A Plan for Wiltshire and for our Country
It is time to provide real opportunities for all. I entered politics to give everyone a fair chance to get on in life by building enough affordable housing, making sure there is a good school place for every child and ensuring that we set the standard for how we look after our people as they get older and retire.
Improve GP access and strengthen our NHS
Getting a GP appointment quickly is proving difficult in parts of the constituency.I have made this case and our manifesto promises 250 new or modernised surgeries.
I shall always fight for more investment into our NHS so it is not only safeguarded but also improved. However money alone is not the answer - we need to transform the NHS’s use of technology and productivity. I’ve made this case and we will invest £3.4 BN in new technology to transform the NHS as well as cut waste and bureaucracy including reducing the number of managers by 5,500.
Devizes Medical Centre is an excellent facility that the government delivered and takes pressure of local GP surgeries. If elected I will push for a review into the additional services it could take on, the feasibility of this and timeline to then create an action plan.
Strong voice on immigration – Illegal immigration is simply unfair and downright wrong. I will continue to be a strong voice on this crucial topic and ensure we do all we can to stop the boats. Labour and the Lib Dems have opposed our policies at every turn, and voting for Reform will lead to a Labour government. Who knows if the situation will be repairable after five years of Labour. The planes to Rwanda have been booked but if the Conservatives don’t win, Labour will ground the flights and open the floodgates.
Net migration is too high. I think we have relied on legal immigration as a sticking plaster for too long. During the three years I was an Education Minister, I concentrated on skills and giving British people the tools to better their lives and fill our skills gaps so we don’t have to rely on immigration. I focused on rocketing apprenticeships, developing a funding system for lifelong learning that comes in next year, cracking down on poor-quality university courses, and rolling out T level.
Bradford on Avon One-way – Bradford on Avon needs a permanent one-way system that will widen pavements and include mitigations for some of the town. I have pushed for this for years and helped secure joint funding for modelling. I have met with Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and they will work with the Town Council, but need the Town Council to put forward a route for consultation. We are at an impasse as the Town Council have been stalling - I will not let this drop and will then work to secure national funding.
Passionately champion our community – The last few years have been unprecedented but I have always put our community first. I will continue to be accessible, approachable and hardworking. Over the past 9 years I have organised local events to help residents such as debt advice workshops, over-55’s events & Crime Forums, the list goes on. I hold surgeries in supermarkets, cafes, pubs, village halls plus my closed appointments. I also have stands at fetes and carnivals – all to be as accessible as possible.
Education and schools – I will build on my successful campaign for more money, having recently secured over £2.4 million extra with overall school funding up by 13.3%. On a per-pupil basis the total funding allocated to schools for 5-16 year old pupils is now £7,690 - up 49% since 2010/11. I will also make improving SEND provision a priority.
Almost every week of the school term I have held democracy workshops in local schools to teach our young about democracy and talk to our local teachers and school leaders.
Standing up for veterans and our Armed Forces – Our Armed Forces are vital, especially in the unpredictable world we live in. I have pushed for an increase in Defence spending which means that Defence will now receive an additional £75 billion over six years. I have been vocal about the need to ensure our forces have the best equipment and accommodation plus the best care once they retire. I have welcomed the additional £2.4 million boost to veterans' mental health services and our new support package. I will always stand up for greater investment in our Armed Forces to keep us safe.
Combatting antisocial behaviour and burglaries – In response to incidents of antisocial behaviour that we have especially seen in Devizes, Melksham, Calne and our villages, I have organised several crime forums and supported the new policy which means the police have to attend every burglary. I have also helped deliver more bobbies on the beat with 171 more in Wiltshire since I made the pledge to uplift numbers in 2019.
Supporting our pensioners – I have consistently supported the Triple Lock, which this year has meant a £900 increase to the state pension. I have pushed for more support and we have announced the Triple Lock Plus meaning pensioners personal tax allowance would rise in line with average earnings, inflation or 2.5% whichever is higher. I will make sure this support remains a priority.
Keeping our children safe online – Protecting our children online has been a mission for me. As a Minister I re wrote our Online Safety Act to strengthen the protections for children including possible jail time for social media executives, and mandating the enforcement of age restrictions so that children aged 13 or below can’t access without parental consent. This will make a massive difference and once fully up and running, this new law will make the U.K. the safest place in the world for our children to be online.
Standing up for our rural communities and farmers – As a villager myself I get the importance of preserving village life and amenities. I have supported campaigns like Limpley Stoke’s community pub helping secure funding and also I am campaigning against the Solar Battery site in Whitley. Farmers are the backbone of our community, producing the food we eat and preserving our precious countryside. I have organised Farmers' Roundtables, which allow local farmers to feed back their experiences directly to the Government.
Upgrade Melksham Hospital – I haven’t just jumped on the bandwagon of this topic - I started the campaign to upgrade Melksham Hospital to take pressure off our local GP surgeries and to enable nearby towns and villages to utilise the facility without a long journey. High levels of house building have rocketed this need. Melksham has had more than its fair share of housing over the years, and local health facilities have not grown in line with these new houses.
Many also have to travel to larger hospitals in Bath, Bristol and Swindon for routine tests and procedures, which can be time consuming, expensive and inaccessible for those relying on public transport to get treatment or visit loved ones. I’ve been building the community case for investment and showing that an upgraded site in Melksham is viable. I have met with the Health Secretary multiple times to push our case – with my determination and knowledge of how parliament works, I am confident that we can secure this facility.
A new railway station for Devizes – A new railway station in Devizes will significantly improve local transport options and support the local economy. Building on my strong track record of securing millions for Wiltshire over the last 9 years and using my experience of setting up a town steering group to push for local rail investment - I will drive forward the existing campaign and case for a new railway station in Devizes. I will work with industry experts, Wiltshire Council and local stakeholders to secure the investment needed.
Local house building – We need more houses but they must be built in the right places. Blindly covering the countryside with haphazard developments is unacceptable, as it disrupts village communities and strains existing infrastructure without necessary upgrades.
When planning new developments, it is crucial to create cohesive communities rather than allowing speculative projects that aren't part of a local plan.
Thanks to the changes I secured to the National Planning Policy Framework with Michael Gove we can end the scourge of speculative development. For example Wiltshire Council can now overturn unplanned and unwanted applications, such as the Berryfield proposal and the 650-home development on Blackmore Farm.
Supporting local charities and causes – I have always believed in the power of community groups and charities. I try to commit as much time as possible - including raising £7,500 for a pre school in Holt, thousands of pounds to tackle loneliness by supporting Melksham Free Dining. I always support Wiltshire Air Ambulance whenever the opportunity arises be that through ‘It’s a Knock Out’ competitions or rattling the fundraising can.