Yesterday Parliament came back from recess. I was pleased to get straight off the blocks, posing a question to the Home Office at the very first opportunity. It was great to be called as the 2nd question of this new Parliamentary term.

As many of you will know, over the summer there have been a number of knife attacks in Ipswich. Inter-gang violence, targeting rival members, often erupts in a public space and can have a chilling effect on the wider community. Tackling knife crime, keeping Ipswich safe, and making sure we all feel secure walking about our Town is one of my priorities.

I am pleased that we secured the Safer Streets Fund, which is funding night-time police presence in the Town. However, I think we can do more. Yesterday, I asked the Minister to look favourably on our UK shared prosperity bid, which would help tackle knife crime by increasing day-time police presence in the Town.

In addition to this, I asked the Minister to look at reviewing the National Funding Formula, to make sure Ipswich and Suffolk policing get a fairer deal.

Pleased to hear this announcement following a letter I sent lobbying Ministers in the Treasury, calling for a new surgical hub in Ipswich hospital.

During a visit to the Emergency Department which is expected to open in 2023, I spoke to Nick Hulme – Chief Executive of East Suffolk and North Essex Hospitals Trust – about the possibility of additional funding for a new surgical hub. I am pleased to hear that our lobbying and insistence has paid off, and the Government are investing in a new surgical hub here in Ipswich hospital.

The new surgical hub will be in the Emergency Department, increasing capacity and therefore making it easier for Ipswich Hospital to cut waiting lists. Progress is being made on cutting waiting lists, and I hope this new surgical hub will help further this too.

Very pleased with this announcement, thank you to Nick Hulme and the team at Ipswich hospital, and the Department for Health and Social Care for pushing this forward.

Quick video on my first day back in Parliament after summer recess. Liz Truss has been announced as the new Leader of the Conservative Party and tomorrow she will be confirmed as the new Prime Minister. Here are my thoughts:

The in-tray for the new Prime Minister when they enter Downing Street next week is incredibly daunting – with the cost of living, the war in Ukraine, and supporting the NHS, the list goes on and on.

One issue that is definitely right up there in terms of importance, and one I continue to hear from constituents about, is the small boat crossings. The status quo – where we continue to see thousands upon thousands turning up illegally on our shores – is rightly something the majority of people across the country find intolerable and even infuriating. I know I definitely do.

My record on this issue is what it is. Formally, when you look at the Parliamentary records you’ll have a job finding an MP who has raised the issue as many times as I’ve done. Informally, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve impressed upon the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and whoever else will listen in Government how urgent the need is to get a firm grip on this issue.

However despite the introduction of the Nationality and Borders Bill and the Rwanda scheme we’re still seeing the problem go from bad to worse.

When weighing up who to back as the new leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of this country, this is an issue I put to all of them. It’s one of the reasons why I backed Liz Truss over Rishi Sunak in the final two. Ultimately, bearing in mind the conversations I had with her, I felt she was more likely to grip the issue and do what was necessary.

She was absolutely clear when I spoke to her that leaving the European Convention of Human Rights should be on the table if it’s the only way of solving the issue. I agree with her that this will, more than likely not, be necessary – and it certainly shouldn’t be something we reach for immediately, but it really does need to be an option if we can’t resolve the issue imminently through introducing a new British Bill of Rights. And I mean imminently.

I also agree with her stance that the Rwanda scheme should be extended and deals should be struck with other countries on a similar basis.

I do however agree with Rishi Sunak that there is a case for a narrower definition of who qualifies for asylum in this country than the one offered by the European Convention of Human Rights. I imagine that this is something being seriously considered by Liz Truss also.

Ultimately though, a comprehensive solution can’t wait and time is of the essence.
I continue to be of the view that the majority of those who illegally enter our country via the channel crossing route are economic migrants, not refugees. This was given further credence only weeks ago, with the revelation that almost half of all those arriving on our shores by this route actually come from a single country: Albania.

Now, Albania clearly isn’t as economically advanced as the UK, but fundamentally present-day Albania is a safe European country. It’s even in line for EU membership. And how many other safe European countries have these overwhelmingly young, male migrants journeyed through before they get to our shores?
I completely understand why these individuals may want to move to the UK but ultimately if they wish to come here they should look to do so legally through our visas and immigration system – not arriving here illegally and launching bogus asylum claims.

That we have thus far been unable to decisively bring an end to this farce is incredibly dispiriting and depressing, and I fully share the anger felt by a great many of my constituents.

The cost of accommodation alone, for the thousands of people who are arriving here illegally, is now in the billions. Unless we nip it in the bud now, it will increasingly place pressure on our public services and undermine our ability to accommodate genuine refugees. Enough is enough. The next Prime Minister and Government must put tackling this issue urgently on their priority list.

It goes without saying that unless the Conservative Government makes significant progress on this issue before the next General Election, it will pay a significant price.

It simply isn’t enough for us to go into an election saying it would be even worse with Labour and their likely left-wing coalition partners who tend to be sympathetic to an open borders attitude.

I do note however that my Labour Party opponent at the next General Election seems to take a very different view on this issue than myself. In fact, it appears that in the past he’s made visits to the camps in France where many of the individuals in question are based before seeking illegal entry into our country. Who knows what he was looking to achieve through such a visit.