This week has been hectic in terms of legislative activity, as the final stages of the Immigration Bill & the Housing and Planning Bill go through the Houses of Lords and Commons. This involves "ping pong" - no, not the bat & ball sport!- in which amendments suggested by the Lords come back to the Commons and we decide whether or not to accept them. This is the nitty gritty of law-making, where compromises are made to ensure the best law, the broadest support and so on. Last week saw huge concessions by Government on the Trade Unions Bill because the House of Lords was able to force the Government to back down by threatening to derail the bill completely. All bills in the system need to be agreed before we "prorogue" this coming week. That's Parliamentary for bringing the session to an end before a new one starts after the Queens Speech and Opening of Parliament on Wednesday 18th May.
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In between division bells, we welcomed the Royal Artillery to celebrate their 300th anniversary to the House, and their bands Beat the Retreat as the sun set over the Terrace. A deeply moving experience and a time to reflect on the centuries of commitment by our armed forces to our safety & protection around the world.
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Locally, our County council leadership is proving frustrating at present with the decision to bring in a coach parking area inside Berwick's Town Walls in the one place that the residents and businesses don't want it to be. I am continuing to lobby the Labour councillors to work with partners for a better solution than Chapel Street.
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I had a wonderful visit to Scremerston & Harbottle First Schools, and got to participate in volcano making activities!
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Sunday saw the Riding of the Bounds in Berwick, with a great cortege of horses following the ancient tradition. I seem to have agreed to get on a horse and do it myself next year...!
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I had the opportunity to visit the new social & extra care housing being built in Alnwick, due to open for older people later this summer. This is a fantastic model of supported housing being rolled out by ISOS and I am going to continue working with the Housing Federation to encourage more of this sort of homes to be built in the years ahead. As a nation we need to be building at least 250,000 more new homes each year; and if we stay in the EU estimates suggest that the influx of a further 3 million EU members could double that need.
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With the EU Referendum debate hotting up as we have only 45 days til election day, I am continuing to speak in debates around the region on why I think we should vote to Leave. On Friday I was honoured to be invited to speak at that august institution, the Durham Union Society. The result was 50:50!
And finally a huge congratulations to Ruth Davidson MSP and her team, especially our Berwickshire neighbour John Lamont MSP, on their successful election in Scotland. The Conservative & Unionist Party is now the official opposition in the Scottish Parliament.
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