Newspaper column 11 November 2020 - More support against COVID-19

 

Last weekend I was honoured to attend the Act of Remembrance at the War Memorials in Newquay and St Austell. The ceremonies were very different than normal this year due to the current restrictions to protect us from the spread of Coronavirus. However, it was right that we continued to mark this important date in our civic life by paying our respects to those who died in the defence of our country and show our thanks to those who continue to serve in our Armed Forces.

The events were well organised and I am very grateful the Royal British Legion and our Town Councils for their work in organising them.

I was very pleased with the further announcements from the government of additional support for businesses, workers and families during this new period of national restrictions.

The Chancellor announced on Thursday that the furlough scheme would be extended until March and the government would be covering up to 80% of wages for eligible staff. I know this has been welcomed by many local businesses as it will enable them to keep their staff on over the winter.

The Chancellor also announced a further round of support for self-employed people, with another three month payment of up to 80% of average income available. As we enter the winter I know this will be a vital means of support for many locally.

There will also be another round of business grants available with up to £3,000 available to those businesses that have been told to shut for the next four weeks. In addition to this Cornwall Council will be receiving over £5million for a further discretionary grant fund. This will be available for them to use to support local businesses and the economy through the winter. I certainly hope they will ensure these funds are used wisely to best support our local businesses, who although not forced to close will be severely affected by the new restrictions.

The other big announcement at the weekend was for more funding to help families through the coming months. £170million was made available nationally that will go to local councils to be used to support families most in need over the winter. It has been confirmed that £1.8million of this fund will be coming to Cornwall.

I am pleased to see the government delivering on their commitment to support families and that no child should go hungry this winter. Following the recent political storm regarding the decision to not extend free school meals into the school holidays I made it clear I believed there was a better way and that I would be pressing the government for more funding to be made available.

This additional money will be very welcome, and I hope that Cornwall Council will use it to ensure that it gets to those who need it most. This is not just those families who qualify for free school meals, as there are many families who do not qualify, for a number of reasons, who still require support at this time.

Finally, I know that the coming weeks will once again be a tough time for many locally. As always, my office team and I are here to help. If you need advice, guidance or help in any please do not hesitate to get in touch. You can email me at office@stevedouble.org.uk or call 01726 829379 and we will do what we can to help.

Newspaper column 4 November 2020 - New lockdown measures and Remembrance Sunday

Clearly the big news of the past week was the announcement of new national measures to fight the spread of the Coronavirus.

I know this will come as a big disappointment to many of us in Cornwall where, although rising, the number of cases remain the lowest in the country. It is clear the government has done everything it could do avoid having to new national restrictions. However, the reality of the figures showed that although we are starting from a low level, the number of cases in Cornwall was increasing at a faster rate than the rest of the country. Regrettably, we needed to act now to avoid the risk of Cornwall being in the same position as parts of the North West which were seeing hospital admissions at similar levels to that of the Spring. Particularly with our population in Cornwall being more elderly and therefore in greater danger, this was not something we could risk.

 I appreciate this will be another difficult time for us all, economically, mentally, and socially. I will be doing everything I can to ensure we get the support we need and will also be seeking assurances from the government that we will be released from these new restrictions at the earliest opportunity when it is safe to do so.

As we enter another time of having to limit our lives for the national good, the fact that it is Remembrance Sunday this weekend is a timely reminder of the struggles of past generations. As tough and challenging as this year has been for us, it is still nowhere near as challenging as the struggles of those that lived through the war years.

Over the past months I have often thought to myself that comparing our struggles this year to those that lived through the war years does help us keep things in perspective. Throughout our history our nation has faced difficult times for a variety of reasons. We have always risen to the challenge, pulled together and got through it. I am sure this time will be no different.

This Sunday does provide us all with the opportunity to remember all those of previous generations who paid a price for us to be free today. Although we are all experiencing restrictions on our freedoms for a short while, it can help to remind us what it is those generations were fighting for.

