Henry Smith MP February 2015 Resident’s Bulletin
English Votes for the English Nation
I was honoured to be made a Patron of the Fair Votes for All campaign, which is calling for English Votes for the English Nation (EVEN).
There are significant areas of policy which are devolved to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, but as it stands now, Scottish MPs in Westminster can vote on matters affecting England in the House of Commons, even though English MPs rightly can’t vote on Scotland issues.
With more powers being devolved to Scotland following the independence referendum last year, it’s not fair that Scottish MPs continue to determine issues that don’t affect their constituents. This campaign is about ensuring that we can make decisions about our own priorities, such as in our classrooms and in NHS.
I’ve launched a Crawley petition for this campaign that will be read in the House of Commons. (Due to Parliamentary procedure, signatures must be done in writing, rather than online.)
To register your support, please follow this link, complete the petition form (available as a Word document and a PDF), and please return it to: Henry Smith MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA. In order to guarantee inclusion, I’ll need to receive the completed petition by Monday, 9th March please.
Remembering the Holocaust: Marking Holocaust Memorial Day, this year coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
World Cancer Day: Pleased to host Cancer Research UK in Parliament, at their event attended by the Health Secretary.
Standing up for Crawley: It has been a privilege to assist 5,000 Crawley residents since 2010 – it is a great responsibility to provide assistance on issues that affect people on an everyday basis.
In/out UK/EU referendum: Writing about my continuing support – and actions – backing an EU referendum. Time for us all to have our say.
Growth Deal: Welcomed the announcement of £10 million of funding for Gatwick Station and told a Government Minister about the concerns of myself and Crawley commuters following recent London Bridge commuter distuption. I also asked the Deputy Prime Minister to ensure that funding continued to improve Crawley transport infrastructure.
Start-Up Loans: Encouraging to see that 66 people in Crawley have set up their own business with assistance from the Government’s Start-Up Loans Scheme. Crawley unemployment is down by more than 60% since 2010.
The Railway: Following my approach to Stonegate Pubs, I was pleased they provided clarification on local press reports and confirmed that the pub would remain a live music venue.
Priority School Building Programme: Crawley schools are benefiting from funding to refurbish and improve buildings.
Campaign Launch: Welcomed the Home Secretary to Crawley to launch my Parliamentary re-election campaign. If you feel I have been a diligent advocate for our town these last five years, I would be honoured to have your vote on 7th May.
A Band of Brothers: Pleased to tell the Justice Secretary about their great work in assisting the rehabilitation of offenders. It was a pleasure to attend their homecoming ceremony in West Green recently.
Standing up for Crawley health services: Challenged a former Health Secretary in the Commons over our health services.
CCTV in slaughterhouses: led a debate in the House of Commons calling for all slaughterhouses to introduce CCTV to prevent the abuses of animals recently uncovered by Animal Aid. The full text can be found on my website, and my closing comments can be seen here.
I have been working with the charity on this issue, and was pleased to have the support of Queen guitarist Dr Brian May!
Follow me on my website, on Facebook, via Twitter, and on YouTube.
Never hesitate to let me know if I can assist
Henry