Henry Smith MP has signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, in doing so pledging his commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those who were murdered during the Holocaust, as well as paying tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today.
Henry Smith MP has welcomed official jobs figures which show that in the south east of England, there are now 4,673,609 people in work; meaning that 481,270 more people have the security of a job and a wage compared with 2010.
There can be a debate between allowing personal freedom to choose and legislating to protect the public. The term ‘Nanny State’ can be used when some perceive that well-intentioned government or health bodies are perceived to interfere too much with our lives. There is of course a balance to strike as complete freedom to do absolutely anything would be anarchy, while any government forcing us to do everything they want would be totalitarianism. It’s an age-old libertarian/authoritarian argument that can manifest itself in different ways as new issues arise.
Henry Smith MP has welcomed the news that the Government is delivering on its manifesto pledge to enshrine the historic £33.9 billion funding boost for the NHS into law.
It has been well documented that town centres are under pressure, mostly due to more online shopping, but high rents and business rates also add pressure. Nationally and locally, it is the Conservatives that recognise this and who are trying to keep our town centres thriving. Smaller retailers are now paying much less in business rates thanks to measures brought in by the Conservative Government.
Henry Smith MP has spoken in the Queen’s Speech debate reiterating the importance of British democracy, and how decisions taken at home can support Global Britain around the world.
As the new decade gets underway, we do so with a political stability that we haven’t had at all during the last decade. The Coalition government of 2010 to 2015 held together and did the groundwork to recover the economy and public finances from the disastrous previous Labour government, but being a coalition meant that truly radical change was always going to be difficult.
Henry Smith MP has welcomed the news that families in Crawley can look forward to receiving a well-earned pay rise with a new National Living Wage (NLW) of £8.72 per hour from 1st April 2020, its biggest cash increase ever – and a rise from the current value of £8.21.
As we enter 2020, we do so after a decade of economic improvement under the Conservatives. The latest jobs figures from December show that there are 3.8 million more people in work since 2010, meaning more families have greater financial security and can plan for the future with confidence.
I hope that everyone is enjoying the Christmas break. Last week was the state opening of the new Parliament with the Queens Speech. There was too much to cover here so I will focus on just one area which is one of the biggest long-term challenges we face as a country. Putting social care on a sustainable footing needs a long-term solution and I am very pleased the new Conservative Government is determined to address this.
