Welcome to my September e-newsletter. The world feels like a very different place since my last update. The passing of Her Majesty the Queen is a huge loss to our nation. As you would expect, much of this past month in Parliament has been spent reflecting on the long and dedicated service of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
I felt incredibly privileged to take part in the tributes paid to Her Late Majesty in the House of Commons. I shared some fond recollections of meeting her during my time as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. As a Privy Councillor, I was present at St James’s Palace for the first formal proclamation of King Charles III as our new sovereign; and I also attended his address to both Houses of Parliament.
I felt deeply moved when visiting the Lying in State of Her Majesty in Westminster Hall – a place to which I have welcomed many groups of constituents visiting Parliament over the years. I am certain that none of us will forget the momentous days we have just lived through. I feel a sense of personal sadness about the passing of Her Majesty, and welcomed the chance to join my constituents for services of reflection at St Mary’s Church, East Barnet, and St Mary’s Monken Hadley, on the eve of that magnificent State Funeral.
The other issue dominating the Parliamentary agenda of course continues to be the cost of living. I was drawn in the ballot to ask a question at Prime Minister Truss’s first ever PMQs. I highlighted the case of a pub in Barnet facing a 600% increase in its energy bills and called for further action to help with the inflation.
I very much welcomed the announcement the following day that the Government would step in to freeze energy prices for households for two years and for businesses for six months. This intervention is vital. It will save the typical family and extra £1,000 off their bills, on top of the help announced earlier this year.
Intensive work will now be undertaken to seek to stabilise the energy market and come up with further support measures for vulnerable business sectors to come into operation at the end of the six month price freeze.
Last week I attended a meeting with the new head of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley. It is very worrying that the capital’s police force has been put in ‘special measures’ and Sir Mark outlined his plans to tackle the problems identified by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of the Constabulary. I highlighted the importance of cracking down on burglary. I also appealed, once again, for the Met to save Barnet police station. Sir Mark acknowledged how important it is for local police teams to have a base from which to operate which is close to the neighbourhoods for which they have responsibility.
Other visits and meetings this month have included dropping into the new Chipping Work Hub at 98 Barnet High Street. Please click here if you are interested in joining other local businesses and start-ups at this great new facility.
I paid a visit to the Barnet Environment Centre to see the new wheelchair friendly paths they have installed at this wonderful local greenspace. I met GTR to press for more reliable services on the Great Northern rail line from New Barnet, Oakleigh Park, and New Southgate. And I spoke to the new Communities Secretary, Simon Clarke, and Housing Minister, Lee Rowley, about the importance of scrapping mandatory targets for house-building.
Matters I have raised in Parliament include a call for progress on leasehold reform to stamp out abusive practices; implementing the report of the Bishop of Truro on protecting Christians around the world who are subjected to intimidation and persecution; resolving problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol; condemning recent actions taken by Turkey in relation to Famagusta/Varosha; and addressing the disgraceful Hindu-phobic attacks which have recently taken place in Leicester and other cities.
I also joined MP colleagues in urging the new Environment Secretary not to backtrack on the commitment to move farm support programmes away from payments based on land ownership to schemes which reward environmental stewardship. These new Environmental Land Management Schemes can play an important role in nature recovery and protection of biodiversity; and they should not be watered down.
Further information on my campaigns and activities is available in the links below to articles on my website. Please forward this email to anyone you think would be interested to read it or might like to join this mailing list.
All the best
Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers
Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet
Statement by the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP on Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II
“On behalf of my constituents in Chipping Barnet, I offer my sympathy and condolences to the Royal Family on their bereavement. I know that this is a time of great emotion for many of us. Whether or not we had ever had the honour to meet the late Queen, she has been such an enduring presence in our lives that it feels as if we have all lost a member of our family.” Read more….
Attending the Accession Council
Theresa Villiers MP has published the following article on the Accession Council which issued the first formal proclamation of King Charles III. Read more….
Local Development Plan targets should be scrapped, says Barnet MP
MP Theresa Villiers has told a public hearing about Barnet’s new Local Plan that setting a target to build 46,000 homes over the next 15 years will “urbanise the suburbs” and should be scrapped. Theresa took the rare step for an MP to speak in a procedure known as an Examination in Public to make known her opposition to elements of the draft plan. Read more….
Shana Tova and Happy New Year to the Jewish community!
Representing a constituency in the borough which is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in Britain, Theresa Villiers, Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet, has issued the following Rosh Hashanah message: "I would like to wish Shana Tova to all those in Barnet who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah this weekend. At this special time, I hope people will be able to enjoy the festivities with their family and friends, both at home and at their synagogue.” Read more….
Villiers asks new PM to step in to save local pubs in Barnet
When Liz Truss faced her first session of Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament yesterday, Chipping Barnet MP, Theresa Villiers, urged the new PM to come to the rescue of local pubs in her constituency. Asking only the second ever PMQ of Ms Truss’s premiership, Theresa highlighted the case of a pub-restaurant in Barnet facing a 600% increase in its energy bill. Read more….
MP welcomes action to tackle storm overflows
Theresa Villiers has published the following article on water quality and the need to crack down on discharge of sewage into waterways at times of heavy rain: “In 2020 when I brought forward the Environment Act to Parliament, improving water quality was a core part of the tough new system of legally binding targets it was due to introduce. I understand the huge public concern about storm overflow discharges.” Read more….
Villiers wants action to end high street disruption
Frustrated by multiple road closures, your local MP has complained to Barnet Council about the roadworks in Barnet High Street. These were due to be extended to 8th September meaning they would have been causing disruption for. “At a time when retailers are struggling with rising bills, the last thing they need is for their customers to be put off by traffic disruption in the high street,” Theresa said. Read more….
How to contact Theresa
The best way to get help from Theresa is to email her on [email protected], ring her constituency office on 020 8449 7345, or write to her at 163 High Street, Barnet, Herts, EN5 5SU.
Theresa’s next diarised surgery takes place from 1015 to 1200 on Saturday 1st October at her constituency office at 163 High Street. Constituents 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 for face-to-face meetings or Zoom calls can be made using the contact details set out in the preceding paragraph.
