Welcome to my weekly update no.341 

Westminster dramas seem to be eclipsing everything in parliament at the moment which is both gripping and distracting (anyone thinking about economic growth or raising defence spending?). Locally we hosted Kemi in Godalming this week and following my meeting with O2 I proudly tested a 5G signal in Cranleigh…much work to do but definitely some progress.
 

WESTMINSTER WHISPERS
 

DRAMA IN DOWNING STREET Over the weekend it was announced that Morgan McSweeney, the PM’s chief of staff, had resigned over the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US and then on Monday it was the PM's director of communications alongside a call for him to resign from the Scottish Labour Leader. This in turn caused a bevy of cabinet ministers to leap to his defence amidst warnings of a bond market meltdown if he goes. The real issue is not whether or not he stays – I know no one in Westminster who thinks he will – but who replaces him and when. The electorate for a Labour leadership contest is not the public but Labour activists which means candidates will tack left to win it (just as Liz Truss tacked right to win the Conservative one). That means wealth taxes and workers rights…all of which is making some of us very queasy. And angry too: how on earth could they have wasted such a huge majority so quickly?
 

JIMMY LAI GETS 20 YEARS Following media tycoon’s Jimmy Lai’s recent (and wrongful) conviction, a Hong Kong court has just sentenced him to 20 years in prison. As his son, who I met in London, has recently said this is effectively a death sentence. The conviction was the result of a massive crackdown from Beijing on freedom of speech in Hong Kong and, I am afraid, makes a mockery of Keir Starmer’s raising of the issue last week in China which he said he did ‘respectfully.’ This Telegraph podcast interview with Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans, is worth a listen if you want to hear just how badly the West is handling diplomacy with China.
 

LOCAL LIFE 

KEMI TO THE PEPPERPOT We had a great Monday morning in Godalming with Kemi Badenoch, Shadow Business Secretary, Andrew Griffiths and Surrey Leader Tim Oliver. She wanted to meet local businesses as we develop policies to renew our high streets. She met Esquires Coffee owner Nicole to talk about the challenges of running an independent café, Matt at estate agents Cavender to talk about the way stamp duty and the new Renters Bill are gumming up the housing market and Robert Carder at Carder Shoes to understand the pressure caused by hikes in business rates and national insurance. The tour finished at The Sun Inn where Landlord Duncan offered an honest view of running a pub in today’s climate. She also had an excellent meeting with Gemma Taylor and local parents about concerns over social media and the need to ban phones in schools for under-16s.

TONGHAM TROUBLES I co-hosted (with the Parish Council) an absolutely packed meeting of residents to discuss the 420 houses proposed in the Taylor Wimpey application for Manor Farm. The message from the community could not have been clearer - Tongham is already under immense strain after years of unconstrained expansion. Precious little of promised supporting infrastructure has been delivered and residents are understandably jaded. Key concerns included gridlock on already stretched local roads, major flooding concerts and real distress at a 50% increase in the size of Tongham village. Many were devastated at the prospect of yet another large estate. I was really struck by how much locals value Tongham’s identity, scale and sense of community. Please get objections in by the 14th February deadline (as I will). Huge thanks to Tongham Parish Council for their work representing the community, and to local Councillors Matt Furniss and Sallie Barker for their support.

ALFOLD FLOODING (AGAIN) Alfold has again been suffering repeated sewage overflows, flooding and the relentless presence of tankers at the pumping station to deal with an overwhelmed sewage system. I went to see the issue on Saturday which last week meant the Sports and Social Club had to be closed. But we do have some progress: Thames Water will this summer install an ATAC on-site filtration system to stabilise the network which should significantly reduce the need for constant tanker activity. They have also signed off a multimillion project to re-line the pipes serving the village, a critical long-term intervention.
 

SPECIAL NEEDS SPECIAL SCHOOLS Amidst widespread concern about SEND issues, we sometimes forget that we do have some brilliant schools locally - both special needs and mainstream. On Friday I visited Bramley Grange Academy where I was shown round by pupils Bella and Jayden and met the inspiring head Louise Needham. I then went to St Paul’s Tongham which is a primary school led by another brilliant head, Tom Hilyard, who has set up a superb unit to give extra support to children struggling or with additional needs.
 

POTHOLE HELL A tumultuous week on the roads with potholes popping up everywhere. I have spoken with Surrey cabinet member Matt Furniss who confirmed there are 20-30 teams out and about right now fixing the potholes although work has being hampered by the rain. And Wonersh Common road is finally being resurfaced. 
 

BUT DON’T FORGET TO PLAN HALF TERM TRAVEL Between Sat 14th and Sunday 22nd Feb there will be no services between Petersfield and Havant with a bus replacement service. There are additional closures extending to Guildford on the 21st and 22nd February. More here.
 

AND FINALLY we very sadly lost an extraordinary local hero last week, the one and only Colin Stokes. I knew Colin well as he raised funds for the Royal Surrey’s Colin Stokes Urology Centre which has done over 4,000 procedures since it was opened (by me actually when I was Health Secretary). He was the kind of person we all want to be: warm, generous, big-hearted and public-spirited. Our thoughts are with Barbara and his family.