21 September 2020
A47 – Letter to Roads Minister
Enough is enough.
Back in 2014, I brought the then Prime Minister to Mid Norfolk as part of the A47 Alliance campaign that secured £300 million for the Phase 1 of A47 Improvement Works that will, eventually, we aim result in the full dualling of the A47. These include the dualling of the key Mid Norfolk stretch between North Tuddenham and Easton.
Six years on and with the latest delays, the works are still at least two years away from starting. And at least four years away from completion. It’s unacceptable.
That’s why, Jerome Mayhew MP and I have written to the Roads Minister, Baroness Vere, to request a roundtable in Parliament for MPs and officials to discuss these latest, deeply disappointing delays and the future of Highways England.
Following these latest delays, and as highlighted in a recent EDP article (see here), I believe Highways England is unfit for purpose and needs to be broken up and made more accountable to our region. We should replace it with a Highways England that better understands the issues we are facing and is better equipped to address them.
Rest assured, I remain firmly committed to pursuing the delivery of these key Improvement Works – and to the longer term campaign of securing full dualling of this key strategic road.
Please see our letter to the Roads Minister below.
21 September 2020
Norwich Research Park
Despite Covid-19, Norfolk and the Eastern region remains one of the most exciting area of the UK in terms of science, technology and innovation. That’s why I have long been one of the Norwich Research Park’s biggest advocates, supporting its various bids for investment and highlighting the great benefits it will have for our area – with it bringing growth, prosperity and many of the jobs of tomorrow.
Today, I was delighted to catch up with members of the Anglia Innovation Partnership – the body that oversees the running of the NRP, and strives to drive forward its growth and better connect it to our area.
Having last year set out their fantastic ‘Vision2030’ programme, David Parfrey (Executive Chair), the rest of the Board and all of the staff on the NRP have been making tremendous strides – and ‘Mission2020’ and ‘Ambition2050’ programmes have also been announced. It’s clear that the NRP is not only focussed on the next decade, it’s also committed to facing head on and solving the challenges of today and turning them into opportunities for our area, as well as looking even further ahead at the issues that our world will be addressing in the second half of this century and the first half of the next.
The NRP has also been very active during this current Covid-19 pandemic – doing great work that will benefit us all.
Rest assured, I remain firmly committed to supporting this brilliant Norfolk asset.
16 September 2020
Internal Market Bill Statement
I 100% support the Government in negotiating hard for a good trade deal with the EU in line with the Withdrawal Agreement that the PM negotiated last year, and on the basis of which we won the election and he signed the Treaty in January.
If the EU don’t stick to that Agreement we need to be ready to take unilateral steps to protect the UK.
But we shouldn’t be the ones to break it. This country is respected worldwide as people who honour our word. Putting ourselves in a situation where the UK Government and its Ministers are breaking international law is a dangerous and unwise precedent which I fear will backfire and undermine our authority.
The power to over-ride the Withdrawal Treaty should only be used as a final resort IF we end up in a position in which the EU has broken its undertakings and left us with no choice to ensure the free flow of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. So I’m delighted that the PM has accepted the proposal in the Amendment by Conservative MPs for these powers to be used only “In Extremis” as a UK backstop IF we end up with No Deal and the EU threatening to prevent trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which no UK Government could accept.
To see my previous statement on this issue, please click here.
14 September 2020
Why I abstained on the Internal Market Bill
Why I abstained on the Internal Market Bill
Whilst I support the legal clarification of the status of the Devolved nations in trade policy remaining a sovereign UK matter determined in London, I share the concern of many senior Conservatives (including Brexiteers like Geoffrey Cox, Michael Howard and Norman Lamont) that Ministers should not wilfully break the law.
I support the Prime Minister negotiating hard with the EU for a Trade Deal. But the incendiary ripping up of the Northern Ireland Protocol should only be an Emergency “Backstop” in the event of the EU failing to play fair. After the Prime Minister signalled he was prepared to accept our Amendment to that end, I abstained pending Government clarification of its plans.
