Rutland and Stamford MP reports on progress on promises a year after General Election
A year on from being elected as your Member of Parliament I wanted to report back to you on progress against the promises I made you, writes Rutland and Stamford MP Alicia Kearns (Con).
A share of the £23.7 million Levelling Up Funding I secured with the previous Conservative council has launched Rutland’s new on-demand bus service, with over 1,500 passengers using it in the first two months. Construction on the new day treatment unit at Stamford and Rutland Hospital is nearing completion, and I am working to secure a second GP practice for Stamford – watch this space!
I officially opened Barrowden’s new community jub, and Casterton College’s rebuild will proceed thanks to significant Government investment secured in 2023. I’m also relieved work on Anglian Water’s pipeline through Lincolnshire has resumed 18 months earlier than planned following my intervention.
I promised you I would make our roads safer, so I am proud vital safety upgrades have been delivered to the A1 from South Witham to Little Ponton, and the closure of 13 central reservation crossings start next week.
My re-election also saw the re-launch of ‘Rutland’s Great Dementia Conversation’ to improve our awareness of dementia, local support, and to drive up diagnosis rates. In March I also held our first Rutland and Stamford Disability Forum bringing together those with lived experience, carers and support groups to make connections and identify issues affecting residents living with disabilities.
In not such positive news, the Government’s reform of Local Government put Rutland’s ceremonial status at risk, leading to the launch of our campaign to save Rutland. I presented our six-week petition, signed by over 7,000 Rutlanders to Parliament, making it one of the biggest wet-petitions presented to Parliament this century. Community campaigning once more, together we saved Rutland’s fortnightly black bin collections using my petition to make clear our opposition to the Council’s plans to reduce collections.
Turning to broadband and mobile phone coverage. Using my survey you identified ‘notspots’ in our communities and I have been working hard to improve coverage in our communities - good news is coming!
I also brought the Shadow Farming Minister to meet local farmers, secured action from developers to stop the stink in Corby Glen (more underway), and I’m working to support villages and towns to ensure we are better prepared for flooding. Following the Autumn Budget I also met with family-owned businesses and farmers to listen to your concerns, and I ran an awareness campaign to encourage older members of our community to sign up for pension credit after the cruel Winter Fuel Cuts. I also loved celebrating our independent shops with our competition allowing residents to show our love and support for them.
Supporting residents is the most meaningful part of my role, and I’m proud my team and I have resolved everything from housing issues and pension support, to supporting veterans, children with special education needs, and families facing abuse.
It’s difficult to achieve policy change when in opposition. Depicting non-fatal strangulation in porn will be banned because of the pressure I put on the Government. Strangulation is the second most common way women are murdered in our country, it cannot be done safely, and too many girls are being told to expect to be strangled and to consent to it.
Last but not least, it was an honour to be recognised as the Patchwork Foundation’s 2024 MP of the Year! It really meant a great deal, especially as it’s been quite a difficult year.
Thank you again for putting your trust in me. I have so much more I want to deliver for our communities, and together I hope we can.
