Labour MP for Warwick and Leamington Matt Western lambasted Boris Johnson for not seriously tackling the rise of violent crime across the country.

During Prime Minister’s questions in Parliament today (Wednesday), Matt raised his concerns with the Prime Minister about the rise in crime in Warwick and Leamington. Matt referred to two tragic deaths in the constituency which were a result of crime-related activities in the last two weeks. He claimed that the Conservative Party was no longer the Party of law and order, but the Party of “fear and disorder”.

Beginning in 2010, the Government cut £3.5bn from police budgets which up until recently resulted in Warwickshire losing 172 police officers and 59 PCSOs. Between 2015 and 2019, total recorded crime has increased by 33% in Warwickshire. The county has also seen a 152% increase in violent crime since 2010.

Matt spoke out against the Government relying on council tax increases to pay for police funding, instead of paying for it centrally. He cited Warwickshire, which increased it by 12% last year and 6% this year. He argued it is wrong for residents being made to “pick up the bill” for the Government’s proposed 20,000 new police officers which was promised by Johnson during the election.

Commenting on the question he posed to the Prime Minister, Matt said: “We have seen that the Government has cut police and safety services to the bone since 2010. Warwickshire and other regions across the country’s crime statistics are alarming, but it is no wonder why they are on the rise – you cannot keep us safe on the cheap. The loss of community policing services like officers and PCSOs has often led to a loss of law and order on our streets.”

“It’s simply wrong for the Government and Police Crime Commissioners to expect residents to pay to plug the gap in funding for policing through council tax hikes.”

He added: “The Government should be investing heavily now to tackle the rise in crime across the country, not leaving it to local residents to pay for the bill. I’ve lobbied them and the Police and Crime Commissioner several times on this point and I will continue to do so, for our safety’s sake.”

Today, the main Post Office branch on Bath Street in Leamington’s Old Town re-opened following months of being closed.

The branch had also previously closed last summer.

Warwick and Leamington MP has been campaigning for the branch to re-open, in which he wrote to the Post Office and the Government respectively. At the time, he was pushing for a temporary provision whilst the original issue was being resolved, calling access to Post Office services “vital” for many in the community.

Responding to today’s news, Matt said: “I’m pleased to see the Post Office on Bath Street re-opened today.

However, I remain disappointed by the length of time it has taken for the issues to be resolved – it was simply too long for a community to not have easy access to the Post Office’s vital services.

This case among others has shown that public services are too important to be left to private enterprise. Going forward, I will be making the case in Parliament to bring back public scrutiny over Post Office services in our communities.”

This is a momentous week in our nation’s history. We will leave the European Union at 11pm on Friday, marking the end of a union with our closest European neighbours which began in 1973. For me it will be a moment of sadness and regret, for others I’m sure it will be a time to celebrate. We can all agree it’s a huge step for our country.

However, let’s be clear, leaving the EU today does not mean Brexit will have been ‘done’. Important negotiations will take place over the next year which will determine how close our economic, security and foreign policy ties will be with the EU over the next decades. These will be critical to our economic future, particularly for our area.

The Prime Minister has a choice – to tie us into the orbit of either the EU, the USA, or China, as the three current superpowers in the world. I believe our interests would be best served with a close relationship with the EU, whose values are most like ours and with whom we have developed close trading relationships over many years. The EU is also stable. Johnson’s Brexit project seems determined instead to submit us to the will of Trump’s America. This would unfortunately be a disaster for our community.

The Chancellor last week said that the UK would split from European regulations after Brexit. If this happens, our local automotive sector will be greatly damaged by the introduction of tariffs and additional regulation. Jobs will be lost, and factories moved to European countries. Our local farmers will be sacrificed to secure a trade deal with the USA, and our markets will be flooded with cheap meat produced to poor animal welfare standards.

This is how important the next year will be for our local and national economy. If you are a local business owner or farmer, in particular, I encourage you to get in touch so I can represent your concerns in Parliament.

As ever, I can be contacted by email at ‘matt.western.mp@parliament.uk’ or you can ring my office on?01926 882006.

Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western has railed against the Government’s plans to abandon alignment with EU regulations post-Brexit, which he calls “unnecessary and destructive” for the manufacturing sector.

