TOWN CENTRE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Written about the Town centre this week. Some good recent developments and inspiring business owners but many challenges.
More action does need to be taken to address the concerns many residents have about crime and anti social behaviour. At the end of the day it’s our shared public space. If anyone is behaving in a way that isn’t respectful to the majority of residents and is making a significant number feel uncomfortable then there should be interventions by the police in my view. It seems the threshold for them getting involved seems too high at the moment. We also need more of a police presence across the Town centre throughout the day.
Groups of young men drinking alcohol, littering, often making inappropriate comments towards women and making them feel uncomfortable should not be tolerated. We shouldn’t stand by and allow a small group of individuals blight the experience of others.
I make these comments because they’ve been communicated to me time and time again by constituents.
We need to talk up the Town whenever we can but also be clear eyed about the challenges and the things we’re not getting right. Doesn’t help anyone to skirt around the issues.
I’ve got a number of meetings lined up over the next few weeks to try and make some progress
Meeting with Suffolk Chamber of Commerce
This morning I met the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce to discuss my priorities for Ipswich.
This includes supporting businesses and tackling crime, building a thriving and safer Town centre.
In our meeting I mentioned the work I have been doing on the Education Select Committee with prison education, and how to get disadvantaged young people as well as ex-offenders into work.
We also discussed inflation, and the need to support businesses in Ipswich through challenging economic times. With the cost of living rising, households are struggling to make ends meet as bills creep up. This is a serious concern for many constituents and a big priority for me as the MP, and for the Government.
Devolution was a topic of conversation today too. Devolution can bring benefits like greater control on spending, and usually comes with a greater slice of funding too. This is something we are continuing to consider alongside Suffolk County Council in terms of how to get the best deal for Ipswich.
Apprenticeships were also raised. I am personally very supportive of the hands-on skills that apprenticeships offer. Getting experience in the work-place is valuable and we should be encouraging students to follow the best route for them. Something I would like to see improve is the link between schools and post-16 skills opportunities, giving pupils an introduction to the opportunities available at a younger age.
Working closely with the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce is an important component of being an MP, so debriefs like this are very valuable to make sure we are keeping Ipswich moving in the right direction.
Meeting Regional Schools Commissioner for the East of England
A meeting today with Johnathan Duff, the Regional Schools Commissioner for the East of England.
Johnathan has been newly appointed as part of the Government’s regional approach to education. He will be focusing on raising expectations, putting the best school leaders where they are most needed, and building schools into multi-academy trust frameworks.
Ipswich has been designated as a priority education investment area, and Johnathan anticipates Ipswich will benefit from targeted support where required. The teacher premium, to pay teachers more in the priority areas, is also something Ipswich will benefit from.
Since the pandemic disrupted Ofsted inspections, a huge programme of school inspections is underway to catch up on lost time. Hopefully we will see the new Ofsted framework making the much-needed move from focus on outcomes to an emphasis on positive difference made.
I was also pleased to hear that Johnathan will be getting an advisor on the board with special education experience. We share a vision of an education system which means no child is left behind. Johnathan and I will be working together to make sure Ipswich education keeps moving in the right direction.
Meeting with Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs
It was good to meet Vincent Biruta, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs yesterday to discuss the new immigration plan and economic partnership. I was introduced to him by Tom Pursglove, the Immigration Minister. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m currently the Chair of the Backbench Policy Committee on Home Affairs.
It was good to learn more about the plans and the ways in which Rwanda seek to support the individuals in question once they’ve been deported to Rwanda. Rwanda is a fast-growing economy and I was pleased to here about all the opportunities that exist there.
The first people have been notified that they’re in line to be deported to Rwanda and I hope to see the first planes start departing shortly. Clearly there is a lot of opposition from human rights lawyers who frankly have no alternative to the plan that the Government have outlined. However I’m confident that in time these challenges will be overcome and this partnership with Rwanda will be a success.
We’ve got to end the current situation where we’ve got huge numbers of people paying people smugglers and risking their lives to cross the channel in un sea worthy vessels. We’ve got to make this route unviable and the Rwanda plan is a key way in which the Government are looking to do this.
Queen’s speech, small boat crossings and reckless eco protestors
Queen’s speech. Small boat crossings and reckless eco protestors.
Welcoming refugees from Ukraine is the right thing to do and I’m proud at how many people across the Town and Suffolk have opened up their homes. It was also right that we were generous to Afghan refugees, particularly those who worked as interpreters and supported our armed forces.
However, it’s clear that in the short term this act of generosity will place significant pressure on public services (school places, health services, council housing, you name it). This will become all the more challenging if robust action is not taken to cut off illegal small boat crossings from France. Unless this parallel illegal route into our country from mostly young men from another safe European country is dealt with my fear is that pressure on public services could become intolerable. It’s for this reason that I welcomed the focus on tackling the small boats issue in the Queen’s speech and the Rwanda plan (for which its opponents have no alternative).
During my speech I also welcomed the Public Order Bill that was announced in the Queen’s speech. This Bill will create a criminal offence of ‘locking on’ to prevent activists chaining themselves to buildings, vehicles and other protesters. It will carry a maximum penalty of six months and an unlimited fine. Stop and search powers will allow police to detain campaigners carrying bike locks and other equipment designed to make themselves difficult to remove. A new offence will also be introduced to specifically ban the obstruction of key national infrastructure such as airports, railways and newspaper printing presses, which will be punishable by up to 12 months in prison and an unlimited fine.
