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Last week in my piece for the online edition of Downs Mail I heralded a meeting scheduled for last Thursday (16th July), between Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) and officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, where MBC were seeking to mitigate the heavy housing burde

Aside from the all-encompassing omnipresence of Brexit and Covid-19 these last few months, the single biggest issue raised with me by the people of Maidstone and The Weald concerns the building of new houses across our gorgeous, green garden of England.  The controversially high number finally ar

Before I was elected Member of Parliament for Maidstone & The Weald in 2010 I was a family lawyer for 23 years, focusing on tackling the challenges of family breakdown, and particularly the scourge of Domestic Violence.  There has been a great deal of good work done in this area over the year

Being prevented from visiting those we love in hospital has been one of the cruellest aspects of the Coronavirus pandemic.   It was a completely understandable measure, to help contain the virus, but so hard for families and patients, be they Covid or Non-Covid. 

A successful cure for Coronavirus, be it a vaccine or some other mechanism, is the grail we all seek for our long-term health and safety.   Whilst that mission is carried out around the world the NHS is looking at how to diminish the worst effects of the disease, giving us a better chance of reco

Kent’s beautiful countryside, historic towns, coastal resorts and world leading vineyards combined with its historic status as the Garden of England mean that tourism is at the heart of the county’s economy.

This week we witnessed the funeral of George Floyd.  His shocking and heartbreaking murder in Minneapolis on May 25th has ignited the campaign against racism with public outcry and protest all around the world – including on the streets of my own constituency of Maidstone & The Weald.  

The most optimistic hopes for an effective coronavirus vaccine to become available are reported to be at least a year away, and probably more.  People I speak with in Maidstone & The Weald know that the effect of an extended general lockdown could be just as damaging as the virus itself, and

In England and Wales so far, of over 10,000 Covid-19 deaths occurring outside hospital, 80% took place in care homes.  Here in Kent the figure reflects the national picture and I have been in touch with several local care-home owners, managers and staff recently, to understand the challenges they

When the Prime Minister addressed the nation on Sunday he explained that, mercifully, some modest changes can now be made to the lockdown.  This is partly because the pressure on our hospitals caused by high Coronavirus infection numbers is easing.