This week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid announced that the UK will not seek alignment with EU regulations post-Brexit. Industry leaders such as the CBI, Make UK, and SMMT have warned against such a move, describing that it will cost the automotive sector ‘billions of pounds’, and will ‘reduce consumer choice’. Other organisations such as Unite, who represent workers, have warned it will lead to significant job losses.

Matt, whose Midlands constituency is the home to thousands working in the automotive sector, has urged the Government to be more ambitious regarding Europe and abandon their plans for regulatory divergence.

Speaking about the Government’s proposals, Matt said: “If the Prime Minister and his Government were serious in what they say about supporting North and Midlands communities – that rely on a strong manufacturing sector, he must change tack on regulatory alignment. If he doesn’t, it will spell disaster for areas like mine, and Johnson will have to be held accountable for his false support.”

Matt’s remarks come after last month’s general election, which the Conservative Party won big in seats which were previously held by Labour in the Midlands and the North.

Matt went on to say: “in Parliament, I raised this issue with the Chancellor, and he simply laughed off these warnings. In Prime Minister’s Questions, Johnson quipped that he supports manufacturing in Scotland. As things currently stand, his actions show that his support is a load of nonsense.”

“My message is simple, we must stop Brexit from destroying UK manufacturing.”

Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western this week attended the inaugural meeting of the new Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs and has become one of the group’s officers. He was also a member of the group before the election.

The APPG aims to raise the concerns & aspirations of British Sikhs to build stronger political engagement.

Matt said: “I am proud to represent a diverse area where many cultures are celebrated and valued. With a community of over 5,000, amounting to around 5% of the constituency, the Sikh community are an integral part of Warwick and Leamington.”

He added, “I believe it to be important to be join all APPG groups that represent our communities and will be broadening this in the coming weeks as they help me better represent our diverse towns. I will always work with and advocate for local constituents to ensure that our country values and supports all communities.”

The House of Commons is now back in full swing. Since the start of the new year, I’ve had the opportunity to question Ministers on several important issues. 

Firstly, on the USA and Iran. There have been great efforts in recent years to preserve peace between the two nations, but I’m afraid the Trump presidency has dangerously ratcheted up tensions. The killing of General Soleimani is the latest event in this escalation, but the one which may have lasting impact is the USA’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. It is no one’s interests that Iran develop nuclear weapons. I asked the Prime Minister what he is doing to help restore the agreement, alongside his counterparts in France and Germany. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister was short on detail and clearly wary about upsetting his boss – Donald Trump. 

I questioned the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on what the Government will do to support the brilliant creative industries we have locally, particularly in the performing arts. They are seriously worried about our post-Brexit immigration policies, which will add bureaucracy and cost to performing in Europe and could make it more difficult to recruit talent from abroad. We should maintain an open relationship with our European friends, and I hope that the Government listens to the needs of these organisations in its upcoming Immigration Bill.  

Locally, I was concerned by the sudden closure of the Post Office branch in Bath Street in South Leamington, just before the busy Christmas period. The other branch in Leamington is inundated as a result, and it can impact on elderly people and those with access issues significantly. I’ve written to both the Post Office and the Minister responsible, urging them to reopen it as soon as possible and to look towards a more suitable site for its location going forwards. 

As ever, I can be contacted by email at ‘matt.western.mp@parliament.uk’ or you can ring my office on?01926 882006.?

May I start by wishing a Happy Diwali to all those celebrating from Sunday. It’s a festival I appreciate for its primary message: that light will always triumph over darkness. Clearly this is one that is particularly important in the present times. The festivities bring great colour to our community and it’s always a joy to participate.

Last week we saw the Prime Minister scramble together a damaging deal with the EU – one that is even worse than Theresa May’s. It will lead to a reduction in worker’s rights, removes protections to the environment and will increase friction at our borders, harming businesses in Warwick and Leamington.

Saturday’s sitting of the Commons was critically important, as MPs across the House succeeded in ensuring that Johnson’s reckless Brexit plans should be properly scrutinised. I was privileged to read out the result that MPs had ensured that a no deal is no longer an option. However, it is clear that the Prime Minister wants to drive a coach and horses through our Parliamentary democracy, trying to schedule only three days of debate despite the 110-page Bill being the most complex and important piece of UK legislation for over 40 years. Indeed, the Institute for Government pointed out that the Brexit Bill would have less time than was assigned to the Wild Animals in Circuses Act!