Clearly events this Sunday will be very different to usual. We will not be able to have the big parades and church services of remembrance. I will be laying a wreath in both Newquay and St Austell in what will be a quiet and low-key act of remembrance along with the Mayor and representatives of the Royal British Legion. Although it will be disappointing not to be able to have the all the crowds, and we will particularly miss the armed forces veterans and the cadets, in some ways a low key event will seem more fitting to the current situation.

I do hope that all of us though will take a moment on Sunday, and indeed next Wednesday on Armistice Day, the 11^th November, to quietly remember, pay our respects and show our gratitude to the fallen. 

With each passing year those who are still with us that lived through the last World War become fewer and it is so important that as the living memory of those times passes we continue to ensure that each new generation is aware of the price that was paid and values the freedom we have.

It is also vital we continue to support the Royal British Legion and the vital work they do in supporting our veterans. Many of their usual means of fundraising have been restricted this year so I do hope we will all do what we can to buy and wear a poppy and donate to their work.

Finally, perhaps more than any other year this year we have reason to be grateful to those who currently serve in our armed forces. Often, their work is hidden from us in far away places as they serve our country in a multitude of ways to keep us safe – sometimes in ways we never get to hear of. But this year we have seen some of the vital work they do in the service of our country as they have played a central role in the fight again Coronavirus. Whether it has been building the Nightingale Hospitals, manning testing centres or helping with distributing PPE, they have provided vital support to the NHS during this year. So as well as remembering and respecting those who have fallen and served at times of war in the past, let us also show our gratitude to those who serve us today.

Newspaper column 7 October 2020 - Health and COVID-19 update

 

We continue to see the number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus increase, locally and nationally. The number of cases in Cornwall continues to follow the national trend of cases rising. However, much of the increase in cases across Cornwall can be identified as due to a small number of clusters centred around very specific businesses.

It is important that everything possible is done to ensure Public Health England is able to identify these outbreaks and all necessary steps taken to isolate those with the virus. I am confident this is happening.

We continue to learn more about how this virus is spread and how we can control it. It is clear that certain businesses, particularly those in the food processing industry, appear to have higher risks of outbreaks. We have seen this elsewhere in the country and this is now the case here in Cornwall.

Whilst we have seen an increase in cases, Cornwall continues to be one of the least affected parts of the country. The level of cases here is well below that of most other areas and we are still some way off facing the additional local restrictions that other areas have had put in place. 

Whilst we all need to continue to play our part in behaving responsibly to keep ourselves and others safe. We need to get back on top of this second wave so that we can avoid Cornwall having to have additional restrictions.

The government continues to work to enable us all to return to life as normal. Every effort continues to be made to produce an effective vaccine and for widely available fast testing to be in place. Either of these would enable restrictions to be eased.

We are very much aware that we are all now on the countdown to Christmas. It is hoped we will be in a position to ease restrictions by Christmas to enable families to be able to enjoy the festivities together in as normal way as possible. We understand how important this will be at the end of what has been a challenging and traumatic year for us all and one way or another we will do everything possible to achieve this.

Along side our continued fight against the virus, it was good to see last week the government confirm further investment in the NHS. It was great to see the list of the 40 new hospitals that will be built across the country – with funding secured. This was a key commitment we made at the last election and it was pleasing to see this promise being delivered just a few months later.

A new Women and Children’s unit at Treliske, that will include a new, modern maternity facility. This is something that was planned previously but the government has been able to bring this forward and enable it to be built well ahead of schedule.

This £100million investment is in addition to the £450million that has been committed to upgrade hospital facilities across Cornwall. The new Women and Children’s unit will be the first of what will be a number of very significant new and upgraded health facilities in the coming years.

Along with the other Cornish MPs I am working with NHS leaders in Cornwall to ensure this large pot of money is spent in the best way possible that will provide major improves for people across Cornwall.

Like many people I believe at least part of this funding should be used to provide hospital facilities in Mid-Cornwall that will take pressure off of Treliske. I also want to see improvements to our local community hospitals so that more health services are able to be provided locally to save patients having to travel to Truro.

All of this should be achievable, and I will continue to do all I can to shape the plans that come forward to get the very best outcome for our constituency and Cornwall generally.

