After opposition MPs overcame their timidity to face the electorate and answer the voters for their blocking of the people’s Brexit, Parliament has finally confirmed that a General Election will take place on Thursday 12th December.
In Crawley this represents a clear choice between backing Boris Johnson and I to deliver Brexit and focus on our domestic priorities, or siding with Jeremy Corbyn and his dither, division and delay.
While the Government did not want an election, we need to break the deadlock in Parliament to deliver Brexit. The only way to do this is with an MP standing up for Crawley as part of a Conservative majority in the House of Commons.
Labour’s unconstructive approach on Brexit means Parliament is unable to take a greater focus on the other important issues that make a difference to people’s lives.
The Prime Minister has pledged to recruit 20,000 new police officers – including here for Sussex Police, as well as making sure that the most serious violent and sexual offenders are properly punished. Under this Government we are seeing £33.9 billion more for the NHS by 2023-24, and I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to ensuring that this means on issues such as GP access, patients get a better deal.
It is perhaps appropriate that the first weekend of the official campaign period will mark Remembrance Sunday. While I am out and about throughout Crawley asking local residents to support our campaign, it is well worth remembering that without those who have served our nation in the armed forces we would not have a democracy or an election at all.
The Prime Minister appointed a Minister for Defence People & Veterans in both the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Office to ensure a cross-government approach to supporting serving and former armed forces personnel.
This is the first occasion in history that a dedicated Office for Veterans’ Affairs has been established by a British Prime Minister, and about time too.
Henry Smith
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Crawley