The Prime Minister promised we’d take back control, but the deal underlines his determination to centralise control for himself. This cannot be right irrespective of whether people voted to Leave or Remain. I don’t trust him, his own family doesn’t trust him and, increasingly, nor does the British public.

Away from the drama in the Commons chamber, I was delighted to welcome Ferncumbe Primary School, based in Hatton, to Parliament last Wednesday. The pupils challenged me on a range of issues and provided a welcome distraction. These visits are terrific for educating young people on the workings of Parliament and I’d encourage all schools to visit.

As ever, I can be contacted by email at ‘matt.western.mp@parliament.uk’ or you can ring my office on?01926 882006.

The Prime Minister has now outlined his Brexit proposals. They are thin on substance but thick on Northern Ireland: most concerning is that he is prepared to sacrifice the Good Friday Agreement. In essence he is proposing two hard borders. This is guaranteed to create greater customs friction and would seriously risk the peace and stability in Northern Ireland.

Johnson has continued to undermine democracy at every turn, by publicly disagreeing with the Supreme Court ruling that proroguing Parliament was unlawful and threatening to ignore the legislation that prevents him pushing through a No-Deal Brexit.

There is reason to believe that Johnson is, in fact, under significant pressure from his political donors to push through a No Deal Brexit. It’s been reported that many of his financial backers have ‘shorted’ the pound and are set to make a killing from a No Deal Brexit. During an urgent question I raised the gross conflict of interests this presents and call for an inquiry into these allegations.

Away from Westminster, I was impressed to see the work undertaken in the beautiful village of Norton Lindsey to build a new Village Hall. It has taken two years to fundraise and plan but what an achievement! The committee and all the volunteers and supporters have built a twenty-first century multi-use village hall, to the highest sustainable code, and I was delighted to attend its opening on Saturday. May I commend the significant financial support made by Warwick District Council to underwrite the project as well as the many charitable foundations that have provided funds.

I also visited the Guide Dogs’ World Record attempt for the largest ever dog photoshoot, at Warwick Racecourse. It was great fun and highlighted the amazing work Guide Dogs do, locally and nationally. Finally, I was pleased to watch Leamington Brakes play in the FA Cup against Darlington on Saturday. Despite a decent performance they unfortunately exited the competition, but I look forward to seeing them now concentrate on the League!

As ever, I can be contacted by email at ‘matt.western.mp@parliament.uk’ or you can ring my office on?01926 882006.

Last time I updated you, Parliament was about to be prorogued. A huge victory for democracy has been won thanks to the Supreme Court, ruling that Johnson’s actions were unlawful. Ever since Johnson called for this suspension, I have been speaking out against his actions, chiefly in response to the anger felt by constituents. I was one of the original signatories to the legal challenge, and I am glad that this decision has been reached. 

This is another important victory in defeating Johnson’s plan to crash out with a disastrous No Deal Brexit. Leaving the EU in such a way would be a catastrophe for local people and businesses, with the Government themselves telling us that there will be food and medicine shortages, and the manufacturing industry telling us it will cost them hugely. 

Now, MPs need to get back to Westminster and hold the Government to account. As I said last month – we will win. 

In other news, I held a public meeting at Myton School, chaired by the Rev. Vaughan Roberts, vicar of St. Mary’s Church in Warwick, where over one hundred constituents attended to hear me report back on the work I have been doing since I was elected in 2017. I spoke about my campaigns against education cuts, climate change and rough sleeping, my campaigns for more social housing and restricting bus drivers’ working hours (Rowan’s Law), and my work in preventing a No Deal Brexit. Thank you to all residents who asked such probing questions on a wide variety of issues.  

Finally, it was a pleasure to address the climate strike in Leamington last week. I both admire and respect those striking to demand an end to the real and urgent threat of climate change. They are being heard, but there is so much that needs to be done to ensure the future survival of our planet. As I said then, we must all show leadership not just in our words but in our individual actions. 

As ever, I can be contacted by email at ‘matt.western.mp@parliament.uk’ or you can ring my office on?01926 882006. 

I recently sent residents a newsletter, detailing what I’ve been up to in Parliament and beyond over the summer.  I’m pleased to be able to share it electronically. You can now view it online here.

As ever, I can be contacted by email at ‘matt.western.mp@parliament.uk’ or you can ring my office on 01926 882006.