Finally, with the new restrictions that have been put in place recently, I have taken the decision to suspend face to face surgeries for the immediate future. However, I am still always happy to talk to any constituents who would like my help or to raise any concerns with me. We can do this on the telephone or by video link. Please get in touch with my office if you would like to arrange a time for a call – tel. 01726 829379. Email – office@stevedouble.org.uk  

Newspaper column 30 September 2020- Autumn Covid-19 news

As the COVID-19 cases around the country continue to rise it was only right that last week the Prime Minister announced revised restrictions to help us all in the fight against this virus over the coming months.

As we move into autumn and winter, where viruses are transmitted more easily for a variety of reasons, it is not surprising that we are seeing these restrictions, which include a 10pm curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants, a return to focussing on home working where possible, and further limits on social gatherings, sporting events and guests at weddings, combined with tougher fines for people who break the rules.

I appreciate that these measures will be tough to follow but the alternative, given the increased number of cases we are seeing, would be more deaths and an even more restrictions, which no one wants to see.

The autumn and winter months also give rise to the traditional flu season. Research highlighted by Public Health England last week suggests the risk of death more than doubled for people who tested positive for both flu and COVID-19, compared to those with COVID-19 alone.

Adults at high risk from flu are also most at risk from COVID-19. As such the free flu vaccine is more important than ever to help protect the nation from a double threat this winter, and is something I would encourage everyone who is eligible to get.

Because of the COVID-19 pressures, this year, the flu vaccine programme is being expanded to  new groups, including Year 7 children and people aged 50-64, who will be offered the vaccine once the most at risk categories have had it, to help protect people from flu and ease pressure on the NHS and urgent care services.

In all, our health system this year is working to provide the free flu vaccine to 30 million people, the highest number on record.

Continuing the further support for those impacted by COVID-19, last Thursday the Chancellor announced the Winter Economy Plan – the next phase of the Government’s planned economic response to coronavirus.

This includes the Job Support Scheme, which directly funds businesses to protect these viable jobs and people’s wages, rather than laying employees off through a difficult winter. To ensure parity between employees and self-employed, the Government is also providing a grant extension for self-employed small businesses who used the existing self-employed income support scheme.

The announcement also included actions to minimise the strains on companies’ cashflows so they can focus their resources on supporting employment. This included an extension to the temporary VAT cut to Spring 2021 will support vulnerable hospitality and tourism businesses, something  which I have been lobbying the Government for, including the Tourist Minister in person when he visited Newquay and the Eden Project earlier in September. This will have a big positive impact for many of our businesses in Cornwall.

We continue to live through challenging times but I am certain that by all playing our part and following the rules, as well as through continued strong support from the Government, we will get through this together.

During these difficult times, my office team and myself will continue to do all we can to provide support, advice, and answer any questions you may have. So if you feel we can help please do get in touch. Email office@stevedouble.org.uk or call us on 01726 829379.

Newspaper column 23 September 2020 - More covid measures and Ministerial visits

The last week has been another challenging week in Parliament.

Firstly, I was pleased to be able to speak a number of times in the chamber, including asking a question at Prime Minister’s Questions to ask Boris Johnson for more support for our local airport.

I was then pleased to welcome the Tourism Minister, Nigel Huddleston to our constituency. I hosted a meeting with local tourism businesses at the Headland Hotel in Newquay, where he was able to hear first hand the impact of the pandemic on tourism businesses, the help that government support has provided, and their concerns about the coming months.

Then on Friday I was able to take him to the Eden Project to see for himself how they have adapted to be Covid secure to allow visitors back in.

There is no substitute for government ministers seeing for themselves the situation we face here in Cornwall and listening directly to the businesses effected. I know he has taken back a very clear picture of the ongoing help we will need.

Obviously, the big issue of the last few days has been the concern about the rising levels of Coronavirus around the country. At the time of writing this column we are still waiting to hear from the Prime Minister in his statement to Parliament on Tuesday what further measures may be taken to fight the spread of the virus.

