The Labour MP for Warwick and Leamington Matt Western has today (Monday 19 October) asked the Government to provide financial support to parents who need to take time out of work to care for children in the event of a school closing following a Covid outbreak.

In Parliament, Mr Western suggested to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions that the Government should extend the eligibility of the Government’s financial support payment of £500 for low-income families who need to self-isolate.

Mr Western described that a local school in Warwick and Leamington had to close with just 24 hours’ notice after a Covid outbreak had been discovered. He argued that working parents with children whose schools close as a result of a Covid outbreak should be eligible for the payment as they will be losing vital pay in order to care for their children.

Schools across the country are “closing at a rapid rate”, the MP later suggests.

The Secretary of State did not commit to doing so in her response.

Speaking about his suggestion, Mr Western said:

“Too many families across the country are already struggling with the huge financial hardships placed on them as a result of the pandemic. We need to ensure working people are financially protected as far as possible, so they are able to stick to the rules.

“Some parents simply cannot afford to take time off work to care for their children if their schools order them to self-isolate. Many schools across the country are closing at a rapid rate and at very short notice, often less than 24 hours.

“It is imperative that the Government urgently act to extend their support to low-income families if they have to stop working during their sons and daughters have to stay at home.”

Matt Western, the MP for Warwick and Leamington, has today (Wednesday 14 October) questioned the Prime Minister in Parliament over the news that the Communities Secretary, Robert Jenrick, has been awarded £25 million for his constituency in a regeneration towns fund, funded by his own Department.

Mr Western asked the Prime Minister if he thinks “this approval process is appropriate, or does he think the public might be right in thinking this all looks a bit grubby?”

The decision to award money to Mr Jenrick’s seat of Newark (which is reportedly the 270th most deprived area in the country) was made by his junior minister, Jake Berry, in his department. In return, the MP claims, the Secretary of State awarded Mr Berry funding for his constituency.

Mr Johnson responded by saying the decision was “independently approved” and jabbed that Mr Western should “have the guts” to make a serious allegation.

It follows calls from the Labour Shadow Secretary for Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, for an investigation. A report in the Times shows that 32 towns on the list fell outside the 300 worst-off in England, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Speaking about his question to the Prime Minister, Mr Western said:

“For the Prime Minister to continually defend the mishandling of tens of millions of pounds of taxpayer money is utterly inexcusable.

“We cannot have a system whereby Conservative ministers can run roughshod over process in dishing out funds that they administer by scratching each other’s backs for purely political gain, instead of benefitting the most deprived areas that this fund was designed for.

“We need an investigation into this process. The National Audit Office has also raised concerns and I certainly ‘have the guts’ to raise this – that’s why I asked the PM today.

“The public will be forgiven for thinking that this all looks a bit grubby by this Government.”

The MP for Warwick and Leamington presented his petition in the House of Commons late last week.

Speaking in Parliament, Matt Western has continued to work on his campaign against the County Council’s “naked power grab”, urging the Government to halt the Council’s plans to create a single unitary authority for the whole of Warwickshire, because, as the MP claims, there has been “a lack of public consultation about these plans or any other.”

The move follows the news that Warwickshire County Council have sent their plans to the Government for approval, despite strong opposition from the District and Borough Councils as well as Labour Councillors from across the county.

Commenting on his campaign, Mr Western said:

“The people of Warwickshire must be consulted on proposals that shape how decisions are made in their county before any plan is put in place.

“For the County Council to run roughshod over the public and vote through the ill-thought through plans without their consent undermines our democracy.

“This is plainly a naked power grab, rushed through in self-interest as opposed to the public interest.

“I’ve delivered my petition to Parliament to urge the Government to send the plans back until residents have their say. I’ll be doing all I can to stop this plan from going ahead until we see real consultation with the public on the future of how local democracy should be organised.”

Residents can still sign Mr Western’s petition by visiting www.mattwestern.org/campaigns

In the House of Commons on Wednesday 7 October, Matt Western challenged the Prime Minister on failing to prepare for – and now control – outbreaks of Covid-19 at universities across the country.

The MP for Warwick and Leamington noted that there is no local testing facility in Leamington for students (studying at the University of Warwick and elsewhere) to access tests.

Mr Western asked Mr Johnson if the Government was “not expecting students to return to university”.

In response, the Prime Minister said that “clearly, there are particular problems in some parts of the country … and we will be pursuing the measures that we have outlined”

Commenting on his question, Mr Western said:

“Across the country, we’ve seen huge outbreaks of Covid in universities, putting all members of our communities at great risk.

“Testing, tracing and isolating is key in ensuring that we can control the virus, especially as students move into the local community. Shockingly, private firm Deloitte will not be delivering its testing facility in Leamington until the end of October. That’s at least four weeks after seven thousand students moved back into the town.

“The return of the student community should not have been a surprise but clearly it was to this Government: we all knew that students would arrive from September onwards but the Government still failed to prepare, putting the community at risk.

