I have been honoured to serve as your MP since 2010, standing up for everyone in the Moorlands. For the last seven years, I have also served HM’s Government as a minister, first as a whip, then a minister in the Home Office and for three years in Cabinet as Secretary of State at DCMS and then Northern Ireland. Being asked to serve as a minister is a tremendous honour, but after seven years I was ready for a change, not least because I wanted to get back to asking questions rather than only answering them.
My first question in the House of Commons about an issue in the Moorlands was to the Prime Minister at PMQs last week asking him to join my campaign to keep Leek Moorlands Hospital open in Leek with enhanced services. I am determined that we retain our community hospital and that we have high quality, modern health care in Leek. The recent consultation on healthcare provision across North Staffordshire raised concerns about what the future will look like. I am clear, we need to keep the Leek Moorlands Hospital in Leek and we need to see more services being delivered from that base. I will continue to fight for this as your MP.
The following day, I raised an issue with the Leader of the House, Jacob Rees-Mogg, asking for a debate on access to school transport in Staffordshire following concerns that those that paid for their school transport are no longer able to, due to a ruling about disability regulations.
The following week, I asked a question during Education Questions to the minister, Kemi Badenoch about Horton Lodge Community Special school and concerns about the future viability of the school due to changes in funding for residential care. I had already raised this important issue with both the previous Education Secretary and Staffordshire County Council and I asked the Minister to meet me and to consider a visit to the school to see what can be done.