Craig supports 'Tesco Turns Pink' event

On Saturday 14 April, South Thanet MP, Craig Mackinlay, joined forces with Tesco staff and Cancer Research UK volunteers at Tesco Westwood Cross to fundraise and encourage people to sign-up for Race for Life events.

The money raised will go towards vital research into over 200 types of cancer that affect men, women and children. 

Craig Mackinlay MP commented:

“Improving outcomes for cancer sufferers is extremely important to all of us and, while I am encouraged that UK cancer survival rates have never been higher, there is still more to be done.

“That’s why I was delighted to support Tesco Turns Pink at Westwood Cross and meet with store staff and managers, as well as Cancer Research UK’s hardworking volunteers who are helping to promote the charity.

“There was a brisk trade at the tombola stall for which Tesco very generously donated the prizes.

“Tesco has proudly partnered with Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life as their main sponsor for 17 years and I congratulate both organisations for their excellent work in this very important area.”

More information on how Tesco supports Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life can be found online: Tesco.com/raceforlife.    

Walk around town to view 'hotspots' with Ramsgate Mayor, Trevor Shonk

South Thanet MP, Craig Mackinlay, and the Mayor of Ramsgate and Chairman of Ramsgate Town Council, Cllr Trevor Shonk, yesterday held a walk around the town to view its local ‘hotpots’.

During the walk the pair viewed various sights including the 6 acres of derelict land that was once Boundary Road gas works. The walk took in Eastcliff and the town centre.

The Conservative MP and the Thanet Independent Councillor occasionally hold walks around Ramsgate and have pledged to continue to work closely together to improve to town. 

Craig Mackinlay MP commented:

“I am very grateful to the Mayor for taking the time, once again, for our regular town walk – a town we, in our different ways, are both so very lucky to represent. Trevor's knowledge of the history of the town, who and what was once at each location is truly encyclopaedic.

“While Ramsgate and our Royal Harbour are beautiful places to live, work and visit, there are pockets of deprivation in the town and areas crying out for regeneration that both Cllr Shonk and myself are well aware of and working together to address.”

The Mayor of Ramsgate and Chairman of Ramsgate Town Council, Cllr Trevor Shonk:

“Only by working together can we solve all our issues regarding Thanet and our town.”

Presenting a £1k cheque to Oasis charity for victims of domestic violence

South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay visited the Oasis charity shop in Northdown Road, Cliftonville today to present a cheque for £1,010 to Oasis CEO Deborah Cartwright. The money was raised at an event sponsored by Craig and the South Thanet Conservative Association on International Women's Day.

During the International Women's Day event, Deborah Cartwright, CEO of Oasis, had given a powerful account of the appalling suffering of victims of violence and told how until comparatively recently women could legally be beaten and raped within marriage. She also spoke of the many women who have turned their lives around as a result of being offered a safe haven to escape abusive relationships and the support of trained professionals to rebuild their lives and self-esteem.

While in the shop, Craig commented on the attractive 'boutique style' layout of the shop in which all clothing is dry-cleaned prior to being displayed and is offered for sale in pristine condition. He also perused the men's wear section and purchased a striking silk striped tie in mauve and blue!

Craig and the South Thanet Conservative Association are proud to support the valuable work Oasis undertake supporting vulnerable victims of domestic violence within our community.

If you are able, please donate to Oasis here: https://www.justgiving.com/oasis-outreach

Craig welcomes ban on ivory sales

Today, Environment Secretary Michael Gove confirmed that the UK will introduce a ban on ivory sales.

The proposed ban will be the toughest in Europe and amongst the toughest in the world – helping to protect elephants for future generations. 

The move follows a consultation which had more than 70,000 responses – with over 88 percent in favour of the ban.

The UK has long been a global leader in the international fight against the illegal ivory trade. But over the last decade, the number of elephants has declined by almost a third and around 20,000 a year are still being slaughtered due to the global demand for ivory – showing there is more to do.

As part of our action to tackle the Ivory trade, at a recent European Environment Council, the UK called for EU member states to ban commercial trade in raw ivory – which is already banned in the UK – within the EU as soon as possible.

Following on from the ground breaking conference on the illegal wildlife trade held in London in 2014, the UK will host the fourth international conference on the illegal wildlife trade in October. This will bring global leaders to London to tackle the strategic challenges of the trade.

Environment Secretary, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, said:

“Ivory should never be seen as a commodity for financial gain or a status symbol, so we will introduce one of the world’s toughest bans on ivory sales to protect elephants for future generations.

