We are waiting to see whether a revised Brexit deal will be possible. I hope it will. I continue to believe that the referendum result must be honoured, and that the best way to leave is with a deal - but that we should be prepared to exit without one if necessary.

Meanwhile Westminster has been enlivened by the sound of bongo drums and the sight of tents pitched in the middle of roads as ‘Extinction Rebellion’ brought another protest to central London.

It’s unacceptable that highways have been blocked for days and so much police time has been wasted. The current Hong Kong protests are at least about fundamental human rights and police violence. The climate protests here may be peaceful by comparison, but they have little justification.

Parliament has rightly already declared a climate emergency and set an ambitious target for ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2050, the first major country to do so. This will be challenging enough to meet. The Extinction Rebellion demand for net zero in just over five years’ time is extreme, unjustified by the science, and could not possibly be met without restrictions on transport and diet that would be completely unacceptable to the public. I cannot think of a quicker way to lose popular support for the climate action we need.

I’ve been focusing on why we need to deliver essential infrastructure like HS2, and I’ve been urging support for a proper Arundel Bypass, backing the ‘magenta' route. This would not only save commuters up to an hour-and-a-half of journey time every week, but would massively reduce traffic through the South Downs National Park, barely touching the Park itself, compared to the current route which runs right through it.

As usual I’ve enjoyed visiting local groups, including Petworth’s Community Garden, the Vintage Years social group in Steyning, a charity at Hurstpierpoint which uses specially-trained horses to provide therapy to people struggling with mental health and behavioural issues, and the Petworth & District Agricultural Association’s annual ploughing match. I’ve also presented an award to the Mystique Masala restaurant in Petworth, judged scarecrows at Pulborough’s Harvest Fair, and had a great day at the Goodwood Revival.

Please see below a selection of recent articles, speeches and news releases from my website, nickherbert.com. I hope you will find this a useful source of information about my work representing you in Parliament.

If you have any issues you would like to raise with me, whether local or national, please do not hesitate to get in touch. I can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].

With kind regards.