Welcome to my first newsletter of 2025, in which I review some of my activities as your Member of Parliament in the last few weeks.
I hope that all my constituents enjoyed a peaceful and happy Christmas and send my best wishes for the coming year. As ever, I and my team will always be happy to help with any problems or issues that arise.
New Housing Targets
I am very much aware of, and share, the significant local anxiety with regard to the Labour Government’s new house building targets. In December, the Housing Minister announced the revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework which included new mandatory house building requirements. Under these, the new figure for Local Housing Need for the Maldon District is an additional 569 houses each year, more than double the previous figure of 276. The District Council will now be required to identify development sites sufficient to provide for this amount of building in a new plan or face the risk of speculative development applications being approved by the Planning Inspectorate.
The situation in the Chelmsford City local authority area is very similar. Here, the new formula produces an increase of 59 per cent – requiring an extra 1,406 houses per year rather than 953. There is a strong likelihood that this will result in both an expansion of the current plans to build another 1,000 homes in South Woodham Ferrers and the go-ahead for the City Council’s suggested 4,000 new homes at Hammonds Farm.
In the House of Commons Chamber, I questioned Labour’s Minister of State for Housing on their current plans to impose thousands of new homes in Maldon and stressed the point that the requisite infrastructure in terms of roads, medical services and schools, does not currently exist in order to support these new developments as viable communities for the future.
I emphasised to him that his government must consider putting in place special financial arrangements to enable developers to fund new local infrastructure alongside house building, in order to avoid the current situation where necessary investment in facilities does not take place until months, and sometimes years later.
Please follow the links below to read the full transcript and watch the full clip of my question and the Minister’s response:
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL918oJCwek
The North Essex group of councils has also expressed serious concern about the top-down imposition of housing targets which I fully share:
Latest news | Maldon District Council
I will continue to raise these concerns with the Government and to oppose unnecessary, unsustainable and damaging development.
Local Government Reform
The Government has announced that it intends to devolve more powers to local authorities and at the same time move towards the establishment of unitary authorities. This would mean the replacement of Essex County Council and also of Maldon and Chelmsford Councils with a number of single tier authorities across the county. It is also suggested that the May elections for Essex County Council could be postponed.
English Devolution White Paper – GOV.UK
The leader of Essex County Council has welcomed the opportunity for more powers to be determined locally. However, a reorganisation on this scale will take up a huge amount of time and resources and the Government’s timescale looks unrealistic. There are also some services which are best provided on a county-wide basis. While we await further details, I will continue to work closely with other Essex MPs and our local Councillors to ensure that what emerges is in the best interest of the people of Essex.
Devolution – “We must have the vision to seize this opportunity…” | Essex County Council
Assisted Dying
Following the vote on 29th November on the Assisted Dying Bill, I wanted to thank all those who got in touch to let me know their views and to explain why, after much very careful thought, I decided to vote against the Bill.
In the weeks approaching the vote I received an enormous number of messages from my constituents, expressing strong opinions both for and against. I recognise the strength of feeling that this issue evokes on both sides and have considered the arguments made to me by many who have deeply held views one way or another on this topic. It was not an easy decision, as I recognise that many believe that it is right to give choice to people at the end of life in order to allow them to die in dignity and without suffering. Put this way, it is hard to say that this is not desirable. However, I have always been concerned that a change in the law may result in vulnerable people feeling pressured to end their life when there are viable alternatives available. Having considered the Bill very carefully, I am not convinced that the safeguards against this which the Bill attempts to put in place are sufficiently robust.
It has always been ethically permissible for doctors to give pain relief in order to relieve suffering and pain and in recent years palliative care has hugely improved. However, there is still an urgent need to invest more to ensure that high quality care is available to all those who need it. I am concerned that if the Bill becomes law it will lead to resources being diverted within an NHS already under financial pressure and that palliative care will become a lower priority.
Parliament has decided to give the Bill a Second Reading and it is now to be considered in Committee. I hope that this will provide an opportunity to consider the impact of allowing assisted suicide in much greater detail and to ensure that the safeguards are as robust as possible. It will then return to the Chamber of the House of Commons where there will be a further vote. I will therefore continue to study the debate carefully in the coming months on what I recognise will be a momentous decision for our country and people.
Westminster Hall Debate on Pylons
I was pleased to contribute to the recent Westminster Hall Debate on Electricity Grid Upgrades, brought by my colleague Sir Bernard Jenkin, MP for Harwich and North Essex and Chairman of the OFFSET (offshore electricity grid taskforce) group of MPs.
The Group has consistently highlighted the damage posed to the environment, local communities, and wider decarbonisation, by the proposal for a new wave of Pylons from Norwich to Tilbury.
During the debate, I emphasised the strength of the public opposition across the entire East Anglia region. I particularly cited the strong opposition from residents of Margaretting villiage in my constituency.
Please follow this link to view a clip of my contribution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH3fTYjcQyI&t=1s
Hospitality Business Question
I recently questioned Labour’s Junior Minister for Business and Trade in the Chamber on the impact on the the hospitality sector of the tax rises in the Chancellor’s October Budget, particularly the hike in Employer’s National Insurance contributions.
