ORANGE WANDS
Thanks to all those who let me know their views on the ‘orange wands’ which have been popping up on Ipswich’s roads. It’s clear from the responses that these bollards are almost universally unpopular with cyclists and motorists alike. And I’ve now written to Suffolk County Council to call for them to be taken down and under no circumstances made permanent.
I agree with many of the comments people have made, particularly the concerns around whether these bollards actually make our roads less safe in a number of cases and the impact on emergency vehicles. I’ve included many of these concerns in the letter but it’s disappointing that a lack of consultation on these changes meant these concerns weren’t properly heard before public money was spent.
I’ll follow up with County Council to make sure this issue is addressed.
Tom nominated for top award
Bit surprised to have been nominated by constituents for the MP of the Year Awards for my work on supporting children with SEND. I wasn’t aware of this awards scheme before being nominated but it’s a good opportunity to keep raising the profile of the issues affecting these children.
It’s an honour to have been nominated for this award. But actually delivering more support for children with SEND will remain the only measure of success that matters to me.
You can vote in the awards here: https://patchworkfoundation.org.uk/peoples_choice_2020_votesopen/
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
I went on BBC Radio Suffolk this afternoon to talk about the unacceptable surge in illegal channel crossings and the letter I sent with 22 other Conservative MPs calling on the Home Secretary to take action so that illegal migrants are immediately returned.
I like many am completely fed up with the lawlessness in the Channel and the slap in the face it represents to the law-abiding people of this country and genuine asylum seekers who wish to come to this country legally. All of those who try to come here illegally across the Channel have left a safe European Country to do so and there is absolutely no justification for them to break our laws to get to the UK.
As we set out in our letter, action, not words, is what is needed now. It’s been over four years since we voted to take back control of our borders but our hands are still tied by EU and international rules which don’t allow us to put the people of this country first.
It is good that after the letter we sent, the Prime Minister has said we need to look at changing the law and efforts are underway to get the French to do more. But I’m also clear that our ability to control our borders must not be dependent on the whim of France or any other third country. We must be prepared to turn all illegal boats around and escort them back to France. These dangerous crossings will only stop when we have made it completely clear that all attempts will be futile as the Australians did when they were confronted with a similar problem.
I’ll keep working with other MPs to secure swift action and ensure this issue is treated with the seriousness it deserves and the public expects.
PET THEFT REFORM
This week I’ve written about the pressing need for pet theft reform and how this campaign has become even more important during the Covid-19 lockdown. Cases of pet theft have increased significantly since lockdown begun, robbing people of their pets just when their companionship is needed most.
This cruel crime causes great distress to victims which can stay with them for years but the theft of a pet is currently treated under the law in the same way as the theft of an inanimate object like a mobile phone. This means that pet thieves, if caught, often only receive pitiful fines of no more than £250. We must make pet theft a specific offence under the Theft Act so prison sentences of up to 2 years become more readily available to judges. The current punishments clearly don’t represent justice for victims or a sufficient deterrent to stop pet theft from continuing to rise.
Following my virtual discussion with campaigners behind the pet theft reform petition last month, we have now received a written response from the Government which says that they have no plans to change the law. This is disappointing but it’s no means the end of the campaign. I’ve asked Ministers to meet with me directly to discuss this issue and I’ll be calling for a debate on pet theft reform in Parliament at the earliest opportunity. The status quo doesn’t reflect how important our pets are to us and needs to change.
CRACKING DOWN ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN PRISONS
Another appalling case of social media use in prison came to light earlier this month from one of the men convicted in connection with the brutal killing of Tavis Spencer-Aitkens in Ipswich. The latest was a Snapchat post by Kyreis Davies who clearly should never have had is sentence reduced earlier this year for Tavis’s murder. I understand that all 5 of the men responsible for Tavis’s death have now posted on social media since being locked up. And yesterday I raised in Parliament how this persistent criminal activity must be brought to an end during a general debate before the summer recess.
In these debates, MPs can raise any issues they want. And I felt this one couldn’t be left unmentioned, particularly given the unimaginable additional hurt these posts will have caused to Tavis’s family.
Social media posts from prison often feel like taunts to victims and their families. And they should not have to live with the fear and anxiety that perpetrators who did them harm may show up on social media on any given day.
During my speech I also detailed some of the other despicable cases of social media use by Tavis’s killers which have been brought to my attention since I was elected. Each time I have taken action, including by securing a meeting with the Prisons Minister to bring them to her attention directly. But this cannot be an issue where we play whack-a-mole every time these posts come to light. The current system of punishment for social media use in prison clearly isn’t robust enough to deter further cases. And I called on the Government yesterday to make the punishments much tougher to provide a strong and effective deterrent.