“The ban on ivory sales we will bring into law will reaffirm the UK’s global leadership on this critical issue, demonstrating our belief that the abhorrent ivory trade should become a thing of the past.”

Craig Mackinlay MP, said:

“This announcement confirms that this Conservative Government will make every effort to halt the heart-breaking decline in Africa’s elephant population in recent years.

“We need to leave our planet in a better state for the next generation, with stronger protections for animal welfare, but also cleaner air, greener spaces and tougher action on plastic waste.”

The CEO of Tusk Trust, Charlie Mayhew MBE, said:

"We are delighted that the Government has listened to our concerns and given the overwhelming public response to their consultation is now moving decisively to introduce tough legislation to ban the trade in ivory in the UK.

“The narrowly defined exemptions are pragmatic. The ban will ensure there is no value for modern day ivory and the tusks of recently poached elephants cannot enter the UK market. We welcome the fact that Ministers are sending such a clear message to the world that the illegal wildlife trade will not be tolerated and every effort will be made to halt the shocking decline in Africa’s elephant population in recent years.” 

Pubs, healthcare and anti-Semitism within the Labour Party

As I review my diary in order to write my regular piece, it is always remarkable how much ground has been covered over each two week cycle. It started with a discussion on local media about pub closures and the high tax in its various forms applying to the licensed trade. These include high alcohol duty rates, high rents and prices levied by the pub chains, business rates on larger premises, the annual escalator of the minimum wage, and added wage costs in the form of pension auto-enrolment. This is all combined with stiff competition of cheap alcohol from retailers and, I think an overlooked factor – the vast amount of entertainment available to us at home through our TV and the internet. Working lives are radically different from just a generation ago – it was commonplace to have a lunchtime drink with colleagues; pub night out, mid-week was the norm. Both now more unlikely, if not positively frowned upon these days. Lower taxes, which would need to be made up from higher taxes elsewhere might help, but I broadly feel that the world has simply changed.

I attended a truly interesting Kent Investors Network event which brings together ‘business angels’ with early start-up entrepreneurs. The UK is not short of capital, and, for those lucky enough to have funds, traditional investment returns are low. We are rapidly entering an era of crowd-funding away from the traditional banking framework. I’d like to see more connectivity of investors with entrepreneurs in East Kent, so watch this space.

The big news items of the past couple of weeks have been marking the year to Brexit and the increasing number of reports of acceptance of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party. I find it hugely disturbing that this pernicious form of racism is being disregarded, if not condoned by a national Party with a once proud past. We can have a view and robust discussion about the politics and policies of Israel, doubtless Israelis have a robust view of UK politics, but when this becomes a racial hatred we enter truly dangerous ground that history bears witness to.

On Brexit, the terms of the ‘implementation period’ are now broadly agreed. I am unhappy that the norms of international law will not apply to our fishing rights from Brexit day of 30th March next year and I have called for direct financial support to our under 10m fleet to ensure that we have a viable industry from 1st January 2021. I am willing to suffer various negative aspects of the implementation period to gain the ultimate prize of normal self-government, albeit 21 months later than I’d have liked.

Health issues in East Kent are very much in the news. The issue of stroke services are emotive, but the views and evidence of health professionals should always be considered. As much as I’d like ‘everything, everywhere’, modern specialised medicine changes that. The announcement of a new medical school for Kent is to be hugely welcomed as is the investment into health ‘super-centres’ working alongside the existing network of local GPs. On all issues, I do like to concentrate on facts and evidence; what is being shown is a demonstrable commitment to positive future healthcare by a government that listens to its local MPs.

Craig welcomes deposit return scheme in fight against plastic

A deposit return scheme to increase recycling rates and slash the amount of waste polluting our land and seas will be introduced subject to consultation later this year.

The proposal has been welcomed by South Thanet’s Member of Parliament, Craig Mackinlay MP.

UK consumers go through an estimated 13 billion plastic drinks bottles a year, but more than three billion are incinerated, sent to landfill or left to pollute our streets, countryside and marine environment.  

The consultation will look at the details of how such a scheme would work, alongside other measures to increase recycling rates. We hope to talk to the devolved administrations about the scope for working together on this important issue.

Similar schemes already operate in countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Germany. A deposit return scheme sees consumers pay an up-front deposit when they buy a drink, ranging from 8p in Sweden to 22p in Germany, which is redeemed on return of the empty drink container. Possible variants of a deposit return scheme include cash rewards for returning drinks containers without an upfront deposit.

