Norfolk’s Infrastructure, health and education, a digital revolution in the county, and some blue sky thinking were all points of discussion at a meeting this week of Conservative Norfolk Members of Parliament in Westminster. Keen to ensure the county has a prominent place at the table in any future government spending rounds, the message being made to ministers is that the county’s MPs will be a vocal voice in the corridors of power, championing all that is great in Norfolk.
A focus on the A47, ensuring Ely rail junction is upgraded, Norwich in Ninety, half hourly train services, broadband and mobile phone connectivity, hospitals fit for purpose, support for mental health, access to GPs, adequate bus provision across the whole of the county, protecting coastal communities and the environment, celebrating the tourism offer plus thriving towns and villages with good jobs and schools form the focus of the MPs’ to do list.
Liz Truss commented ‘ We have hunted as a pack in the past, and to great effectiveness, and we will do it again. We have the ambition and drive to ensure Norfolk has a prominent voice in Westminster, so it is great that we have the new Conservative MPs James Wild, Jerome Mayhew and Duncan Baker all championing the cause too. Trains, buses, excellent mobile phone signals and broadband availability are all priorities, along with health and education, supporting business to grow.’
Chloe Smith MP ‘We’ve achieved big wins already – new trains, better roads, more good jobs, more funding coming this way for our schools, NHS and police – but there’s still more to do. We will work together to get the best for our county and city.’
George Freeman MP said, ‘The new government has rightly made improving connectivity to help “level up” areas left behind a top priority. That isn’t just a problem in the North: Norfolk has many “left behind” areas and improving our bus, train, road & digital connectivity is vital to public services and widening access to economic opportunities in our marginalised communities’.
James Wild MP said, ‘As a new MP, I want to play my part in championing the investment Norfolk needs in roads, rail, broadband, and our towns and villages to level up. By working together we can ensure good health services and better schools, and make Norfolk an even better place to live, work, and visit.’
Jerome Mayhew MP said, ‘We are going to pool our resources to fight for Norfolk, to get the attention from government that Norfolk deserves. Whilst I am delighted to be joined in Westminster by so many colleagues from the North, we will be making sure that Norfolk is not overlooked, developing a powerful case for improving our county.’
Duncan Baker MP said, ‘I am absolutely delighted to be part of the Norfolk Eight, and proud to be driving our fantastic county forward. All of us bring such a rich mix of expertise that together we can channel to make our part of the country even better for the communities we represent.’
Brandon Lewis MP said, ‘Norfolk Conservative MPs have always worked well together, and in this Parliament we will demonstrate once again the effectiveness of this approach. Together our joint voices will ensure that Norfolk gets the further investment we need. Norfolk has real potential to become the engine room of the East of England, and working with the Government, business and others, we will work to unlock that opportunity.’
Richard Bacon MP said, ‘Norfolk MPs have worked best when working together to deliver for our county. I am delighted to welcome our new colleagues and together we will be pushing hard to make the strong case for better and bigger investment in our broadband and mobile networks, together with more road and rail improvements. I will also be particularly focused on seeing improvements to our methods of delivering housing so that more young people can get a place of their own.’
Attending the meeting in the Houses of Parliament were Liz Truss MP, Chloe Smith MP, George Freeman MP, Jerome Mayhew MP, James Wild MP, with support fed into the meeting from Brandon Lewis MP, Richard Bacon MP and Duncan Baker MP.
Photo: L – R Chloe Smith MP, Liz Truss MP, George Freeman MP, James Wild MP and Jerome Mayhew MP. Photo by F Walker.
