As the debate about the EU Referendum, which No 10 seems to indicate will be in June, hots up, I have been doing a good deal of national media on the subject. It does make me chuckle that as a female Conservative MP from the North East, I meet public broadcasting diversity targets at many levels! I had my first experience of the Today programme on Radio 4, which wasn't as scary as I had feared. The Daily Politics was actually quite fun!
---------
So, whilst all the activity which inevitably surrounds any election builds up, other equally important matters are building: I have been meeting with women born in the early 1950s who are being hit by the multiple pension age changes, part of the WASPI national campaign, with our first big debate in the House last week. Yesterday we gathered a core of ten ladies in Wooler to plan our local campaign efforts for the constituency. Whilst everyone agrees with the equalisation of pension age, there needs to be a solution found which reflects the reality for so many of these women, who did not pay enough National Insurance Contributions because in the 1960s and 70s there were still serious disparities in job equality, family roles and other areas which are- for my generation & those following- now thankfully confined to history.
If you are affected, or know someone who is, please ask them to email me directly and I can put them in touch with the campaign team.
--------
I am working closely with the forestry industry, and held a variety of meetings over the last week with tree nurseries & our supporters of the APPG on forestry, to drive forwards the critical agenda of increasing trees planted as part of the flooding reviews & work towards river basin catchment planning. I met with Minister Oliver Letwin to discuss the details of the Review and how we can make sure the North of England's voice & experience is properly heard.
-----
It was World Cancer Day on Thursday, and I was discussing with many charities how we can better drive treatment, early intervention and diagnosis. We still have very late identification of cancers, which of course reduces the chance of full recovery. I will be continuing to work on education & health, investment into more radiography kit & staff, and ensuring that the Department of Health maintains a focus through the National Clinical Lead on joined up thinking. We must try to help people to help themselves on medical matters which do not need hospital resources so that more of our taxes can go to cancer & other life-threatening treatment programmes.
-------
And as part of my personal challenge to visit all our schools this year, I stopped into Lowick First School on Friday to catch up with all their news. I also had the great pleasure of awarding prizes at the annual Northumberland's Finest Awards for young people's achievements through their youth groups across our county. We have wonderful teenagers doing extraordinary community activities despite some tough personal beginnings. The next generation are thriving!
-------
To subscribe to My Week in Westminster, please email [email protected] with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject box.