“This is yet another example of the Government failing to implement its ‘far-from-world-beating’ Test and Trace system.

“They must urgently get a grip of the situation before they totally lose control and put tens of thousands of lives at danger.”

The Warwick and Leamington MP urged the Government to grant a debate in Parliament on the project’s progress and work.

Yesterday (Thursday 8 October), Matt Western asked the Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, to allow MPs to debate the future of the controversial HS2 project.

The MP argued that a review was necessary in light of the “new normal” following the pandemic, which will change how the economy is structured and how people travel. He also suggested that some of the practices of HS2 Ltd needed more public scrutiny, including the ‘National Evictions Team’ and their conduct with the public, as well as the company’s practice of closing roads with little notice or consultation.

Mr Western’s intervention comes as it was announced this week that a vital road, the A425, will be closed by HS2 Ltd in three weeks’ time for nine months, creating an 11-mile diversion. Matt argued that this will have a “massive impact on the local economy”.

In his response, Mr Rees-Mogg did not commit to a review of the project.

Speaking about his call for a review, Mr Western said:

“HS2 was championed on the basis of meeting the need for increased capacity on our railways. But now, for many, working practices are changing and this will have an impact particularly on office commuters.

“It’s therefore absolutely critical that we review this eye-wateringly expensive project to understand if the costs outweigh the benefits in this ‘new normal’.

“It’s also ludicrous that HS2 Ltd can shut down, at short notice and with no consultation, such an important infrastructure link for nine months and causing untold disruption.

“I’m similarly concerned about the behaviour of the ‘National Evictions Team’, that has been heavy-handed at best (and reportedly much worse) with the public who are simply and rightly concerned about the destruction of our wonderful woodlands.

“The answer from the Government was most disappointing, but I will continue to push for an urgent review.”

This week we’ve seen yet more questions being asked of the Government in their handling of the Test and Trace system. As if missing nearly 16,000 positive Covid cases wasn’t bad enough, the error meant that a potential 50,000 close contacts weren’t traced and did not self-isolate, putting all of us at greater risk. After all the well-documented failures in the system – including when I exposed the Ricoh arena testing centre being incredibly quiet whilst constituents were facing huge difficulties in booking a test – it’s no wonder why cases are still rising, and restrictions are being imposed. To ensure we control the virus, save lives, and also save livelihoods, we must have an effective Test and Trace system.

Harrowing pictures have emerged of trees being felled by HS2 Ltd in the local area. Given the impact of the pandemic, why isn’t the Government reviewing the project anyway? We face a climate emergency, so we need to protect our natural environments, not destroy them. I’ve been calling on the Government to save the woodlands by rerouting HS2, just like they did previously to save a golf course in Kenilworth. If that can be saved, why can’t our beautiful woodlands? I’ll continue to work on scrutinising the Government’s plans to ensure the public’s concerns – and their money – is being spent well. I fear that it currently isn’t.

With earnings likely to fall this year owing to the economic crisis, it’s important that pensioners are still able to enjoy the protections of the ‘Triple Lock’ policy. I welcome the Government’s move last week to allow for the potential uprate in pensions for this year, but I’m concerned that a single year isn’t enough. Similarly, with the Chancellor warning us that cuts will be on the way to pay for our response to Covid, the Triple Lock may be one of the targets in the Conservative’s sights once more. I’ll be working hard to protect it.

As ever, if you would like to get in touch with me, I can be contacted by email at ‘matt.western.mp@parliament.uk’ or by ringing my office on 01926 882006.

Speaking outside Shire Hall in Warwick last month, the MP for Warwick and Leamington has announced his opposition to the County Council’s proposals. He also believes that the leadership is looking to create a Mayor of Warwickshire – something he views as ‘bizarre’.

Following the news that Warwickshire County Council’s Conservative cabinet has this week (Tuesday 29 September) voted to send their proposal to create a single local authority for the whole of Warwickshire to the Government for approval, the MP for Warwick and Leamington has called the move “a naked power grab” and is demanding that the plans are rejected.

Yesterday (30th September), Mr Western delivered a petition to Parliament, urging the Government to halt the Council’s plans.

Mr Western was responding to the news that the Conservative-leadership at Warwickshire County Council is seeking to stage a ‘power grab’ by proposing the scrapping of local district and borough councils in favour of a single authority for the whole county.

The MP said that he is opposing the plan because the Council has not consulted residents on the changes. Instead, he argues that the plans were made in “self-interest” by the County Council leadership. Neither, he argues, was there any open consultation with District Councils which are developing their own plans.

The proposed changes are in response to the Government’s announcement to enlarge local government structures. The County Council’s plans were backed up by a report by consultancy firm PwC – paid for by the County Council.

Speaking about his campaign, Matt Western added:

“This is plainly a naked power grab, rushed through in self-interest as opposed to the public interest.