Statement
Over the last few days I have given very detailed consideration to the Internal Market Bill.
The Bill deals with two key issues:
- Complications over the legal status of the Devolved Administrations in Wales and Scotland
- The arrangements for post-Brexit trade in Northern Ireland
The Government’s intention of tidying up the legal status of the Devolved Administrations is a sensible one and I support it. UK trade policy should be set by the sovereign national Parliament and Government. Devolving trade policy would be a recipe for chaos.
Changing the post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland is much more controversial because they were clearly negotiated and agreed by the PM last year, formed the basis of our General Election Manifesto and are highly sensitive in terms of the Good Friday Agreement, and the preservation of peace and free trade in Northern Ireland.
Whilst I support the Government in setting out for the EU what steps we envisage having to take in the event of them not negotiating in good faith and denying us a trade deal, that is very different from:
- ripping up the Agreement and Treaty we made and sought re-election on the basis of, when the negotiations are entering their key final phase,
- unilaterally setting out an incendiary proposal which makes a hard Customs border across Ireland inevitable.
To go back on the Manifesto Commitment to implement the Withdrawal Agreement and carefully negotiated Northern Ireland Protocol, would be a serious breach of our international obligations and our promise to the British people in the 2019 General Election.
By ripping up our highest profile international Treaty I fear we will make a Trade Deal with the EU – and the USA and other Treaties with other countries, less likely and seriously weaken our authority to enforce the international rules based system with countries like China (and the EU), as well as our authority and credibility in global negotiations.
I fear it will undermine – not strengthen – the Union, the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the UK’s economic prospects, by making a Trade Deal less likely, inflaming Northern Ireland tensions and gifting our nationalist opponents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland a cause celebre to attack “government from London”.
I fear it will also provoke a deepening of the old Brexit Civil War of last year, which the Prime Minister rightly promised on the steps of No10 last December to end when he pledged to “let the healing begin”. The resignation of highly respected Government legal advisers and haemorrhaging of top Civil Servants in an apparent “purge” of people who voted Remain is hugely alienating to the professional and business credibility of the UK and HMG, and I fear will be damaging to the Government's (and UK’s) ability to retain good people in key administrative posts.
I also fear that having Ministers announce at the Despatch Box a willingness to break the law invites a damaging legal challenge and risks triggering another constitutional crisis and logjam in Parliament with the Lords, further eroding public trust in our democracy.
As a Conservative I fear deeply that this will undermine our historic and hard earnt reputation as the natural party of Government which can be trusted to enforce the fundamental principles of our country’s liberal democratic constitution and commitment to the rule of law.
For all these reasons I share the deep concern of four former Leaders of the Conservative Party, four former Prime Ministers and a number of high profile Leave campaigning Conservatives including Michael Howard and Geoffrey Cox at this proposal, and am deeply concerned that a Conservative Government is doing it.
For all these reasons I cannot support the Bill as it currently stands.
Unless Ministers change tack and amend, remove or time-lock the Northern Ireland Protocol measures, I intend to vote for the Bob Neill Amendment, and will not be able to vote for the Bill as worded.
No Government should ever countenance willingly breaking international law unless as a last resort in the most serious of emergencies. We must stand by our treaty obligations.
I take this position not because I am opposed to the Government’s programme but because I support it. Our commitment to “get Brexit done” by implementing the Withdrawal Agreement Treaty was fundamental to our election victory. I support the Prime Minister and the Government on all of our other work to deliver Brexit and make it a moment of bold and inspiring national renewal.
I oppose the sections of this Bill ripping up the Northern Ireland Protocol because I am a Conservative who believes in the Union and the core tradition of Conservative belief in the sovereignty of Parliament, the rule of law and the UK commitment to honour international Treaty obligations we sign.
