Newspaper column 18 September 2018 - The Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme

Last week I spoke in Parliament on a number of issues, including fair taxation and the importance of strengthening the powers available to quickly deal with unauthorised traveller encampments.

I also spoke at two events launching reports into two areas of work I have contributed to. One on the workforce needs of the tourism and hospitality sector and the other on the UK immigration policy. I hope both of these reports will make a valuable contribution to the debate as we shape our country post Brexit.

Meanwhile in Mid-Cornwall I welcomed two well-deserved funding awards totalling nearly £2 million from the Government that will go towards inspirational projects run by the St Austell Bay Economic Forum (SABEF) and the Kneehigh Theatre.

Towards the end of the week I have been privileged to spend two days at the Joint Forces Defence Academy for an introduction to the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (AFPS).

In these globally troubled times our armed forces continue to play a vital role in keeping us and our allies safe and secure. There are many constituents from Mid-Cornwall who currently serve or are veterans – I hope we can all agree we owe these people our thanks and respect.

We also have RAF St Mawgan in our constituency with its proud tradition of  service, currently a No 22 (Training) Group Station and home to the Headquarters of the Robson Academy of Resilience and the Defence Survive, Evade, Resist, Extract (SERE) Training Organisation, which trains around 5,000 personnel a year, making the most of our rugged Cornish coastline to challenge mental and physical resilience.

The Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme is a programme to give Members of Parliament experience of the armed forces. Its aim is to improve the quality of debate on military issues, and it does this by exposing its members to first-hand experience of the service.

We will learn about the role of the military in a democracy, the strategic context for defence, and how forces are generated to achieve military strategic objectives.

Discussions are mixed in with practical sessions where attendees get a taste of what life is like in the Armed forces.

With RAF St Mawgan such an important part of Cornwall’s contribution to the military, I am delighted to have been accepted on the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme with the RAF.

Last week was the start of with the scheme. I spent two days at the Joint Forces Defence Academy for introduction and learned a great deal about the personnel in our armed forces, how they are structured and current strategic priorities.

I am really looking forward to continuing with the AFPS, in particular increasing my understanding and appreciation of those who serve in the RAF and being able to make decisions from a more informed position in the future. 

My team and I are here to serve the whole constituency and work hard to make a real difference to the lives of everyone needing support. The office is open to the public Monday – Friday 10.00am – 4.00pm (no appointment necessary). If there is an issue you would like my assistance on then please, either visit the office or contact me on either 01726 829379 or office@stevedouble.org.uk. Additionally, I hold regular, appointment only, advice surgeries across the constituency. Dates of these can be found at: www.stevedouble.org.uk/events

Newspaper column 12 September 2018 - Devonwall debate

Last week saw Parliament return after the Summer Recess.

It was good to take feedback from my work during the summer back to colleagues in Westminster so I can better serve the people of Mid-Cornwall.

Of note in Parliament last week I met with Sports Minister Tracey Crouch to make the case for better recognition for Cornish Pilot Gig Rowing.

While I was in Westminster I was also able to travel out to the national air traffic control centre at Swanwick to see the vital work they do in controlling our aviation.

Over the weekend it was good to join with local councillors and residents as part of a big community clean up in St Blazey, collecting a large amount of rubbish as part of an organised litter pick.

This week sees a long running issue with a potentially big impact on Cornwall return with the Boundary Commission reporting back to Parliament with its latest proposals for changing Parliamentary constituency boundaries across the UK.

This is particularly contentious for Cornwall because it could see the creation of a ‘Devonwall’ Parliamentary seat, with a MP representing people in both Devon and Cornwall.

I have been opposed to any changes such as this since they were first proposed, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, there is the principle of crossing Cornwall’s historic border with a constituency. In 2014 the Government recognised the Cornish as a national minority under the Framework Convention of the Council of Europe, which I am now a member of. The government at the time said this would now afford the same recognition to the Cornish as the other Celtic parts of the UK, the Scottish Welsh and Irish. No one would entertain having a cross border seat between Wales and England or Scotland and England, and therefore with the protection the Cornish enjoy under the Framework Convention I believe it is fundamentally wrong that this seat be put forward.

Secondly the new constituencies as based on cutting the number of MPs from the current 650 to 600. With Brexit now imminent, the UK will be taking back a lot of legislative work that is currently handled by the EU. This is a good thing, but is not a time when we should be cutting the democratic representation in our country. We will be losing 73 Members of the European Parliament and their responsibilities will be coming back to the UK Parliament – where they should be. If we are reducing the numbers of Parliamentarians, I think a better place to start would be by reforming and reducing the bloated House of Lords.

I will await the Boundary Commission’s report with interest. At some point there will need to be a vote on these new boundaries and I remain determined to fight for an outcome that is right for Cornwall.

My team and I are here to serve the whole constituency and work hard to make a real difference to the lives of everyone needing support. The office is open to the public Monday – Friday 10.00am – 4.00pm (no appointment necessary). If there is an issue you would like my assistance on then please, either visit the office or contact me on either 01726 829379 or office@stevedouble.org.uk. Additionally, I hold regular, appointment only, advice surgeries across the constituency. Dates of these can be found at: www.stevedouble.org.uk/events

Campaign response - Gaza Briefing 11 September – please you could be there?; Stop Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestine; Demolition of Bedouin villages in the West Bank

I have recently been contacted by constituents who are concerned about the demolition of the West Bank village of Khan al-Ahmar and would like to invite me to attend a briefing event in Parliament on this issue.

They informed me that Israel’s High Court has recently approved the demolition and eviction of the entire West Bank village of Khan al-Ahmar, and that Palestinians had submitted three petitions to save the West Bank village - home to some 180 civilians - all of which have been rejected.

