No one who has been following the news cannot be completely stunned by the events in Paris last Friday. It is breath taking that such a small group of terrorists can wreak such devastating havoc on a city in such a short period of time. The news unfolds on a daily basis as more suspects are arrested and gun battles take place between the security services and suspects - people suspected, it seems, quite rightly as one blew herself up whilst involved in a gun battle.
Over the last year or two, there have been a number of bank branch closures in Wyre Forest. Kidderminster is losing the Co-op branch and Barclays closed in Bewdley last year. In the last week, HSBC has announced that it will close its branch in Bewdley.
From time to time, the mechanics of Parliament come under scrutiny and cause confusion. One possible reasons for this is that Parliament has been making its rules for around 800 years. The way the rules work is not always in a manner that makes sense in a modern world. Much of the way we do business in parliament is done by conventions and traditions.
This week sees the state visit of President Xi Jinping of China. The full menu of state visit pomp and circumstance will be offered, including not one but three state banquets. There will be much to discuss, including investment in new nuclear power stations in the UK - something that many feel nervous about (for security reasons). But there are two big issues that people will be looking to the Prime Minster to raise. Trade and human rights.
One of the more radical policy of this government is to hand down powers from Whitehall to cities. This was started with Manchester and the so called Northern Power House and the plan is to allow cities to be able to determine their own futures through planning policy and economic direction planning policy, including infrastructure and investment. Since this was started, a number of other cities are coming forward and this raises very important questions about Birmingham and how we in Wyre Forest participate in the, possible, Midlands Power House.
