St Peter’s Hospital Update
I, together with Dame Priti Patel MP, recently met with the Save Maldon Medical Services group to discuss the next steps in our campaign to protect and improve healthcare at St Peter’s Hospital following the recent decisions made by the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board to retain outpatient services at St Peter’s Hospital for up to five years whilst a permanent new medical hub is planned. However, the ICB also confirmed the relocation of the birthing unit to Braintree and the transfer of stroke rehabilitation beds to Rochford and Brentwood.
The priority now must be to move ahead with plans for the proposed replacement health hub and in the meantime to ensure that St Peter’s continues to provide the full range of outpatient services. This needs to take place rapidly and I have therefore arranged a further meeting for the Group in December with the Chief Executive of the ICB as well as the new Chief Executive of the Mid and South Essex Hospitals Trust in order to agree a clear action plan going forward.
Remembrance 2025 — Garden of Remembrance, New Palace Yard
This week I was proud to pay tribute to those from the Maldon constituency who gave their lives in service of our country at Parliament’s Constituency Garden of Remembrance in New Palace Yard.
This year marks the 80th anniversaries of Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan, a moment to remember not only the relief that followed the end of the Second World War but also the immense cost of conflict. More than 380,000 British service personnel did not return and countless families and communities continue to live with the aftermath of that sacrifice.
Since 2021 the Garden, created in partnership with the Royal British Legion, offers Members the opportunity to honour the fallen from their constituencies alongside tributes from the Commonwealth, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories. It is a solemn reminder of the freedoms we enjoy and the duty we owe to preserve the memory of those who served.
I am also looking forward to attending the Remembrance Services this Sunday in Maldon and at Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome.
Meeting with the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and the Chief Fire Officer
This week, ahead of the budget, I attended a joint briefing with the Police Fire and Crime Commissioner and the Chief Fire Officer to hear urgent financial forecasts for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and Essex Police.
Essex County Fire and Rescue face a possible 13.7% grant reduction (approximately £5.1 million) — the equivalent of around 100 firefighters on top of a projected £4.9 million deficit over the next three years. Demand on the Service has risen 17% in five years due to population growth, climate-related risks and the need to protect key infrastructure and 350 miles of coastline.
Essex Police has delivered over £10 million of savings this year but still faces significant shortfalls. Current forecasts show a £7 million shortfall for 2026/27 and cumulative gaps of £39.4 million across the next four years, depending on the final police funding settlement.
I and my Essex colleagues will be pressing the Chancellor ahead of the Budget for a fair and sustainable settlement and will update constituents as discussions progress.
I am pictured with Rick Hylton, Chief Fire Officer, and Roger Hirst, Essex Police Fire and Crime Commissioner
Meeting with Radiotherapy UK
Last week, I met with Radiotherapy UK to discuss the urgent need to improve radiotherapy access for cancer patients in Mid Essex.
Figures I obtained from the Department of Health show that just 43.5% of patients in our area begin treatment within 62 days of referral — far below the national average of 67.1% and well short of the 85% target. In Maldon, only 32.6% of patients receive radiotherapy, compared to the international benchmark of 53%.
This is unacceptable. I will continue working with Radiotherapy UK to ensure these disparities are addressed both nationally and locally, so that every patient has access to timely, life-saving treatment.
Road Closure Update
A number of constituents have raised with me concerns about the disruption caused by road closures in the Dengie. As residents will be aware, Steeple Road has been closed for essential water‑main renewal by Essex & Suffolk Water to safeguard the local water supply; ESW initially sought to complete these works during the summer season, but the council and ESW agreed to schedule them at a less impactful time for the local economy.
However, I am pleased to inform residents that I have received an update from Essex and Suffolk Water. Just this afternoon they have been informed that the work conducted at Steeple Road, Latchingdon, Essex from the junction with the B1018 Burnham Road to the junction of The Drive/Woodland Park Chase has now been completed and the road will reopen this evening.
The team are continuing to install the final section of pipe for the project, but this will take place entirely within the field and is on track to be finished by the end of November. I have been told that this £750,000 investment work is essential as it will replace an aging water main to ensure a reliable and uninterrupted water supply for customers.
Recent cuts to education funding
I have been contacted by a number of teachers and parents of children at the Anglo European School in Ingatestone about the Department for Education’s sudden decision to cut funding for the 16–19 study programme forthe International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, from the next academic year.
The IB offers a world-class, academically rigorous curriculum and helps students gain entry to top universities, apprenticeships, and employment. Removing funding risks making the IB the preserve of independent schools, removing choice and opportunities for students. I have written to the Education Secretary urging her to reverse this decision and also spoke in a recent debate in Parliament on the IB in state schools, reemphasising the damage that this decision will do if the Government goes ahead.
Question on Local Government Reform
As many will now be aware, the Government is imposing on the county an elected Mayor and local government reform which will result in Essex County Council and the Borough, City and District Councils being abolished and replaced by a smaller number of unitary authorities. The timetable for these changes are for the Mayor of Greater Essex and a Combined Authority to be established in 2026, elections to be held for the new unitary authorities in 2027 and the existing local government structures to be disbanded with the new unitary authorities coming in to effect in 2028.
At present, we do not know how many unitary authorities there will be with Essex County Council proposing three and the majority of Districts including Maldon District Council and Chelmsford City Council wanting five. There are also suggestions that next year’s County Council elections will not take place.These have already been postponed once this year and it would require further legislation to postpone them again. If the Government does propose this, I will oppose it as I believe that it would be wrong and undemocratic for County Councillors elected in 2021 to remain in post without another election until 2028.