The Israeli authorities has argued that the herding village was illegally built on state land and must be moved. The High Court of Justice has upheld the state of Israel’s right to move the herding village, but has also expressed concerns that a viable relocation option has not been proposed. In response, authorities have drawn up plans to relocate inhabitants of the Khan al-Ahmar to nearby locations in the West Bank. These plans have recently been rejected by the inhabitants, who are threatening to respond with violence to any attempt to demolish the village.

I share my constituents’ concerns about the situation in Khan al-Ahmar and would like to see both sides take swift action to de-escalate tensions and reach a peaceful resolution. On this occasion I regret to inform them I will not be able to attend the briefing event due to other parliamentary commitments happening at the same time as the event. I would like to thank my constituents for drawing my attention to this issue and assure them that I will continue to monitor the situation in Khan al-Ahmar closely.

Campaign Response - Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliff

A number of my constituents have recently written to me to express their concerns about the case of Mrs Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian dual citizen who has been detained in Iran since the 3^rd of April 2016.

I share their concerns about the deterioration Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s health and echo their calls on the Iranian government to secure her release as soon as possible.

Since Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s imprisonment in 2016, government ministers have been in regular contact with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and have made a number representations to the Iranian president urging him to intervene in Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was temporarily released from prison in August. Groups campaigning for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s release have said that indicates a strong possibility of lengthier releases in the future. It is important now for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to continue making decisions that will help secure earliest possible release of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe. I understand that granting diplomatic protection to Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is an option currently being considered by the Foreign Secretary. However, one of the difficulties with this option is the Iranian government’s refusal to recognise dual citizenship. They are not obliged to do so under international law.

Responding to a recent parliamentary written question on Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s situation, the FCO Minister Alistair Burt said that the UK Government “remains very concerned about all our dual nationals detained in Iran” and “continues to raise their cases with the Iranian Government at every opportunity”. The Prime Minister also made clear in Prime Minister’s Questions last week that she regularly raises this matter with the Iranian President and that her thoughts “during this difficult time … remain with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and with her family and friends”.

I will continue to speak up for and support Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s release whenever the opportunity arises.

Bahrain Backbench Debate 11th September

Over the past few weeks I have received a number of campaign emails sent by my constituents inviting me to attend a Westminster Hall debate on alleged human rights abuse in Bahrain on Tuesday 11^th of September.

Responding to a Parliamentary Question on this subject four months ago, the Minister of State for the Middle East reiterated the UK Government opposition to the use of the death penalty in all countries under all circumstances, and reassured MPs that the technical assistance offered by the UK Government is, above all, aimed at improving the Bahraini Government’s human rights records.

However, I note with concern the dire situation facing Maher Abbas Al-Khabbaz, Mohamed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa. It is important that UK set an example and stand for human rights internationally. We also need to ensure that taxpayer’s money spent abroad delivers positive results and leads to better outcomes for citizens.

While I regret to inform my constituents that I will not be able to attend the debate due to other parliamentary commitments that I have at the same time as the debate, given the severity of the situation, I will be seeking to raise this matter with the Minister for the Middle East when I next see him.

State Pension Dashboard update

A number of people have recently contacted me about the future of the Pensions Dashboard website.

I subsequently wrote to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Esther McVey MP about this, and she replied yesterday confirming the Government's support for the dashboard.

I have included a link to the mentioned statement below, as well as a copy of the letter.

https://www.parliament.uk/…/wri…/Commons/2018-09-04/HCWS933/

Newspaper column 5 September 2018 - The latest on Brexit

Parliament returns this week after the Summer Recess. It has been great to be home in Cornwall for the past six weeks and it has been good to be able to get out and about and see so many of you during that time.

As we return one issue continues to dominate the national news – Brexit.

I thought it would be good to lay out clearly my position as we get closer to our leaving the EU.

As most of you will know I voted Leave. I have been a Eurosceptic for as long as I can remember. Our constituency voted by almost 2-1 in favour of leave, the biggest margin in Cornwall.

I am committed to ensure we leave and have the cleanest break possible from the EU. However it is clear not only that the EU wants to make it as difficult as possible for us to leave but that many people in Parliament are also determined to disrupt or undermine our leaving. With the Parliamentary arithmetic as it is this does present some real challenges for those of us that want to see a true Brexit.

It is vital for our democracy we respect the decision the British people made in 2016’s referendum and deliver what the people voted for.

I do not support another referendum – not only would it not be respecting the 2016 vote – which was a people’s vote, it would also undermine the negotiating position. It would also cause further delay and uncertainty. The vast majority of people tell me they simply want us to get on with things and leave. Businesses in particular want to know, as soon as possible what the future will hold.

It is doubtful there would even be time for another referendum within the time available but even if it could be shoehorned into the schedule, the delay and certainty would be the last thing we need.

Of course there is also the question that if we held another referendum, if there were people unhappy with the result of that one, would they then want another one, and so on until they got a result they were happy with? That isn’t how democracy works.

I continue to have serious concerns about what has become known as the Chequers deal and share the view of many that is does not deliver what people voted for in the referendum.

I have always been of the view that the EU would agree a deal, but as is usually their way it would be very late in the process. There have been the first signs in the last week or so that they are beginning to soften their position and that a deal for trade would be achievable.

I will wait to see precisely what is agreed to before deciding my position. Rest assured I will be working to deliver the clean and positive Brexit that this constituency voted for.

My team and I are here to serve the whole constituency and work hard to make a real difference to the lives of everyone needing support. The office is open to the public Monday – Friday 10.00am – 4.00pm (no appointment necessary). If there is an issue you would like my assistance on then please, either visit the office or contact me on either 01726 829379 or office@stevedouble.org.uk. Additionally, I hold regular, appointment only, advice surgeries across the constituency. Dates of these can be found at: www.stevedouble.org.uk/events