus of responsibility to the individual, and while it is no longer mandatory to wear masks in shops for example, you are still perfectly entitled to wear one if you choose, and individual shops and chains can still have rules on wearing masks should they wish.

That we have got this far and are now able to make these changes is down to the success of our vaccine programme, and I must again pay tribute to all of those involved in the vaccine’s rollout, our NHS and incredible volunteers who have worked around the clock to administer it.

The UK has vaccinated more of its population than any other country in Europe, with the exception of Malta, and has administered more doses per capita than any other G7 nation.

The Prime Minister set targets to offer a vaccine to all adults in the UK and to vaccinate two in three adults with both doses by 19 July – and both were achieved by 18 July. That’s more than 46 million people who have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 35 million people have had both doses

The success of the vaccination programme has significantly reduced the link between infections and severe disease and death, and allows our country to live with the virus, rather than lockdown, with all of the damaging social and economic consequences that these measures bring.

There will be those who argue that we should remain locked down, but I believe that now, with the success of the vaccine programme, the warmer weather not being conducive to the virus thriving, and schools breaking up, is the best time to do so. If not now, then when? There are numerous other factors to consider including the socio-economic impacts of lockdown-style measures, as well as the pressure they put on our NHS in other areas where treatments have been postponed due to the restrictions in place.

It is now about common sense and personal responsibility and I hope people will understand this and act responsibly to help ensure these easings remain permanent.

As ever, if you need my assistance with anything then my team and I are here to help. Please get in touch with me by email at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk , or by telephone on 01872 229698. I have now restarted my regular constituency advice surgeries, 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.

Column 15 July 2021 - July update

I’ve had a busy week over the past week and that’s not taking into account the emotional rollercoaster that saw England narrowly lose to Italy in the finals of the European Championship on Sunday. A bitterly disappointing result to be sure, but our team did us proud through an excellent tournament and Gareth Southgate and all of the players deserve our respect for getting us through to our first major football final in 55 years, lifting our nation’s mood and playing some excellent matches along the way.

Last week both in Parliament and in Cornwall I took part in a number of meetings and visits to advance local plans, highlight issues in Cornwall to the government, and continue to work to bring about national policy changes for the better.

In my continued work with the Environment Audit Committee in Parliament, I visited the River Windrush, a tributary of the River Thames  to see first-hand some of the steps that can be taken to help improve the quality of river water by a dedicated group of volunteers,  Windrush Against Sewage Pollution. We took interesting information on data analysis of sewage spills and microplastic pollution in rivers, as well having a tour of a local sewage treatment works, to look at their monitoring system for sewage spills and a natural solution reed bed, which provides a sustainable way of filtering any sewage from the works that does get in the river. There were lots of good ideas on what has and hasn’t worked on display, that myself and my Parliamentary colleagues can use to feedback and inform our work both here in Cornwall but also as we continue to look at developing national policy to make our waterways cleaner and more sustainable for all.

In Parliament I also took part in a debate on future support for our regional airports. Cornwall Airport Newquay is one such airport, a vital transport link not just for passengers but for cargo and business. We would not have been able to have hosted the recent G7 Leaders Summit in Cornwall without our airport, and it also continues to be one of the hubs, along with Falmouth and Penryn, for the emerging high tech industries in Cornwall, not least Spaceport Cornwall. But our regional airports have suffered greatly during the recent pandemic and this debate was our chance to call on the Government to help support these critical assets through this difficult time and on the road to recovery.

The culmination of my week last week was on Friday when I met with the Newham Business Improvement District (BID) team and had a tour of Newham and the Port of Truro. It was great to meet with a wide range of innovative businesses that thriving here, in a place which is home to over 100 of Cornwall’s most successful companies, from Macsalvors to Skinner’s Brewery and many others, and talk about what I can do to help support them as their MP.

As ever, if you need my assistance with anything then my team and I are here to help. Please get in touch with me by email at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk, or by telephone on 01872 229698. I have now restarted my regular constituency advice surgeries, 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.

Column 8 July 2021 - The final easing of COVID restrictions

 

On Monday the Prime Minister announced that COVID restrictions are set to end in England, in line with Step 4 of our Roadmap to Recovery, from 19 July, subject to a final review of the data next week

This has been made possible as a result of the delay to the final step of the roadmap which has allowed the covid-19 vaccination programme to catch up and save thousands more lives by vaccinating millions more people.

Over 79 million vaccine doses have now been administered in the UK, every adult has now been offered at least one dose, and 64% of adults have received two doses.

The government on Monday also confirmed the vaccine rollout will accelerate further, by reducing the vaccine dose interval for people under 40 from 12 weeks to 8. This will mean every adult has the chance to have two doses by mid-September.

The decision to open up will be made in a balanced and careful way, with the Prime Minister being clear that people’s personal judgement will now be key in learning to live with the virus.

Limits on social contact will end, meaning there will be no restrictions on indoor or outdoor gatherings. Weddings, funerals and other life events able to take place without limits or restrictions.

All venues currently closed will be allowed to reopen, including nightclubs, and there will be no legal requirement for table service in hospitality settings.

Face coverings will no longer be legally required in shops, schools, hospitality, or on public transport although guidance will be in place to suggest where people might choose to wear one, such as where you come into contact with people you don’t usually meet in enclosed and crowded places.

The government reviews into social distancing and Covid-status certification have also now concluded. The 1m plus rule will be lifted other than in specific places such as at the border to help manage the risks of new variants coming into the country.

There will also be no legal requirement on the use of Covid-status certification as a condition of entry for visitors to any domestic setting.

The guidance to work from home where possible will also end, to allow employers to start planning a safe return to workplaces.

The cap on the number of named visitors for care home residents will be removed from the current maximum of five per resident, although infection prevention and control measures will remain in place to protect the most vulnerable.

While NHS Test and Trace will continue to play an important role in managing the virus, the Prime Minister also signalled the government’s intention to move to a new regime whereby fully vaccinated people would no longer need to self-isolate if identified as a contact.

My thanks goes to everyone who has done their bit, particularly our NHS, which celebrated its 73^rd Birthday on Monday, and all the volunteers who have been of such incredible assistance with the vaccine rollout. We are only now in the position to take these steps because of the success of the vaccination programme and the way in which people have stuck to the existing rules and restrictions through this difficult time.