I am also concerned that under the new arrangements, decisions affecting local residents will be taken by a body which is located far from Maldon and made up of a large majority of councillors who have little knowledge of the District. I therefore asked the Minister of State for Local Government whether the local government reorganisation for Essex will include greater devolution of powers to town and parish councils, so that local communities continue to be represented by genuinely local authorities.
Congratulations to Maldon & Tiptree FC
In September, I visited Maldon and Tiptree Football Club and met players and new owner, Barrie Drewitt- Barlow. Although the Club’s remarkable FA Cup run ended with defeat by Port Vale, they began in the Extra‑Preliminary Round and, as an eighth‑tier side, won six qualifying matches to reach the First Round proper — an achievement almost unheard of at this level.
Well done to the players, coaching staff, and everyone who backed them — you have done Maldon proud!
Dengie Solar Park
Over the weekend, I visited Dengie Solar Park near Steeple — a major new renewable energy site already generating up to 21MW of clean electricity, with 5MW of battery storage on site.
Located well away from residential areas and alongside existing wind turbines, this project will help Maldon District move closer to its carbon neutral goals. I’m also pleased to see British Solar Renewables contributing £14,000 to the Essex Community Fund to support local projects in Steeple and nearby — a great example of green energy delivering real community benefit.
Pictured with Tim Humpage, CEO of BSR, and Carla Hardaker, Development Director.
Meeting with Handley Gardens Management Team
In September, I visited the Handley Gardens estate in Maldon to meet with the new management team and to discuss with them the issues that residents have been facing.
It is clear that the previous management arrangements fell short. I welcome Taylor Wimpey’s acknowledgment of this and their decision to appoint POD Management, who have assured me they are committed to greater transparency—especially around service charges and what they actually cover. Rising labour costs have understandably had an impact, but residents deserve clarity and fairness. I was also pleased to hear that remedial work is underway to restore damaged grass and trees following the summer heatwave. Residents will receive a full breakdown of planned improvements, along with regular updates via newsletter.
Handley Gardens is now home to over 600 families and is fast becoming one of Taylor Wimpey’s most popular developments in the South East. I am delighted to welcome new residents to Maldon and encouraged by the management team’s commitment to getting things right. I was joined on site by James Lidgate (Taylor Wimpey), Katie Stainsby (POD Management), Adrian Povey (Community Property Care), and other members of the team.
Pro-democracy activist Alaa Abd El Fattah pardoned in Egypt
In late September, I was delighted to learn that British Egyptian pro-democracy activist Alaa Abd El Fattah received a pardon by President Sisi in Egypt, after having been wrongfully imprisoned for the last 4 years for the spurious charge of ‘spreading fake news’.
I pay tribute to Alaa’s mother Laila Soueif, who I met in Parliament and who was on hunger strike until his release. This issue is of particular importance to me as I chair the All Party Parliamentary Group for Media Freedom. Having worked closely with Reporters Without Borders, I have frequently raised Alaa’s case with ministers, most recently directly to the former Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
My speech on the appointment and subsequent withdrawal of Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States
In September, I spoke in Parliament about the deeply flawed appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to Washington.
Given the revelations about Lord Mandelson’s continuing relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, it is clear that he should never have been appointed. Last week, the Foreign Affairs Committee questioned the Cabinet Secretary and the Permanent Secretary in the Foreign Office about this and I remain very concerned about the multiple failures that allowed this to happen.
World Sepsis Day
Saturday 13th September was World Sepsis Day and I was proud to stand with The UK Sepsis Trust and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sepsis to call for greater awareness of this life-threatening condition. Sepsis claims 48,000 lives a year in the UK alone. It can strike from something as simple as a bite or a UTI—and because there’s no single test, spotting the early signs is absolutely vital.
At the event pictured below in Parliament, I joined my friend Lord Mackinlay—who lost his limbs as a result of sepsis and UKST ambassador Harry Redknapp, pledging to help our communities become #SepsisSavvy.
Visit to Priory Primary School in Bicknacre
I was delighted to visit Priory Primary School in Bicknacre in September, in order to speak to children at a special Assembly and to answer their questions about my work as a MP.
The children have recently been learning about democracy and have elected a new School Council. I was also very pleased to present the newly elected members of the Council with their badges.
My Speech on the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands
In September, I spoke in Parliament on the Government’s decision to hand over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. I remain convinced that this does not serve Britain’s strategic, economic or environmental interests.
Diego Garcia is home to one of the most vital military bases in the Indian Ocean. The Government has agreed to pay Mauritius £35 billion over the lifetime of the Treaty in order to lease back Diego Garcia – money which did not have to be paid and which we cannot afford. In addition, under the new agreement, the UK must “expeditiously inform” Mauritius of any operations from the base. This raises serious questions about our freedom to act—especially in covert or time-sensitive scenarios.
Centenary of the Birth of Margaret Thatcher
13th October marked the centenary of the birth of Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female Prime Minister and the longest serving of the 20th century. Having worked as Political Secretary to Margaret Thatcher when she was Prime Minister, I have spoken at a number of events celebrating her extraordinary record and achievements as Prime Minister.
I also attended the unveiling of a memorial to her in Budapest erected by the Hungarian Government in recognition of the role she played in freeing Hungary and the other countries of Eastern Europe from the tyranny of the Soviet Union.
Pictured with Sir Mark and Lady Thatcher