Whilst the number of cases in Cornwall remains low compared to the rest of the country, the numbers are increasing. Although it was widely expected that we would see an increase as autumn approached, the rate at which the virus appears to be spreading is causing the government, based on the evidence and advice of health experts, to look closely at what further measures will be needed.

There is a very clear message to all of us, that it is vital we keep to the restrictions in place. The new rule of 6, which limits the number of people who can meet in any setting to six, has been in place for just over a week and it is crucial that we all play our part and keep to this rule.

There is no escaping the fact that it is down to every one of us to be responsible and take all the steps necessary to keep ourselves and others safe.

The Chief Medical Officer, Chris Witty, made this very important point in his statement on Monday, that fighting this virus has to be a collective effort. Whilst some of us may think the risk to us personally is very low, we cannot just think about ourselves. Every person who catches the virus, never mind the symptoms we experience, will be a carrier that risks those around us from catching it.

We are seeing the number of cases double roughly every week. We know from our own previous experience and from watching what is happening in other countries that we need to get on top of this virus once again or it will run out of control.

Previously, as a country, and a local community we brought the virus down, but all the evidence shows it is seeking to come back. Whatever the government decides, and the PM announces, it will be with one aim in mind, to limit the spread and save lives.

I know for many people and businesses any further restrictions will be hard to take and I will make sure those views and concerns are heard. If we experience any further restrictions that have a negative impact on local businesses I will seek further support from the government. Additionally, I will continue to do all I can to ensure our local health and care services get the support they need.

I was pleased that the government announced a further £500,000 to support care homes in Cornwall and enable them to prevent the spread of infection in the coming months. This is very welcome and I will seek to ensure Cornwall Council spend this money in the most effective way, to keep our elderly and most vulnerable parts of our community safe.

I know we are once again entering uncertain times. My office team and myself will continue to do all we can to provide support and advice, and answer any questions you may have. So if you feel we can help please do get in touch. Email office@stevedouble.org.uk tel. 01726 829379   

Newspaper column 9 September 2020 - Extinction Rebellion's attempt to stifle the press

 

The ‘cancel culture’ – which seeks to shut down views and voices that don’t subscribe to a particular, narrow, political agenda, took another concerning twist this weekend when Extinction Rebellion blockaded several newspaper print factories in order to prevent them from being printed and distributed.

The fact that it was only some newspapers, and not those who generally support a more left-wing political view, shows once again what the thinly veiled agenda is behind this campaign.

This latest stunt in the undemocratic campaign to bring down capitalism should be a cause for concern for many reasons.

Firstly, it is illegal, and I was pleased to read that the Police did actually take action and there were 58 arrests of those who were protesting. To seek to prevent companies from going about their lawful business in this way should never be accepted in an open and democratic society. It is worth noting that by preventing newspapers from being printed and distributed it is not just the owners of the papers that pay the cost. It is also thousands of businesses across the country, many of which are small family businesses such as newspapers and convenience stores, who stock and sell these papers who would have felt the consequences. At a time when many of our businesses are struggling to recover from the lockdown this type of action is the last thing they and our economy needs.

But probably more serious is the blatant attempt to shut down those who do not concur with the narrow and extreme agenda of Extinction Rebellion. A free press is one of the hallmarks of freedom of speech that is the foundation of our democracy. Listening to opposing views is a healthy part of any open democratic society. As the saying goes you do not win a debate by stopping debate from taking place.

When it comes to the issue of climate change and protecting our environment, we have been having a significant and constructive debate in this country now for many years. That debate needs to be allowed to continue. The issue is too important to be shut down now. But we also have to accept it is a very complex matter with a wide variety of views and opinions. Seeking to shut it down, particularly at this point in time, is the last thing we need to do.

The irony is now, that just at a point when we are making real advances in action being taken to limit and prevent climate change, those who claim to be the most focused, committed and vocal on the matter are in danger of being the ones doing the most harm to progress.

When Extinction Rebellion began their direct-action protest last year it was clear there was a fair degree of sympathy and support for their cause. People may not have completely agreed with all of their actions but there was a general acceptance that their cause was just.