I hope the Government looks at this issue very closely over the coming months and I won’t stop raising it until we see an end to these disgraceful social media posts.
COUNTER TERRORISM BILL
Yesterday I made a speech on the Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Bill which will see the most dangerous terrorist offenders spend longer in prison. This is a crucial piece of legislation which will punish those who would try to spill blood on our streets out of their hatred of this country and its people. And it will also provide a strong deterrent others who might be thinking about doing the same.
After I raised the case of terrorist Shamima Begum last week on the news, I again raised it in Parliament yesterday to underline just how angry many people are in the country at the Court of Appeal’s recent decision to allow her to return to the UK. The out of touch decisions which continue to come out of our courts must be addressed as we continue to build on the work of this Bill and look to put the public interest first. And I was glad to secure reassurances from Government during the debate that they will be appealing the Begum decision with everything they have.
I also used the speech to argue against amendments Labour were seeking to make that would limit the impact of this Bill on young adult terrorist offenders between the ages of 18 and 21 because of their immaturity. At 18 for all intents and purposes you are an adult with the same rights and responsibilities as every other adult. And you’re certainly old enough to know the difference between right and wrong and that actions which could result in the deaths of many people are inexcusable. I’ve frequently heard Labour politicians make the case that 16 year olds are mature enough to vote and it seems they change their view on where adulthood starts depending on what suits them.
I’ll continue to do everything I can as Ipswich’s MP to make sure we are as robust as possible in the fight against terrorism.
SOCIAL MEDIA IN PRISONS
I’ve written again to the Prisons Minister after another one of the men responsible for the death of Tavis Spencer-Aitkens was found using social media behind bars. It’s now my understanding that all of those convicted in relation to Tavis’s death have posted on social media from prison in some form. This is a completely unacceptable state of affairs and cannot be allowed to continue. I’ve raised it before, including in a meeting with the Prisons Minister earlier this year and in the House of Commons. But despite the steps the Government is taking, this crime continues to happen.
The latest case involves Kyreis Davies who posed for a Snapchat post alongside another inmate. As well as asking the Prisons Minister to investigate this latest post and bring Davies to book, I’ve also written to senior management at Snapchat to call on them to act to take this account down immediately.
I said in the House of Commons last month that I shared the anger of many that Davies’s sentence was reduced from a minimum of 21 years to just 16 years on appeal. The decision was completely out of touch with what the majority of the public consider justice to be. I think many will feel that posting on social media behind bars will add yet more weight to the argument that Davies should not have had his sentence reduced at all.
I will not stop raising this issue until social media is out of our prisons, and victims, their families and our community don’t have to go through the anguish these posts cause.
SUPPORTING IPSWICH TOWN CENTRE
Our town centre is at the heart of life in our town but it faces many challenges which have only been made far greater by Covid-19. That’s why I used a question in Parliament today to call on the Government to release the £25 million Town Deal Funding allocated to Ipswich in the October funding round, in line with our local strategy for the regeneration of our town centre.
A lot of work has gone into developing a clear strategy for our town centre under the Ipswich Vision Partnership, and I hope the Government will recognise that come October.
Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State of Housing, Communities and Local Government who responded to my question today came to Ipswich during the General Election where I gave him a tour of the town centre and made the case for Ipswich to be included in the Fund. Now we’re in the Fund, I’ll continue to do everything I can to make sure Ipswich town centre can benefit as much as possible from it.
Clearly the future of our town centre is far from certain and this money will not be a magic bullet. But it’s a positive step which we must make the most of.
BLM UK
This week I used my weekly column to talk about the Black Lives Matter UK movement. I have become increasingly concerned that some of the policies they promote, actions they undertake and language they use such as “white privilege” and “white fragility” are doing more to create division within our society. I was shocked and saddened by the brutal murder of George Floyd and fully acknowledge that a number of my constituents have and continue to endure racism but what we need is a unifying message and set of goals that seek to eliminate racism in all its guises without seeking to stoke further division and separateness.
Fortunately we are not America and race is not as divisive an issue in this country as it is across the Atlantic, we all have a duty to ensure this remains the case, this can be done by calling out and dealing with genuine racism whilst at the same time steering clear from organisations that promote a divisive agenda.
SHAMIMA BEGUM
Yesterday I was on Channel 5 news to discuss the Court of Appeal’s recent decision to allow terrorist Shamima Begum to return to the UK. We rightly stripped her of her citizenship after she rejected this country and everything it stands for by joining the murderous ISIS terror organisation.
I share the disgust of many at this latest court decision. I’ve said before that the some of the judgements coming out of our courts at the moment just don’t reflect the public interest. And I’ve requested to speak in Parliament next week on the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill which will see terrorist offenders spend longer in prison.