The truth is, it’s less than a month since the General Election, and while time moves on, the excitement of May 7th 2015 will stay with me for the rest of my life. As I said to the Hampshire Chronicle, it was a huge privilege to represent the constituency of Winchester once, to have the chance to do it again is very special.
Thank you to everyone who supported me and allowed me to secure some 55% of the vote. You can see more on the result, watch footage from the count itself as well as a lovely short-film made for me by ITV Meridian, via www.stevebrine.com/GE2015. As I said five years ago, I will once again work to the best of my ability to serve this area and to represent everyone who lives here.
I visited every community in the constituency during the campaign and, although I never stop canvassing or holding street surgeries, it was good to meet and talk with constituents every day meeting hundreds of people in the process.
The General Election of 2015 was a long one (the country endured a six-week campaign) and, as I said time and again, was the most important and unpredictable in years. Indeed, as the pollsters enter a period of soul searching as to how they got it so wrong, the new Government is getting on with the job and a packed Queen’s Speech last week is the start of that process.
Amongst all the pomp and splendour of this ancient ceremony there is a modern Government agenda being outlined and, while I want to scrutinise every piece of legislation laid before us as you’d expect of an experienced MP, I am very happy with a Queen’s Speech for working people from a One Nation Government that seeks to bring the country together.
The Psychoactive Substances Bill caught my eye and having spent much of the last Parliament trying to highlight the dangers of ‘legal highs’ I am pleased we will bring forward legislation to make it an offence to produce or supply ‘legal highs’, restricting their supply and ensuring that people have less opportunity to get them. It will also give powers to the police to seize and destroy ‘legal highs’.
Other highlights for me include the Full Employment and Welfare Benefits Bill which sets out our ambition to achieve full employment, create 3 million more apprenticeships and continue to reform welfare and bring down the benefits bill. I am especially pleased this Bill will expand our Troubled Families Programme which has been so successful already across Hampshire.
And the Childcare Bill which will help my constituents by providing for an increased entitlement to 30 hours a week of free childcare available to eligible working parents of three and four-year-olds. I know families across Winchester & Chandler’s Ford will welcome this move.
Quite what this new Parliament will bring for me is yet to be written but I will go on championing some of my long-standing causes (breast cancer, park homes, cycling and reducing reoffending) as well as playing my part in the new Government as I move from the Home Office to the Department of Health where I will working as PPS to the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt.
I look forward to receiving your continued input on the issues of the day and suggestions for ventures new. You can find more information about my continuing work as your local MP, in Winchester and Westminster, via www.stevebrine.com or on 01962 791110.