The recent news about the energy bill price cap rise is causing huge anxiety and I have heard local voices on this very concerning issue, loud and clear.

I am confident that the Treasury and senior government ministers are working hard to address this very real crisis and that an announcement will be made by the new Prime Minister in the days following his or her appointment. I am very clear that there needs to be direct support for the least well off and long measures to hold down the price that families and householders are paying. I will be working hard on behalf of my constituents to secure that outcome.

Centrica are donating 10% of British Gas Energy profits to help customers struggling with domestic bills. This is, of course, only a tiny part of any answer.

If you are a British Gas customer with energy debt you could get a no strings grant to help you get ahead. More info here:  bit.ly/BGET_grant

I have been told that this fund will open from mid-September.

GCSE Results day

This week I would like to extend my congratulations to all GCSE students across the Royal Town who received their results yesterday. After two years of classroom disruption due to Covid-19, we should all be very proud of them for all their hard work which has paid off.

I am looking forward to welcoming students from Plantsbrook School to the House of Commons in autumn.

Commonwealth Games Legacy – Get Moving September

There will be many legacies from the Commonwealth games, not least for our park following the Royal Town’s contribution through hosting the Triathlon.

There are other useful legacy points for us to consider. The need to change travel habits during Games time has been a catalyst towards longer-term behaviour change goals for transport use and delivers a direct sustainable legacy benefit that supports decarbonisation, better air quality and broader physical and mental wellbeing. Key infrastructure improvements accelerated by the Games include:

• Cycling improvements and a cycle hire scheme 
• West Midlands Metro Westside extension 
• New 'Sprint' bus routes 
• Road improvement schemes
• Greater resilience and incident management with real time monitoring, the Regional Transport Coordination Centre (RTCC) will provide permanent regional coordination of transport networks and services

Read more on the legacy the Games will leave on the Birmingham 2022 website - https://www.birmingham2022.com/about-us/our-purpose/our-legacy/venues-infrastructure/

Empire Cinema

During the course of the week, I have had further meetings about our cinema. Councillor David Pears and I hope to be able to report back on this matter in due course.

The Final Stretch

The Conservative Leadership campaign has entered its final leg. Conservative Party members have one week left to cast our vote so if you haven’t already, please make sure you do so before the 2 September deadline. Every vote counts.

For those who remain undecided, it is important to reflect on the qualities each candidate possesses, the experience they have achieved and the judgment they have proven. While I believe that both offer a wealth of attributes, there is no doubt in my mind that Rishi Sunak is the helmsman our country needs to navigate the difficult storms ahead. 

Earlier this week I had the honour of introducing Rishi at the Birmingham Hustings, organised by Times Radio and attended by more than 1500 Conservative party members across the West Midlands. This huge husting was held at the Atrium at the NEC.

I recalled that during my 35 years as an elected Member of Parliament, I have not witnessed a more daunting moment for our country’s next leader. It is as if all the threats and challenges of the last fifty years are being visited on us in one fell swoop: Industrial disruption and an energy price hike with terrifying household costs. Interest rates and mortgages rises. Warfare and crisis in Europe. Inflation with all the devastation it brings.  This is all before the serious issues arising from Covid – not least the immense strains on our health service.

Rishi has been tried and tested in moments of ferocious crises. When Covid hit, it was Rishi Sunak who designed and delivered what the IMF described as the ‘best furlough scheme in the world’: more than an economic package, the scheme was a veritable lifeline for millions of people and businesses up and down the UK.

His vision for the future is a Conservative vision – but make no mistake, it is a plan for our whole nation: Helping the hardest hit, stabilising the economy while at the same time supporting aspiration, strengthening education and boosting our health service.

While I do think both candidates are brilliant, this is the time for experience and agility, for decency and good judgment. Rishi ticks every box, and I hope that on September 5th he will be announced as our new Prime Minister.

The Overflow of Dirty Water and Sewage into our Rivers and Seas

There is understandably great concern on this matter and considerable anger that, in the recent heavy rainstorms, there was a discharge of sewage into rivers and coastal waters.

When the Environment Bill passed through parliament, I was persuaded not to vote to outlaw any such discharges because the government made a strong point that if the overflows were not allowed, sewage and dirty water could back up into our towns and even conceivably comeback to haunt us in our loos.

On reflection, I could have supported my colleague Philip Dunn MP’s amendment, which could have taken this matter further and I now intend when parliament returns, to pursue this matter further. In particular, I want to see a timetable for the end of any outflows of sewage into open water, details of the necessary infrastructure investment that will be required, and a transparent understanding of the payment structure of senior executives in what is inevitably an industry that is a natural monopoly.

Useful Information

Essential engineering works are being delivered by Network Rail over the August Bank Holiday weekend. As a result, amendments to services will be in place, and so it is recommended you check your journey before you travel. You can find more information on the West Midlands Railway website.

Neighbourhood Development and Support Unit: I have received the latest update from the NDSU in relation to External Funding as of 8th February. Please see for any opportunities that may be available to you and your organisation.

https://sway.office.com/5vR8Z2nEMm7iWwO7

This week, the Environment Agency West Midlands has formally moved into drought status.

The change of status recognises the continuing impact prolonged dry weather is having on water resources and the environment.  

If you would like to keep up to date or have any particular concerns, please visit Environment Agency West Midlands social media - https://twitter.com/envagencymids