5 January 2024
Weekly Message to Constituents 195 - Hitting the ground running

Happy New Year to all my constituents, and welcome to the first of my weekly messages for 2024. 

I very much enjoyed joining our brilliant team today in the Town Centre, talking to people about the priorities which I, as your Member of Parliament, and our energetic and highly effective West Midlands Mayor Andy Street are going to pursue over the next year.

Above all, both Andy and I believe that politics is about serving the people who have given us the great privilege of representing them.

Above: Heading off around the Royal Town this morning with our brilliant local councillors and activists. Delivering letters, leaflets and listening to local views 

However, the Labour administration that has bankrupted Birmingham’s council has failed to do the basic work to make this reality. So, Labour have sat on the park, failing to invest in it and stopping anyone else from doing so – or even looking at ways to help.

 

New Years Honours List

A huge congratulations to Ian Woodfroffe, founder of Easy Fundraising, who has been awarded an OBE for his service to charitable fundraising in this year’s New Years Honours List.

Ian set up Easy Fundraising over 20 years ago here in the Royal Town, raising an incredible £45 million for good causes since its inception. Easy Fundraising now has 90 people working for the company with a hub in London.

Easy Fundraising is an innovative app and the first of its kind ever which allows users to donate to a charity simply by shopping online via the app with various retailers. It costs nothing to use as the retailers donate to the chosen charities.

You can find out how to use Easy Fundraising by clicking here:

 https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/support-a-good-cause/

Above: Myself with Ian Woodroffe, and Becky Coleman who works for Easy Fundraising

 

West Midlands Mayor-PCC Merger Consultation 

I know many residents are deeply concerned about the future of West Midlands Police, especially with crime doubling under the Labour PCC and the terrible plan to close our Police Station (which I have always opposed in the strongest possible terms). 

That is why back in November our brilliant Mayor Andy Street recently requested the Home Office approve a transfer of powers from the PCC to the Mayoral office, as is currently the case in London, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, to tackle crime across the West Midlands and support residents across the whole region including the Royal Town. The Home Office has now determined that a consultation must be run regarding the transfer of PCC powers to the Mayor so that they can hear the views of local residents and push for the best course of action to ensure effective Policing across the West Midlands and indeed, the Royal Town.  

If you would like to respond to the consultation and make your thoughts and concerns heard, please follow the link below where you can tell the Home Office your priorities for West Midlands Police and your perspective on the West Midlands Mayor-PCC Merger: 

https://www.homeofficesurveys.homeoffice.gov.uk/s/west-midlands-pcc-functions-transfer/ 

As your local MP, I will continue to monitor this situation very closely and will always push to make sure residents' concerns are heard and ensure effective policing throughout the Royal Town.  

Above: Welcoming our regional mayor on one of his many visits to the Royal Town

 

Post Office Scandal

No doubt many of my constituents will have watched the excellent ITV drama Mr Bates v The Post Office.

This appalling miscarriage of justice is still subject to an independent inquiry but nevertheless the dreadful treatment of those innocent postmasters and postmistresses is a scandal that should never be repeated. I vigorously attacked those responsible in the House once constituents raised this with me and brought it to my attention. 

Here below is an example from Wednesday 15th December 2021:

“I am grateful to hon.friend for his statement. Will he reflect on the fact that this extraordinary miscarriage of justice has been made worse by the fact that the Post Office could use public money to overwhelm these honest and decent postmasters and postmistresses, so that their legitimate recompense is all or at least partly gobbled up by massive legal fees?. On behalf of the Government, the minister will want to reflect on why is has taken so long for them to acknowledge and accept what Members on both sides of the House have been calling for years and years – non more so than our former colleague the Right Hon Lord Arbunthhot. Will the Minister say a little more about what will be done to hold to account those who shamefully led the Post Office and so grievously let down the honest men and women who worked for them?” 

Above: ITV’s Mr Bates v The Post Office 

 

Funeral of Edna Heappey BEM

Today with great sadness we buried Edna Heappey BEM after a beautiful service held in the Sutton Coldfield United Reform Church I wrote about this distinguished Daughter of the Royal Town who contributed so much during her 98 years - nearly all spent in Sutton Coldfield ( you can read what I said here: https://www.andrew-mitchell-mp.co.uk/news/weekly-message-constituents-190-hot-and-cold-december)

We celebrated all that she did for so many of us as the founder of the Elizabethan club, mainstay of Goldieslie bowls club, builder of the most successful branch in England of the RNLI whose flag draped her coffin, tremendous school governor, brilliant fund raiser and astute political observer and wise member of the Sutton Coldfield Conservative Association represented today by our President Kay Noone. She was a matriarch of 4 generations of her family of 21.

In the Commons

Parliament has not been sitting this week

My article in The Times 

On Wednesday I wrote for The Times on the excellent work that Street Child does with Government support, helping the world’s poorest and most disaster-affected countries to ensure children are still kept in school, and how the government are matching donations donated up to £500,000. 

You can read more about it here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/andrew-mitchell-give-to-street-child-and-government-will-double-the-value-christmas-appeal-07g2qlsf6co.uk)

To donate, please visit thetimes.co.uk/christmasappeal or call 0151 284 2336. 

 

National insurance cuts

From this month, thousands of hard-working people here in Sutton Coldfield and millions across the country will have their taxes cut by this government.

That means the average person on a £35k salary will be £450 better off as a result of our changes.

We can do all this now because of the long-term decisions we’ve taken since Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister, like halving inflation to reduce the cost of living.

That’s in stark contrast to Labour who say they’d spend £28 billion more, which they’ll pay for by raising your taxes.

If you want to find out how our Conservative tax cut will impact you, click the link below or visit taxcuts.conservatives.com

 

The local Conservative Office would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

Further information

MHRC Locations

Please see below the visits scheduled for the week commencing 8thJanuary 2024 of the BCC Mobile Household Recycling Centre.

  • Tue 09/01/2024,Green Lanes B73 5JL, 07:00 - 12:30, Sutton Wylde Green

  • Fri 12/01/2024, Park View Road B74 4PR, 07:00 - 12:30, Sutton Four Oaks

#MYTOWNHALL

Your Town Hall requires donations to protect our heritage building for future use.

In this present situation of rising material prices, heating bills and social costs, why should YOU consider supporting your town hall? Because it is a precious historical building, an asset to the area, and the Trust needs support to keep it functioning. 

From all of the team at Sutton Coldfield Community Town Hall Trust and the trustees.

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