It’s been a traditional damp February half term but I hope that many of you will have had the chance to spend some time with family and friends. Problems caused by flooding have certainly been less severe across the county than in other areas and I have received from water companies and others seem to suggest they are being quickly addressed but I will continue to keep lobbying on this.
This week the Government has set out measures which will see heads of water companies banned from receiving bonuses where standards have not been met and clearly there is a lot more to do on this front. However the process has started, in fact it was many years ago, we should continue to look at how we make the very outdated infrastructure fit for purpose and I will continue to press for that in Somerset and elsewhere. I continue to get a lot of correspondence from lobby groups about this and appreciated the strength of feeling especially in regards to wildlife.
There is a huge amount of coverage and speculation now about politics and what may happen over the next year. My focus as always will be on delivery which is what the people here deserve. In America the Government is in many ways in a position of waiting for the next presidential election for two years which cannot be a heathy way to run a country. There are a number of really important areas that governments need to be looking at now, such as AI and digital identity online, that we need to show leadership on.
What the scrutiny on politics is showing is the great way the Labour Party has to go in terms of addressing antisemitism at the grassroots and beyond. Labour have now had to withdraw official support from two Parliamentary candidates because of antisemitism. There is no place for this in our country. It is right that the Labour Party took the action they did but also hugely concerning that it happened a matter of days before one of these candidates may have been elected.
Meanwhile, competence on delivering at a local level is very much in the spotlight and rightly so. I will continue to make the case for facilities including the athletics track and with the right partnerships these can look forward to a sustainable future. I will continue to fight against wasteful spending and unnecessary cuts by the Lib-Dem council.
Finally, with the Budget approaching in March, there is the usual discussion about what may best serve the country. My advice, which I have worked hard to get into the Treasury system, is to get tax as low and simple as possible.
As always, if you would like to get in touch about any of the above, to see if I can help with a local issue or to book an appointment at one of my regular advice surgeries, please do call my office on 01935314321 or email me at marcus.fysh.mp@parliament.uk