October news from Freddie van Mierlo
It is just about 100 days since I was elected as your MP, and the machinery of running a constituency office is now full swing; in September we held our our first in person surgery in Benson and have moved into offices in Chalgrove. My constituency team is complete and we are beavering away responding to policy enquiries and casework - since August we have processed over 2000 emails and letters, and opened close to 1000 items of casework.
Around the constituency
September saw some of the worst flooding we have seen in this part of the country for many years. Wheatley High Street became a river while many other villages across the north of the constituency suffered from significant localised flooding and disrupted travel. By all accounts, our fire and rescue service did us all proud and have my sincerest thanks for everything they did to help save residents and property.
When I visited Wheatley last week, residents showed me the impact with homes still drying out with industrial dehumidifiers and watermarks on the walls. Whilst the sheer volume of rainfall was clearly the main factor, an investigation will now take place into what more can be done in the future to reduce the risk of these events.
In September, I also continued with my mission to visit as much of the constituency as possible, attending a successful protest against a concrete crushing plant in Thame, meeting with the Mayors of Thame and Henley to discuss how we can best work together on our common goals, and visiting the brilliant Maple Tree and Red Kite childrens' centres in Wheatley and Thame respectively to discuss funding challenges.
I also spent a great day with Councillor Ed Sadler in Chinnor catching up on issues facing local residents, as well as meeting with the incredible volunteers keeping the railway between Chinnor and Princess Risborough going.
Conference season
Conference recess gave all political parties the opportunity to gather the party faithful and discuss key issues. Liberal Democrats united in Brighton around our successful election campaign, focused on health and social care and the sewage crisis.
Conference was an excellent opportunity for me to connect with groups including Alzheimer’s Society & Alzheimer’s Research UK, Prostate Cancer UK, Pancreatic Cancer UK, and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. It was clear that more needs to be done to support patients with these conditions to access the care they need, and I committed to championing these causes and more
In parliament
Meanwhile in parliament there was much activity on health, water, and the cost of living crisis.
Health: The Darzi review into the state of the NHS was a damning indictment of 14 years of Conservative leadership. Debates are being held in parliament following the publication of the report. However, I fear the government is not learning the right lessons. By putting capital investment in new hospitals like the Royal Berkshire at risk, Labour risks repeating mistakes of the past. A new Royal Berkshire hospital would deliver a more efficient and productive NHS in our area and across the Thames Valley. Putting that at risk makes no sense and I will be joining my Lib Dem colleagues Clive Jones (Wokingham), Joshua Reynolds (Maidenhead), and Lee Dillon (Newbury) in making the case for the RBH to Wes Streeting
Cost of living: I joined my Liberal Democrat colleagues in voting not once, but twice against the removal of Winter Fuel Payments to pensioners. Henley and Thame constituency has the highest number of people affected by this cut in the county and I’m worried about the impact this will have on residents this winter
Rivers and sewage: In parliament I raised the issue of Marsh Lock Horsebridge in Henley with ministers from DEFRA and requested a meeting to discuss funding for its repair. I also wrote to the Environment Agency. I want to ‘knock heads’ together to get this sorted.
I also met with organisers of Henley Swim events to discuss the impact of sewage in the Thames on their popularity. It was clear from my discussion that swim events have a hugely positive impact on the town that must be kept alive. I again met up with Henley and Marlow River Action, as well as French TV (oo la la), to test water quality.