THE WORLD’S eyes have been on Westminster recently but for the pageantry rather than the politics.
The coronation of King Charles III was a special moment for the country and the Commonwealth and I hope you all enjoyed the occasion in whatever way you were able to participate.
While we enjoyed the celebrations, our thoughts were also with our friends in Ukraine and most recently also in Sudan where, following months of escalating tensions between rival forces, violence erupted.
It was deeply worrying to hear of the killing of innocent civilians and destruction of critical infrastructure prior to the ceasefire, and the Government had to act swiftly to ensure the safety of British nationals.
It is a testament to our armed forces’ agility that the UK conducted the largest evacuation of any Western country from Sudan.
The successful operation evacuated more than 2,450 people on 30 flights, the vast majority of them being British nationals and their dependents.
Meanwhile, as the cost-of-living continues to affect families across the UK, the Government has extended support to over 8million households – including 9,600 in Mid Worcestershire – through additional Cost of Living payments totalling £900.
Furthermore, following the Energy Bill Relief Scheme ending on March 31, the Government is continuing to support non-domestic energy customers through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme, which came into force last month.
The scheme, which backdates support to the start of April, will provide all eligible businesses and other non-domestic energy customers with a discount on high gas and electricity bills until March 31, 2024.
In my Ministerial role, I was pleased to attend the first ever Business Connect event in London.
With the Prime Minister and Chancellor also present, the event focused on supporting businesses and growing the economy.
It was a great opportunity to speak to business leaders and re-affirm our promises to secure high-quality trade deals, remove barriers to market access and cut needless red tape that holds businesses back.
With the arrival of spring, I have been able to enjoy a number of events across the constituency, such as seeing the ever-beautiful gardens at the Cropthorne Walkabout and enjoying the festivities at the St Richard’s Canal Festival in Droitwich.
I was also delighted to welcome the Japanese Ambassador to the UK, Hajime Hayashi, and his wife on a visit to Evesham and Broadway in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Blossom Trail, and the natural beauty of our part of the world was on full display.
Nigel Huddleston
Mid Worcestershire
