Mark Garnier MP has welcomed news that fire stations in Hereford and Worcestershire will now remain open. Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority (HWFA) have announced that there will not be any closures of stations in the foreseeable future. Additionally members of the authority have agreed that no fire engines will be removed from Hereford and Worcester fire stations.
There have now been three occasions, since being elected, where I have been asked to vote on committing our armed forces to conflict. The first was our intervention in Libya, the second in Syria, and the final was last week to support the Iraq government tackle the threat of Islamic State – ISIL.
One of the most frequently heard complaints by the Scottish “Yes” campaign was that Scotland doesn’t have the government it voted for. It’s true. But neither do we in England. Excluding Welsh, Northern Irish and Scottish MPs, who between them represent just around 15% of the population of the UK, whilst the ’97 and 2001 elections would have resulted in a Labour government, 2005 might have resulted in a coalition and 2010 would have resulted in a Conservative government.
Mark Garnier MP has welcomed the latest unemployment figures which show sustained low unemployment in Wyre Forest Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics show that the number of unemployed claimants in Wyre Forest in August was 1,206 which represents 2.6% of the economically active population.
The news is absolutely dominated by next week’s referendum on the future of the United Kingdom. Will Scotland vote “yes” to go it alone; or “no” to stay in the Union? This vote could be the biggest game changer for the UK since we lost America three hundred years ago.
Across Britain, new and exciting emerging businesses have entered the Lloyds Bank 2014 Enterprise Award for successful entrepreneurs. From hundreds of applications, Cattleya CIC, a student run business at King Charles 1 School have been shortlisted as one of the top businesses to go through to the five regional heats being held across Britain. Cattleya provide delicious bespoke cocktails and healthy smoothies for business and community events using exotic fruits imported from Colombia.
The last couple of years has been quite a period of revelation and shocks. Whilst many, myself included, thought Jimmy Saville at best eccentric, few could have imagined that much loved Rolf Harris, or Steward Hall, were serial sex offenders. That they all preyed on the vulnerable and did so within a trusted institution is simply awful. But the revelations from Rotherham are simply unbelievable.
The world has become a far more violent place than I remember. Growing up in the 70s, it was not uncommon to hear of a bomb attack in Ireland or mainland Britain. But then a terrorist would do his work on the basis that he wanted to escape. Today, many terrorists see death as martyrdom – in their eyes, a good thing. Of course, there have been many, many atrocities over the years: Rwanda, Bosnia, Vietnam, to name but a tragically small few of the awful catalogue of human catastrophes. Now, we are confronted with Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Ukraine.
Wyre Forest MP is pleased with figures showing that 16,000 fewer young people in the West Midlands are out of work, education or training This represents a 13.2% decrease since the election. Jobs are being creating for young people in Wyre Forest in places such as the redevelopment of Weavers Wharf, investment from Amtek and the development of Stourport Marina.