“Setting aside the lack of consultation, the plans themselves are deeply concerning. I don’t believe centralising power into one, potentially distant Council is the way forward. Likewise, the idea of a Mayor of Warwickshire is faintly ridiculous.

“The leadership of Warwickshire County Council suggest that this move will save money. However, I believe this will actually cost more than it saves in the short term.

“Just look across the country where similar plans have been implemented: Torbay Council became distant to many residents, and the shake-up cost them more than it saved and had to cut all non-essential spending as a result.

“The people of Warwickshire must be consulted on proposals that shape how decisions are made in their county before any plan is put in place. For the County Council to run roughshod over the public and vote through the ill-thought through plans to build a ’super-council’ without their consent undermines our democracy.

“I’ll be doing all I can in Parliament to stop this plan from going ahead until Warwickshire residents have their say.”

Mr Western has urged residents to sign his petition to oppose the County plans and join him in calling for full, open consultation. You can find the petition on his website: www.mattwestern.org/campaigns

Matt Western, the Member of Parliament for Warwick and Leamington has called out the Government’s “incompetence” in their handling of the Test and Trace system after observing so few people accessing a testing facility despite rocketing demand.

He went to the Ricoh arena last month – unannounced – to the regional testing facility in Coventry to see for himself what was happening on the ground. The testing facility is the main one in the region, serving residents in Coventry and Warwickshire, including his constituency. During the hour he was there, Mr Western counted just 16 cars entering the centre. The site, the MP argued, is a ‘large operation’ which has capacity to process far more tests than what he witnessed.

This follows news that demand for coronavirus tests has exceeded capacity as the UK has seen a rise in daily confirmed covid-19 cases, as well as a rise in the crucial R rate across the whole country.

Mr Western suggests that there is a “failure in the Government and their systems to get people tested, and that’s why there’s such a problem”.

Commenting on his visit, Mr Western said:

“Constituents have been telling me that they have had great difficulties in booking a test, with some being sent miles away, with others not being able to access one at all.

“Not satisfied with the Government’s answers and its overall incompetency I approached Public Health Warwickshire and Warwickshire County Council. I asked them what numbers of tests they have been doing per day against their capacity for the site. They say they can’t tell me or haven’t replied. You sense yet another cover-up.

“I was therefore shocked and furious to discover only 16 cars using the testing facility at the Ricoh today, where it was clear that many more could be processed.

“This isn’t the fault of the facility staff who are doing the best they can, but it’s rather a clear failure in the Government and their systems to get people tested and traced.

“I’m afraid that the Government are wilfully misleading the public on what is really going on.

“We’ve seen cases rise once more, yet the Government still can’t get testing right. It has wasted the summer, during which it should have focussed on getting the Test and Trace system running up to standard, but instead we are left once more with yet another failing system putting the public’s health at risk.

“This is what incompetency looks like. We need the system to be fixed before the Government loses total control of the virus.”

After years of campaigning on behalf of residents and businesses, I’m pleased to hear that Warwick District Council have finally u-turned on their costly and unnecessary plans to build themselves a new office.

This is the right decision for the local community. However, we know that millions of the public’s money has been wasted and sunk into this project. We need an honest and transparent assessment of exactly how much has gone to companies such as PSP, and I will pursue the Council to clawback as much as possible.

I will also be seeking full disclosure on the costs of this.

Thank you to all who helped in this campaign. I will always stand up for our community to ensure public bodies at all levels are held to account.

As the Government’s most senior scientists described it earlier this week, “…cases are increasing, hospitalisations are following. Deaths unfortunately will follow that, and there is the potential for this to move very fast.” We are facing a second wave – one which I’m afraid to say is of the Government’s own making.

The Government has had six months to get this right and yet still can’t protect the country from this virus. Infections are rising, testing is collapsing and there is no robust plan for the winter. In July, it was our civic duty to go back to the pub. In August, we were told get back to the office and were paid to eat out. Now we’re told it’s our last chance to stop the virus spreading. The Prime Minister has made a habit of blaming other people for his own incompetence but it’s time he took responsibility for dithering and delay to act: the Government needs to get a grip before it’s too late.

This week the Labour Party held its first online conference introducing its new leadership to the country. As opinion polls show, Keir Starmer is widely regarded as a professional and highly competent leader. There is frustration that the Prime Minister has chosen not to involve him in steering this country out of its crisis. He has offered to work constructively with the Government – I hope the Prime Minister changes his mind and accepts.

Closer to home, Warwickshire County Council is planning to create a unitary ‘super-council’ across the whole of the county. This would radically shake up local Government and merge the District councils with the County, yet there has been no consultation with the public. I don’t believe centralising power into one, distant Council is the way forward. Please sign the petition on my website opposing these proposals.

If you wish to contact me about coronavirus, please check the Covid-19 section on my website first – you are likely to find an answer there.  Otherwise, I can be contacted by email at ‘matt.western.mp@parliament.uk’ or you can ring my office on  01926 882006.