As I reflect upon my first six months as your MP, I can safely say that no one could have predicted recent events. Rother Valley has been gripped by the terrible coronavirus and we have all made tremendous sacrifices. However, it is in times of crisis that an MP can make a visible and tangible difference and I have fought for the people of Rother Valley every step of the way.
The Government has unveiled an unprecedented package of measures to protect jobs and save livelihoods. I have been busy helping constituents access support payments such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. I have dealt with countless businesses who needed this critical help, and also aided critical workers, those who needed to shield, and those who had been furloughed or made redundant.
I was heavily involved in supporting constituents stranded all over the world and ensuring that they returned to Rother valley safely. Based on my regular calls with the NHS in Rotherham, I placed great importance on the provision of PPE and widespread testing for our area, in order to keep our key workers safe and drive down the number of cases. As we broke the back of the crisis, I was a vocal advocate in Westminster for reopening our businesses, getting people back to work, and sending our children back to school, all in a safe and controlled manner. I have instituted the Rother Valley Hero Awards in recognition of the incredible community spirit and selflessness demonstrated in our area and I am proud to represent such fantastic people.
Despite coronavirus, I have not let up with the issues that matter to you. I have spoken out against fracking and HS2 at every opportunity and I am working with local interest groups to ensure that we do everything we can to prevent the destruction of our homes, woodland, and beautiful landscapes. I have been visiting as many local businesses and constituents as I possibly can, answering every email, phone call, and letter sent to me. Most noticeably, I have been a constant voice for Rother Valley in Parliament. I make a great number of speeches relevant to our communities, to raise the profile of Rother Valley and to ensure that Ministers become familiar with the needs and demands of our towns and villages.
This approach has paid off. The Prime Minister, the Chancellor, and the Health Secretary have all spoken to me personally about Rother Valley alongside discussing our local issues in the House of Commons. I have made high-quality, skilled jobs and the local economy a central plank of my strategy for our area.
I have been pushing hard to promote Rother Valley as a hub of our green recovery. I am particularly excited by the prospects for hydrogen and would like to see a hydrogen plant based in Orgreave or Thurcroft. I have been vociferous in my bid to link up Rother Valley’s different towns and villages which are appallingly served at the present time. I have been championing the reopening of the old South Yorkshire Joint Railway line which would service Anston, Dinnington, Laughton, and Maltby. I am unwavering in my support for new bus routes and more frequent services across the constituency, to remedy the disgraceful situation where a short distance journey can take an hour and a half and the unreliability of the service results in appointments and meetings being missed. In response, I have convened the Rother Valley Transport Task Force as a forum to discuss solutions and progress, and I intend for it to meet once the pandemic is over.
I have been working with others to protect the mineworkers’ recreation ground in Maltby for future generations and am supporting Dinnington Town Football Club’s efforts to raise funds to install a 3G pitch for the benefit of the town and local sports clubs.
One of my priorities is to rejuvenate Dinnington High Street by reopening the police station, saving our post office, clamping down on local crime, and repurposing Dinnington College as a community centre. In Whiston we must prepare for winter flooding by working with the Environment Agency to build robust flood defences in the area and thereby protect our homes, and in Kiveton Park there is an opportunity for us to regenerate our beautiful stretch of the Chesterfield Canal.
My opening six months as your MP have been challenging but immensely rewarding, and I have set out my stall as a representative who listens to what is on your mind, acts locally and nationally, and is always on your side. Please do continue to contact me on [email protected] as we work together to bring real change to Rother Valley.
An abridged version of this article originally appeared in the Worksop Guardian:
https://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/rother-valley…