Damaging our credibility as a Party, Government and country committed to honouring our international Treaty obligations is too extreme and too high a price to pay simply to strength our hand in negotiations.
I hope Ministers will find a way to commit only to introduce the measures proposed for post Brexit trade between Norther Ireland, Great Britain and Ireland only IF and WHEN the EU fails to negotiate in good faith in the negotiations for a new UK-EU trade deal.
I am working with No10, Ministers and the Whips office to try and encourage the Government to find a way to “time-lock” these measures to be used only as a backstop in the event of the EU acting in bad faith to prevent the negotiating of a UK / EU trade deal.
10 September 2020
DEFRA Qs – Banham Poultry
When we ask a business to shut down to help avoid Covid spreading through its workforce, like Banham Poultry (which has no lost £7m and received NO support in the spring because it was a key Food Supplier), it’s only fair that we help them minimise business damage.
Please see below my Question to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the House today – along with links to some of my previous work to date.
Relevant Links
(Please note that there have been a number of articles in the EDP on this issue over recent days. All can be found at their website: here)
9 September 2020
Offshore Wind Infrastructure
Since the Energy Minister’s announcement of the full Review into improving offshore wind connectivity, my parliamentary colleagues here in the East and I have continued our campaign – with the aim of holding the Review to account and doing our utmost to get a proper strategic Plan for the delivery of this vital technology.
This morning, a group of us met with representatives of the Belgian Modular Offshore Grid to discuss how innovative technologies have been used across the North Sea to develop Offshore Grids there. Good news. The technology clearly exists. And is being used to develop 21st century offshore energy grids that both deliver much needed, clean, green energy and minimises disruption and environmental damage onshore.
Rest assured, with Parliament now sitting again after the Summer Recess, I look forward to us being able to step up our campaign even further – and will report back again with more news soon.
9 September 2020
Banham Poultry - Update 4
The Covid outbreak at Banham Poultry has shown how centralised our NHS and system of Government continues to be.
Although progress has been made in getting a proper Track and Trace operation in place, there is much still to do, and we must do all we can to monitor its efforts.
We must now consider too the increasingly difficult financial situation facing the company’s shareholders – and that’s why I am working hard locally and in Westminster to call for the Government to step in and provide support. Losing Banham Poultry to this crisis would be a huge blow to Attleborough and our wider Norfolk economy. The business also plays a crucial role within the UK’s national food processing sector.
Please see below my interview on BBC Look East (aired last night, 8th September) concerning the financial situation affecting Banham Poultry – along with links to some of my previous work to date.
Relevant Links
(Please note that there have been a number of articles in the EDP on this issue over recent days. All can be found at their website: here)
9 September 2020
Back British Farming!
Today is Back British Farming day across the country.
That’s why I am asking everyone to do their bit – wear the badge, speak up and support our vital farming industries that have done, and continue to do, so much for our Norfolk and national economies, as well as our unique way of life!
Please hear my full statement below.
8 September 2020
Save Our Swan! – Just £30k to go!
The Save Our Swan! Campaign is going from strength to strength – having raised £200,000 of its £230,000 target through the sales of shares in the project working to reopen The Swan pub in Gressenhall.
Well done to the team at the Gressenhall Community Enterprise (CAG), who are working so hard to save the pub!
To reach their target of £230,000 (in addition to the £120,000 they hope to raise through social investment loans), the CAG now just need the final £30,000 – and YOU can play a part!
As we know, our local town and village pubs play a key role at the heart of our communities and local heritage. Projects like the Save Our Swan! campaign deserve our support.
Shares in the project, ranging from £50 to £25,000, can be purchased online and all of the moneys raised will be used by the CAG to buy the pub and restore it to its former glory.
To learn more about the project and buy shares, please visit the brilliant Save Our Swan website here
To see the recent EDP articles, please click here and here
(To see my previous web-stories on this hugely worthwhile project, please click here and here)