Thank You
I would like to extend the warmest thanks to all those who voted for me in last week’s General Election. Obviously, I am very relieved at the result both in Reigate and across the country which gives the country a government with the Parliamentary authority for a full term.
Brexit and Britain’s Future Role in the World
Whatever the divisions on Brexit may be, it is now time to put the 2016 Referendum decision into place and work together to implement the reconfirmed choice about our future outside the European Union. The price we were paying with the prolonged uncertainty over Brexit happening at all is now ended. The new One Nation Government will now have the opportunity to allay the concerns sometimes rather hysterically expressed about the Conservative agenda for the future. Meeting my new parliamentary colleagues this week, I am proud beyond words at the breadth and depth of talent that now makes up the majority in Parliament. This 2019 parliamentary party can legitimately be claimed as a One Nation party and that will be at the heart of the agenda over the next five years.
Casework
As your member of Parliament, I am here to represent all my constituents no matter what their circumstances or political views. In this capacity I will continue to respond to all my constituent casework as effectively as I can.
Green Belt and Infrastructure
I will continue to focus my attention on trying to deliver key local policy issues that affect us all including: local road, rail, and air traffic infrastructure, protecting our environment and London’s crucial asset, its Green Belt, in which this constituency is entirely located. Building on green space in the Green Belt is a straightforward breach of a central policy objective and we must argue to meet other objectives such as a national housing need in a way that is consistent with protecting London’s and our green spaces.
New Acute Hospital
I will support local NHS and Social Care improvements, particularly the new acute hospital planned for the Epsom and St. Helier Hospital Trust area. There will shortly be a consultation on where this hospital should be sited and will be strongly supporting the business and medical case for that recommends the site adjacent to the Royal Marsden Cancer Centre in Sutton. I will be encouraging everyone served by this hospital trust to respond positively to the trust’s preferred plan which secures the Marsden, a globally outstanding cancer care centre, close to our community, as well as addressing the systemic problems that have assailed the trust’s operation of acute care in dilapidated premises for too long. Those constituents who are served by the East Surrey Hospital are now enjoying the benefits of an outstanding institution that was finally able to make a similar reorganisation ten years ago. I will continue to support the fine work done by our Health Professionals and all their support staff in delivering this outstanding public service.
Reigate and Banstead Community Fund
I will also be championing local business and charities in order to help maintain a strong local economy and high employment in the constituency and I look forward to working with local schools and colleges to help them smooth the path to offer the best education to all our young people and adult learners.
One of my key objectives in this term of Parliament will be to promote and enlarge the newly formed Reigate and Banstead Community Fund, a new philanthropic Fund to support charities and good causes addressing local need in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead.
A significant proportion of locally raised taxes help pay for the provision of benefits and infrastructure all around the country as befits a relatively prosperous community. But I hope that a successful commitment of all of our community, business, sports and voluntary organisations as well as residents themselves can be directed at taking a community fund specifically for causes and benefits for our community to the kind of scale that can make a very significant difference to our local quality of life over the decades to come.
I will continue to keep constituents informed of my activities and initiatives by regularly posting updates on this website.
Finally, may I wish everyone very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year and the banishment of Brexit as a conversation for the festive period!
Crispin Blunt MP