UKHospitality has estimated that the measures announced in the Budget will increase the cost of employing people by £2,500 per each new employee. I urged the Minister that his government ought to at least consider delaying the implementation of the NI increase to 2026-27, when the planned realignment of business rates is due to come in.
It was Small Business Saturday last month, which was a day to celebrate the brilliant contributions of Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMEs) to our economy and local communities. However, shops, pubs and restaurants across Maldon have said to me that these measures will lead to higher prices or fewer jobs. I am deeply concerned about the obstructive impact the Government’s new tax rises will have on these businesses’ ability to provide jobs and prosper.
Should you wish to watch the transcript and clip of my question, please follow the links below:
YouTube: Sir John Whittingdale MP, puts question to Labour’s Small Business Minister on tax rises – YouTube
Christmas Tree Memory Light Switch on at Heybridge Cemetery
On 14th December, I was delighted to switch on the lights on the Christmas Memory Tree at Heybridge Cemetery.
This had to be delayed a week due to poor weather at the beginning of the month. It has become a tradition which I always enjoy taking part in, as it provides an opportunity for local residents to place a star in memory of those they have lost as well as to celebrate Christmas together.
Once again, it was organised by Friends of Heybridge Cemetery, Bryan and Brenda Harker, Miriam Lewis and David Denyer.
Visit to Straight Edge Manufacturing
I recently visited Straight Edge Manufacturing Ltd in Burnham Business Park.
Straight-Edge Manufacturing Ltd is one of the last UK manufacturers of Professional Musical Equipment, making hand built guitar amplifiers and speaker cabinets along with PA systems for a number of well-known brands. They employ around 30 people but are unfortunately faced with a substantial increase in costs as a result of the increase in Employer’s National Insurance Contributions in the Budget.
Straight-Edge are a successful small business, which is succeeding in a highly competitive market. However, profit margins are very tight and the increase in NICs in the Budget is a real kick in the teeth. As I also mentioned with the hospitality sector, for so many other firms, the consequence will be lower wage rises and/or fewer jobs and I hope that even at this late stage, the Chancellor will think again.
I am pictured below with Ian Wilson, Founder and CEO.
Second Farmer’s Protest
Last month, farmers from across the country once again descended upon Whitehall in protest, to send a message to the Labour Government.
This followed the Chancellor’s disastrous decision, back in October, to restrict Agricultural Property Relief, thus burdening a huge number of family farms with inheritance tax. For the second time in recent weeks, farmers came to London to make clear their opposition and anger.
They pointed out that this measure will make it impossible for farms to be passed on to the next generation, causing many to cease farming altogether. This will result in job losses, a reduction in the country’s food security and harm the countryside and our environment.
I recently challenged the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on this matter in the Chamber. I urged that the Government must think again, citing a family farm of 5 generations in West Hanningfield, who face giving up their farm in anticipation of an enormous tax bill.
Please follow this link to watch the clip of my question: Sir John Whittingdale MP pleads with the Government to retain Agricultural Property Relief
Debate on the Future funding of the BBC
Just prior to Christmas, I held a Westminster Hall Debate on the future of funding for the BBC.
This is a subject that I seem to have spent a large part of my parliamentary career discussing both in and outside of Government, but which has become extremely appropriate to examine once again.
The television marketplace has evolved dramatically with the emergence of on-demand streaming services and the steady decline in license fee payments across the country. This means reform of the system is essential and inevitable. If we are going to retain the BBC and enjoy its many virtues for years to come, we as a country need to think creatively about a solution for the longer term.
Please follow this link to watch the debate in full: Sir John Whittingdale MP holds Westminster Hall Debate on Future Funding for the BBC
Casework Statistics 2024
I am very pleased to be able to share with subscribers the casework statistics for the whole of 2024.
These figures reflect the volume and nature of correspondence between my parliamentary office and my constituents throughout last year on the numerous issues listed below.
The statistics for 2024 are as follows:
- New cases created in 2024: 791
- Cases closed in 2024: 1,264
- Casework e-mails received in 2024: 5,941
- Casework correspondence (e-mails and letters) sent in 2024: 9,401
- Policy emails received in 2024: 3,800
Breakdown of cases by subject matter:
- Housing and planning 🏠 – 19% (need for social housing, planning objections, social housing repairs, etc.)
- Health services and medicine 🏥- 17% (St Peter’s, Dissatisfaction with Longfield Medical Centre, other general GP concerns, etc.)
- Essex Highways and Transport 🛣 – 17% (potholes, road surface issues, parking, removal of DaRt service, need for new/improved local bus services, etc.)
- Education 📚 – 6% (EHCP wait times, SEND issues, etc.)
- Crime and Essex Police 👮♀️- 6%
I am also very pleased to have been ranked 4th in QuickPoliticsUK’s league table for contributions in Parliament by Backbench Conservative MPs in December 2024.
The table ranks backbench Conservative MPs, according to the highest number of words spoken in Parliament over the course of December last year.
