David Smith MP: 10 Government decisions making things better in north Northumberland
I opened a letter in late March that made me very happy.
Then I realised just how odd life becomes when you’re an MP.
There I was, drinking my coffee and destroying a KitKat (other chocolate bars are available) and doing a little jig …over a Shared Rural Network mast; a mobile phone mast which can improve local coverage.
I know, I know. Politics is a strange old world. Nearly every headline focuses on 1% of the job – the uproar issues.
Meanwhile the other 99% of it is doggedly trying to make things better in a way that nearly no one cares about.
Be honest, how often have you thought about Shared Rural Network masts lately?
When things go well, or go better, our expectations rise, and we mentally move on.
So here are ten very ‘boring’ ways that things are getting better for North Northumberland because of government decisions. I promise you’ll be fast asleep by
number seven.
1. We’re using a big pot of cash - £568,000 - to put in decent flood defences.
2. More than a thousand children will get breakfast before they start the school day.
3. We have an upgraded Shared Rural Network mast near Sharperton, which means better 4G access for local communities.
4. We have a dedicated cancer plan and a commitment to hit life-saving targets that have not been reached since 2015.
5. Two million pounds has been ringfenced to maintain war memorials in this country; memorials that mark the sacrifice and memory of our relatives.
6. Because of the Renters’ Rights Act, May 1 your landlord has to give specific, valid reasons to end your tenancy, and all tenancies will roll-on otherwise.
7. The government has kept its promise on the triple lock, so the maximum new State Pension has gone up to £241.30 per week.
8. The average family is now saving £8,000 on childcare.
9. Labour is getting rid of red tape to build new nuclear infrastructure and improve national energy security.
10. The energy price cap is down by 7%.
I’m proud of this government for governing. We need a steady pair of hands to mend some of the rot we inherited, and we’ve got that. Obviously, I am biased, but when I look at the alternatives, I’m not filled with the same confidence. What do you think?
Did anything in the list above surprise you? Get in touch.