I intend to be an active, accessible, visible constituency MP. I am living in Westleton and if elected, I will buy a family home in Suffolk Coastal. I intend to hold surgeries up and down the constituency. I will put my expenses and meeting with lobbyists online.
There are many diverse issues for this constituency and separately from our national manifesto, but I have based my priorities around 4 areas - coastal & estuary erosion, NHS, economy and the countryside.
My priorities for Suffolk Coastal
(A) Coastal & Estuary Erosion - hold what we have, implement local solutions, not necessarily Whitehall solutions and allow each generation to do their bit, passing on defences that last 25-30-50 years and not insist on gold-plated defences
i) Write to new DEFRA Secretary to get the DEFRA equation unblocked that focuses government funding on solutions that last over 100 years
ii) Consider new powers for Internal Drainage Boards to extend to
iii) Estuary erosion to be considered in conjunction with the shoreline
(B) NHS
i) The medical professionals of Ipswich Hospital to decide on services provided within the Hospital - which would mean improved cardiac and cancer services
ii) GPs to be put back in charge of out of hours' care as quickly as possible
iii) Where new super-surgeries to be provided, consideration of outreach services for existing patients / surgeries
iv) Retention of our community hospitals and services in Aldeburgh, Felixstowe, Halesworth and Southwold
(C) Economy
I want to see more higher value jobs in Suffolk Coastal.
i) better rural broadband for all
ii) encouraging businesses, professionals and educational institutions to collaborate, providing our future engineers, scientists, etc.
iii) SC could become the Green Coast with its natural habitat and encouragement to become a World Centre of Excellence
iv) a vibrant Felixstowe port with better transport links
v) A12 bypass at the 4 villages
(D) The Countryside
i) ensure our countryside is a living, vibrant place
ii) better, more honest food labelling with only British sourced food carrying the Union flag (perhaps Suffolk food could also carry the St Edmund's flag?)
iii) less bureaucracy from DEFRA and fairer deal from Europe and supermarkets
iv) Green planning - following the Conservative manifesto of a bottom-up needs assessment on housing and avoiding building on green fields, SSSIs and AONBs
Other Issues Specific for Suffolk Coastal
Affordable Housing - local rural housing trusts may be the way forward but I will convene fora to discuss this matter in a blue skies manner; our challenge with new housing and also the proportion of second homes especially in Aldeburgh and Southwold requires out of the box thinking and local solutions.
Sizewell- I support the construction of Sizewell C.
