Blackwater Sailing Club
John Whittingdale attended the Royal Yachting Association “Push the Boat Out” event at the Blackwater Sailing Club’s Open Day at Heybridge Basin. RYA Push the Boat Out is intended to give people the opportunity to get out on the water and to find out how easy it is to get involved in sailing and windsurfing. […]
St Lawrence Newland
John Whittingdale attended the service at St Lawrence Heritage Church to bless the new telescope and display boards which have been installed in the churchyard looking over the Blackwater estuary. The blessing was conducted by the Dean of Chelmsford, the Very Revd Nicholas Henshall. John is a co-Patron of the Friends of St Lawrence Church, […]
Lookers
John Whittingdale visited Lookers Ford in South Woodham Ferrers. Lookers is a member of the National Franchised Dealers Association which is represents the 5,100 franchise vehicle retail network. Lookers Ford has dealerships across the UK. In Essex, there are showrooms in Braintree, Chelmsford, Colchester, and South Woodham Ferrers. John discussed concerns of the automotive industry […]
Helping Children and Young People
I welcome that ministers are continuing with the urgent work of overhauling how police, social care and other agencies work together to protect vulnerable children. This includes from the kind of organised grooming and sexual exploitation that has come to light in Rotherham, Rochdale and other towns and cities across the UK. To reduce the […]
Fisheries Policy
It is vital that we make the most of the opportunity leaving the EU offers us to take back control of our waters. I am disappointed the EU would not accept the UK Government’s proposal that, during the implementation period, we would sit in annual quota negotiations alongside other coastal states as an equal partner. […]
Woodville Primary School
John Whittingdale visited Woodville Primary School in South Woodham Ferrers. John spoke to the School Assembly about his work in Parliament and the importance of democracy. He then met the School Council and answered questions on Brexit, Windrush and Migration, Syria, and a number of other topics raised by pupils. Following his visit, the Head […]
Article for the Telegraph on Leveson and the Data Protection Bill
Tomorrow, the House of Commons will debate the Data Protection Bill. This is a vital piece of legislation which is essential to ensuring that our laws are up to date and that we will be able to continue to exchange data with Europe once we leave the European Union. During its passage through the House […]
Family Reunion
I strongly support the principle of family unity, but it is important to note that there are already legal routes for families to be reunited safely that are not dependent on our EU membership. The UK’s family reunion policy is generous, granting over 23,000 family reunion visas over the last five years, and I can […]
Overseas voters
A number of constituents have got in touch with me about British citizens voting overseas. British citizens who move abroad remain a vital part of our democracy, and it is important that they have the ability to participate. Indeed, expats retain strong links with the UK. They may have family here, or plan to return […]
#PassOnPlastic
John Whittingdale signed a pledge to #PassOnPlastic with Sky Ocean Rescue – a commitment to reduce single-use plastic consumption. Launched in January 2017, Sky Ocean Rescue aims to shine a spotlight on the issues of ocean health, particularly single-use plastic, and inspire people to make small changes. The #PassOnPlastic pledge was also signed by 113 […]