I have now been in post as your MP, the new Conservative MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed, for nearly a fortnight. It has been a rollercoaster of activity from the word go, with the wonderful VE Day commemoration at Belford Middle School an hour after the result was declared, then a media frenzy as the evening news declared a majority Government elected. My first week in Westminster brought lectures in protocol, legislative procedure, and detailed study of regulatory requirements- but no map to stop me getting lost (twice!) whilst attempting to get to the library. It all felt a bit like Freshers Week at university, with helpful old hands pointing us newbies in the right direction.
The North East is firmly on the map, and I commend the Prime Minister for making his first out-of-London visit to our region. He is focused on driving forwards a full policy agenda which for us needs to incorporate aggressive and speedy implementation of the Roads Strategy funding, such as dualling of the A1 towards the Scottish Border; getting into place the Enterprise Zone for North Northumberland, so that business leaders looking to set up new factories have a clear framework within which to make investment decisions; and keep driving the apprenticeship programme so that every company can take on and train more of our energetic young school leavers to give them a strong future career.
I will be speaking up on the need to build on our Military Covenant commitment to support so many returning armed forces personnel to the North East. Many can get straight into civilian work, some may set up their own business with help from organisations like X-Forces, but others have complex health needs for which our civilian NHS is not adequately prepared. This is going to be a particular focus for me as so many military heroes return to their homes & family in Northumberland. I have met this week with the new Armed Forces Minister to highlight this already.
As an MP with one of the largest rural constituencies, with sparsely populated communities, it is imperative that this new Government resolves the challenges involved to ensure that decent broadband can reach every single property, by investing in longterm solutions which will sustain our villages into the digital 21st century.
I have met with the new DEFRA minister Rory Stewart MP to highlight the urgency of finding a viable answer.
In a quirk which I believe may be unique to our constituency, I am calling on our new Government to provide mains electricity to several communities which are still off the grid. I have been campaigning alongside those families, the Northumberland National Park & MOD at Otterburn to provide a practical solution and I will be calling on Ministers to help us solve this once & for all. And I will be monitoring closely the bill to be in the Queens Speech which will remove subsidies from onshore wind turbines, leaving local communities in the driving seat on whether these industrial giants are right for their area.
I want this new Conservative Government to drive innovation at every level, giving us the tools to succeed as individuals, families & businesses wherever we are in the UK. It is such an honour, and a responsibility, to be the voice of North Northumberland, and I will be doing my best to make full use of the tools provided to me.
I don't yet have an office (in London or the constituency), but our team are in post and working already on issues affecting individuals and community life.
You can contact me anytime on annemarie.trevelyan.mp@parliament.uk or by phone in 0207 219 4437 in London.
In the constituency, Tom my chief of staff can be reached on agent@ruffs.org for now, or by phone at the old offices in Alnwick on 01665 602106 until our new premises are finalised.