I HOPE my constituents were able to have a peaceful and restful Christmas break.
2023 is a fresh new year and Westminster is already very busy with a number of important bills coming through Parliament, including legislation on online safety and a bill to ensure minimum service standards are maintained during strikes.
There appears to be some confusion about what this latter legislation would mean – particularly on social media.
To be clear, the right to take strike action will continue, but we wish to follow the practice of other countries in ensuring a minimum level of service is maintained in key sectors during strikes.
The Government respects and values the work of our public sector workers.
However, it also has a duty to the wider public to ensure their safety, protect their access to vital public services and help them go about their daily lives.
Therefore, the Government will introduce legislation to require minimum service levels for vital public services.
More generally, I do recognise we are facing a difficult start to the year, with the cost of living remaining forefront on most people’s minds.
Therefore, in addition to the action we have already taken to tackle the problems the country faces, the Prime Minister and the Government have hit the ground running in 2023 and announced five promises on which to build a better future.
These are concrete promises to halve inflation, to grow the economy, get our national debt down, to cut NHS waiting lists and to legislate so that if you come here illegally, you are detained and removed.
This is an ambitious agenda and I look forward to seeing these promises being delivered.
Meanwhile, I personally have also had a very busy start to the New Year.
I was pleased to welcome a ‘Pupil’s Parliament’ from Westacre Middle School to Parliament recently.
I have also taken the opportunity for a number of meetings throughout the constituency in recent weeks, including visiting several businesses and meeting with local farmers and the NFU.
In my role as a Minister in the Department for International Trade, I am also preparing for a number of important trade meetings in the coming weeks as we continue to develop and strengthen the UK’s independent trade policy.
Nigel Huddleston
MP for Mid Worcestershire