However, as they have continued their protests and escalated their actions it is clear from my post bag that they are losing much of the good will they may have initially attracted. This latest action at the weekend appears to have lost them even more support. Even some leading politicians from parties who are known to be in support of more action to fight climate change are now saying these latest stunts by Extinction Rebellion are undermining the cause and counter-productive.

There is a fine balance between allowing protest to happen whilst remaining legal and respecting the views of others. Many people, and our society as a whole, has been on a journey in recent years and it is clear the general direction of travel has been towards a greater understanding of the importance of protecting our environment, and a greater acceptance that more needs to be done to reduce emissions and prevent further harm to our environment.

This government has taken more action than any other to put in place legislation to cut our carbon emissions, reduce pollution including things such as plastic waste and promote clean energy and sustainable growth. Yes, more needs to be done and more will be done. But as in any significant change the government, and politicians in general, have to take the public with them. That is where our democratic mandate for the action required will come from.  

The vast majority of people I engage with now accept that we need to take more action to reduce pollution and the impact of climate change. My concern is that the actions of a few extremists is now damaging the cause they say they are fighting for. It is becoming more and more clear to me that their consistent criminality and disruption of the lives of law-abiding businesses and hard working people is losing them the support of much of the public. Support we are going to need if we are to make further progress.

 

Newspaper column 26 August 2020 - returning to school

The controversy around exams results of the past few weeks have brought into sharp focus the consequences of closing our schools and not being able to get pupils back to the classroom.

Firstly, while I have a number of concerns about the long term impact of the decision to award all pupils the higher of their Centre Assessed Grades or those moderated by the OFQUAL, it was clear that in the circumstances it was the only right decision to make. Too many pupils were adversely affected, and we needed to end the uncertainty for our young people.

It is well established that teacher assessed grades are often, on average, higher than the grades pupils achieve in actual exams. There are very genuine and understandable reasons for this as teachers will predict grades that pupils are capable of achieving which is not always the same as what is actually achieved.

While there is a reasonable argument that the Department for Education and OFQUAL could have handled this situation much better, the reality of the situation is that once exams were cancelled there was no easy way to deal with awarding grades and where we have ended up is probably the least worse outcome.

But all this should bring home to us just how important it will be to see all our schools open next month and all pupils return to the classroom. Too much time has already been lost and it is vital our children are able to recommence their education. It was pleasing to see at the weekend that England’s Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, confirm that in his expert view it is safe for schools to reopen. In fact, he went as far as to say that not returning to school is likely to cause more long-term damage to children than the risks of Covid-19.

I know our local schools have already been working hard to ensure this can happen. I recently wrote to all our local schools asking them to confirm what their plans are for September and I am pleased to say all those who have replied to date have plans in place to ensure they are able to welcome all pupils back.  I want to say a big thank you to all our headteachers, teachers and school staff for all they are doing.

It is one of the government’s top priorities that schools fully open at the beginning of September and all pupils are able to return and I will certainly be doing all I can to support our local schools to achieve this.

If any parents of school children have any particular concerns or questions about their children returning to school, please do contact your school. My office is also available to assist and answer any questions you may have, so please do get in touch if you feel I can help.

We have also had some very good news with regards to school funding in recent weeks with the announcement that spending on schools nationally will increase by £4.8billion next year. Further good news is that our local schools will be receiving an above average increase which will continue to close the funding gap Cornish schools have been facing for many years now. It is good to see that our continual campaigning on funding for our schools is paying off and this government’s commitment to ‘level up’ education is happening.

Overall funding for schools in our constituency will increase by 5.9% next year, well above inflation, rising to more that £69million. Some of our smaller rural schools will be allocated much larger increases with some receiving over 12% more. As always these are indicative allocations and the final sums received by schools will depend on how Cornwall Council apply the new budget. I certainly hope that they will ensure all our schools receive the uplift in funding allocated to them in full.

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. If there is an issue you would like my assistance with then please contact me on either 01726 829379 or office@stevedouble.org.uk. Additionally, I will be recommencing regular, appointment only, advice surgeries from next month. Do get in touch if you would like an appointment to see me.