As the NHS approaches it’s 70th Birthday, the announcement last week by the Prime Minister of her plans to secure the future of the NHS by bringing forward a long-term plan and a 5-year funding settlement, is both very welcome and timely. This is an historic opportunity and one to engage all of us as users of the NHS to ensure current and future generations are able to access the care they need. Like you, my family and I have always relied on the NHS and I want to see us continue to preserve the value of fairness on which it was founded, whilst building the NHS of the future, ensuring it is there for future generations, just as it has been in the past.

Under the Government’s plan, NHS funding will grow year on year and by 2023-24 the NHS England budget will increase by £20.5 billion in real terms compared with today. That means there will be £394 million a week additional resource in real terms supporting our precious NHS and meeting the growing patient demand.

In what has been a very hectic week in Parliament, and after what is known in Westminster as “Ping-Pong” – when legislation is passed back and forth between the House of Lords and the House of Commons until agreement is finally reached – I am very pleased that the EU (Withdrawal) Bill was finally, and successfully, concluded. This marks a crucial step in our preparations for leaving the European Union and is one of the most significant pieces of legislation, following the resultof the Referendum. It provides greater certainty and allows us to begin paving the vitally important way for a ‘Global Britain’ where we will be able to look beyond the continent of Europe and begin to embrace the opportunities of the wider world with new friends and old allies alike.

Back home, and as part of the celebrations to mark the 100th Anniversary of the Representation of the People’s Act 1918 I was delighted to welcome people from across the constituency to my EqualiTeas Tea Party.

This was an opportunity for us locally to celebrate this landmark moment in our country’s history when women over 30 and all men over 21 got the vote, and I would like to thank everyone who was able to attend and make it such a special occasion.

A huge thank you must however also go to the Streetly Community Association for organizing the recent Streetly Festival. We had a lovely afternoon, enjoying the music and chatting to lots of people. Well done to you all.

Finally, as we approach the weekend and celebrate Armed Forces Day on June 30th, let us be reminded that their sense of duty and professionalism is an example to us all.

This article was first published in the Sutton Observer on 29th June 2018