On Tuesday the Queen’s speech set out the Government’s plan for bouncing back from the pandemic and that was rightly the focus of the opening of this new Parliamentary session. Our Queen is an integral part of our national identity; her continuous duty and courage are a huge inspiration.
Here in Somerset lots of people have contacted me about social care over the last twelve months so I was pleased to see highlighted the need for adult social care reform and I will be working closely with ministers to ensure that we build back better and provide the elderly in our society the best care possible. Similarly, working from home over the past year has increased the need to attend to lack of proper broadband access, and while there are several projects for better wifi connectivity already in the works, the announcement that a new Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will extend 5G mobile coverage is hugely welcome.
Over the last few days we have hit another two huge milestones in our battle against the coronavirus as one in three adults have had both doses of a vaccine, and more than two thirds of adults have received at least one. This stands us in great stead as we move forward to our next level of unlocking on May 17. I will continue to press for the end of all domestic restrictions in June and also that we use the resources we can to help the rest of the world recover.
It was also great that skills and lifelong learning will be at the heart of the Government’s upcoming programme. Adults will be able to get a flexible loan, useable at any time for higher-level education at training at a university or college, and I look forward to building on our already excellent local provision with Yeovil College.
Last week I was also very happy to see that Mark Shelford was elected as our new Police and Crime Commissioner. I have sent him congratulations from South Somerset, which delivered almost a third of his overall majority. It will be a pleasure working with him as well as the Government Minister for Crime & Policing, Kit Malthouse, who I also know well, to deliver the policing priorities of the people of Somerset, and I hope we can continue to make progress on issues such as more police visibility, action against county lines and related problems, and better police facilities in Yeovil and other Somerset towns.
Local elections were a big success for the Government in most places and the prevention of an SNP majority in Scotland with the highest ever vote share for the Scottish Tories was a major step in keeping our beloved United Kingdom together. It can be tempting for some to be ambivalent about our Union especially given the support English taxpayers give to other parts, but we have been one family for hundreds of years and have built and defended democracy, human rights and the Enlightenment together, supporting each other through thick and thin. I think it is important we all in our own ways show how much that means to us over the coming years.
As always, if I can be of help or if you would like to contact me on any of these issues please do call 01935314321 or email marcus.fysh.mp@parliament.uk