In recent weeks, the nation has gone through a very sad period as we came together to mourn the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. On a very wet and sombre day as the news from Balmoral and Buckingham Palace started to develop, I was at the Westmorland County Show with friends and colleagues supporting our finest Cumbrian rural communities. As the country then entered a period of mourning our rural communities were strong together. I was honoured to take part in the moving Service of Thanksgiving and Commemoration for Her Majesty held at St Andrew’s Church in Penrith and to attend the Proclamation of the Accession of King Charles III at Penrith Town Hall where I signed the Book of Condolence for The Queen. In The House of Commons, I was humbled to pay my respects to the Queen and to swear my allegiance to our new Monarch. On behalf of the people of Penrith and The Border again I want to express my profound sadness at the passing of Her Majesty and send our deepest condolences to the King and the entire Royal Family. She served the country and the Commonwealth steadfastly and faithfully over her 70-year reign, providing a shining example to us all.
Cumbria was a special place for Queen Elizabeth and her late husband, Prince Philip, who both visited our county many times over the years. The people of Cumbria will always have a special place in their hearts for Her Majesty. As a vet, I was consistently struck by her passion for all animals great and small. From her beloved Corgis and her Cumbrian Fell Ponies to a certain Peruvian bear, her support for the health and welfare of animals was there for all to see. The Queen was famous for her breeding and racing of thoroughbreds, and even beyond the racecourse she bred Shetland, Highland and Fell Ponies, a passion she shared with Prince Philip. This latter breed is a glorious feature of rural Cumbria. Who could not be moved by the sight of her beloved Fell Pony, Emma, waiting for her funeral procession at Windsor?
On a personal note, her strong Christian faith, which she expressed throughout her life, was an example and an inspiration to me and my own faith. She always made me think of my Dad who passed away two years ago. Dad used to sit us down on Christmas Day to watch the Queen’s Message each year; many people have quoted her words: “Grief is the price we pay for love.” I know people in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world loved the Queen and are feeling that grief now. God bless Her Majesty. May She rest in eternal peace. God save the King.
It was a tough period to transition away from, but one particularly sobering issue that demands action, is that of spiralling energy bills. This has dominated my discussions, advice surgeries and meetings with constituents over recent weeks and I want to reaffirm my significant concerns and what I am doing to try to help folk. While I welcomed the Government's much-needed support, such as the unit price cap and direct financial aid, we need to make sure remoter rural communities such as ours don't get left behind. We are moving in the right direction, but we need to go further and faster to make sure people are getting the support they need. This is particularly true for those who use heating oil or LPG. I understand this issue as we are on heating oil at home in Brampton; folk have to spend many hundreds of pounds to refill their tanks, often with a minimum order of 500 litres. The £100 support figure simply is not enough and I am urging the Government to address this as a priority for our rural communities.
I will continue to bang the drum on this issue with Government and push for more urgent measures, like those that helped so many businesses and people during the pandemic. I welcome the Government’s reversal of its 45p top tax rate decision. I thank the Government
for listening to me, my Conservative colleagues, and the public; retaining the 45p tax rate is absolutely the right and moral decision moving forward. The plan for our economy must be inclusive and boost the economy at all levels with key support for people who are struggling. I firmly believe that giving tax cuts to those on large salaries was not the way to achieve this.
And finally, great news in my campaign for Post 16 Transport! I have led the fight to secure a new bus service for youngsters from Alston Moor Federation to study each day at New College Durham. It has been great working with Headteacher Gill Jackson on this and I am grateful that Eden District Council agreed to earmark vital funds for this service.
And finally, this month I was privileged to work with constituent and member of the ‘3 Dads Walking’, Andy Airey, to table a parliamentary motion calling for age-appropriate suicide awareness and mental first aid training in schools. Already receiving much support from across the political spectrum, I was humbled to have walked into Penrith with these three brave Dads supporting an issue that is paramount to keeping our young people safe.
