Welcome to my July e-newsletter. With lockdown restrictions easing, I have been out and about in the constituency, visiting local businesses to encourage people to come out to support our town centres.
The major package of economic support announced by the Chancellor in his summer statement is welcome, but there will be really tough time ahead. We need to stay alert and observe social distancing guidance, but that shouldn’t stop us from backing our local businesses. We can all play our part in economic recovery by using our new freedom to go along to pubs, restaurants and visitor attractions. I wrote about my campaign to get people back to the high street in The Sun newspaper and you can read my article here.
My street surgeries have been running during July and it’s been great to be able to hear from constituents directly and talk to them face to face after so many weeks of Zoom calls. Indoor surgeries have also now resumed (details are set out below at the end of this e-newsletter).
In Parliament I have spoken out on a variety of issues. I made a speech on securing economic recovery; I’ve condemned overdevelopment in Barnet; I’ve called for the UK aid budget to have a focus on sustainability and protecting the rainforest; and I’ve urged police and prosecutors to crack down on burglary.
I was also privileged to be able to lead a debate on support for different sectors of the economy during the Covid crisis. The Government’s furlough scheme has funded the wages of 9.4 million people and 2.7 million self-employed people are receiving grants. This is one of the most comprehensive support packages in the world, but there are still people who have fallen through the cracks.
In the debate, I asked the Government to try to fill the gaps in their Covid support schemes. I highlighted the very serious problems in the arts and creative industries. A few days later, the Government announced a further £1.57 billion of support for this sector which I hope feeds through to the freelance workers who are struggling because they can’t be furloughed and yet are still unable to resume their regular work.
For more information on my local campaigns and activities, you can click on the links below to articles on my website. Please pass on this email to anyone you think would be interested to see it or join my mailing list. You can also follow me on Facebook at facebook.com/theresavillierscb.
With warmest wishes
Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers
Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet
Economic turbulence ahead
Speaking in Parliament, in the debate following the summer statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer announcing major new support programmes for jobs and livelihoods, Theresa Villiers MP called for training and apprenticeships to be put at the heart of the Government’s Covid economic recovery strategy…
No breakthrough in sight for 384 bus campaign
MP Theresa Villiers said today she was "deeply disappointed" Transport for London (TfL) will not change its mind over plans to re-route the 384 bus service away from residential streets in Barnet….
Villiers calls for extra help for people hit by Covid economic crisis
A House of Commons debate on Parliamentary petitions signed by nearly three quarters of a million people was led by Theresa Villiers. MPs highlighted sectors which face the most serious economic problems as a result of the Covid lockdown….
Eid Mubarak from Theresa Villiers MP
In a message to her Muslim constituents, Theresa Villiers said “I would like to wish Eid Mubarak to my constituents who are celebrating Eid al-Adha….
MPs mark 46th anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus
Addressing the annual lobby of Parliament to mark the 46th anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus and also 60 years since the creation of the Republic of Cyprus, Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, joined other MPs in calling for a free and united Cyprus….
Villiers stands up for the highest standards of animal welfare
Theresa Villiers MP repeated her commitment to maintaining our high standards of safety, animal welfare and environmental protection in food production in her final speech in Parliament before the summer recess….
How to contact Theresa
Your local MP and her team are working hard to respond to constituents’ concerns; but some changes have had to be made to the way Theresa and her staff are working in order to comply with social distancing rules and public health advice
If you need Theresa’s help you will need to email her on [email protected], ring her constituency office on 020 8449 7345, or write to Theresa Villiers MP, 163 High Street, Barnet, Herts, EN5 5SU.
Face-to-face surgery meetings have re-started now that lockdown measures have been eased, but these are still being kept to a minimum to reduce risk and to comply with the rules on social distancing. Theresa’s regular Saturday morning surgery does not take place in August, but surgery appointments are available at other times.
Anyone wishing to see Theresa or her staff will need to make an appointment in advance. You will NOT be seen if you turn up without a pre-booked appointment. Bookings can be made using the contact details set out above.
The waiting room which is normally available during surgeries will be closed. Constituents will need to arrive at the time of their appointment and will be asked to queue outside if they are early, or if there are delays to the appointment schedule. We apologise for this inconvenience but it is necessary to minimise the number of people in the constituency office at one time.
Zoom appointments are also available. It is still recommended that, wherever possible, you raise your concerns with Theresa by phone or email, rather than through a meeting, as your case can be dealt with more quickly this way.