This is often done through a network of ‘reverse vending machines’, where you insert your plastic or glass bottle or can and the machine returns your money. Once a bottle is returned, businesses are then responsible for making sure they are effectively recycled – a move that has led to a 97% recycling rate in Germany.

This announcement is the latest move in the government crackdown on plastic, following the plastic microbead ban hailed as one of the world’s strongest bans and the 5p plastic bag charge – which has led to 9 billion fewer bags distributed.  It also follows the recent call for evidence by HM Treasury on taxes and charges to reduce waste from single-use plastics, so that all relevant findings can be fed into the proposals.

Environment Secretary, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, said:

“We can be in no doubt that plastic is wreaking havoc on our marine environment – killing dolphins, choking turtles and degrading our most precious habitats. It is absolutely vital we act now to tackle this threat and curb the millions of plastic bottles a day that go unrecycled.

“We have already banned harmful microbeads and cut plastic bag use, and now we want to take action on plastic bottles to help clean up our oceans.”

The Member of Parliament for South Thanet, Craig Mackinlay MP, said:

“The amount of waste polluting our land and seas remains a great source of frustration for residents all over the Isle of Thanet. It’s one of the biggest issues that’s raised with me on the doorstep.

“We are working to leave our planet in a better state for the next generation, with cleaner air, greener spaces, stronger protections for animal welfare and tougher action on plastic waste.”

Craig calls for new dental provider for central Ramsgate to emerge after raising closure of Church Hill Dental Practice with the PM in the Commons

Craig Mackinlay MP has today called on Prime Minister Theresa May to encourage the appropriate NHS commissioners to work with him to find an “urgent solution” to the lack of NHS dentists in Ramsgate.

NHS England (South East) had entered into a five year contract with Kent Community NHS Foundation Trust to run Church Hill Dental Surgery serving 8,000 patients. That contract comes to an end this Saturday, the practice will close and there is no replacement in place.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Craig told the Commons that the people of Ramsgate face an uncertain future regarding their dental care. He said called for lessons to be learnt “so that this wholly avoidable situation, completely unrelated to resources, does not happen elsewhere.”

NHS England provided Craig with a list of dental practices in East Kent annotated with those that are currently accepting NHS patients. However, Craig’s constituents report that are no dentists in Ramsgate or Broadstairs currently able to accept new NHS patients.

In answer to the South Thanet MP, the Prime Minister welcomed Craig’s intervention telling MPs: “When Church Hill Dental Practice closes, NHS England will be working with other dental practices in the area to ensure that services are available and that they can increase their capacity.” Mrs May also said that a wider piece of work was being undertaken about the need and provision of dental services in East Kent.

After PMQs, Craig Mackinlay MP commented:

“I entirely share my constituents’ anger and frustration that, due to problems with the lease and ongoing contract losses – a situation that was known to NHS England (South East) up to a year ago – Church Hill Dental Practice will be closing at the end of this week leaving around 8,000 patients without a dentist. 

“It is incomprehensible that new arrangements were not being considered and planned for a long time ago.  Indeed, if I had been alerted to the impending problem sooner, I would have investigated solutions that the professionals seemed incapable of doing.

“There are currently no obvious solutions on the table, although I very much hope that a new provider will emerge to fulfil longer term demand in central Ramsgate.

“The situation is far from satisfactory, was in my view wholly avoidable, and what is more frustrating is that none of this has arisen through shortage of money - more through very poor administration.”

Craig’s PMQ and the Prime Minister’s answer can be viewed here: https://goo.gl/dKxiXJ.

Craig calls for direct financial support for UK Fishermen at protest event on the River Thames

Craig Mackinlay MP has joined Conservative MPs and Fishing For Leave, the organisers of the infamous ‘Thames Flotilla’, at an event near Westminster Bridge aimed at highlighting the plight of the British fishing industry in the wake of the Brexit transition deal announced earlier this week by the EU and the UK Government.

The fishing industry and many coastal MPs are unhappy that the UK will not regain control of the country’s territorial waters on Brexit Day, 29 March 2019. Instead, the Brexit transition deal means fishermen will be subject to EU rules for 21 months until December 2020.

In the House of Commons yesterday, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove MP, told MPs that, while he shares the “disappointment”, people should keep their “eyes on the prize” of getting full control of UK waters back in January 2021.

The South Thanet MP has long called for an end to the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which he says has been an “ecological, environmental and financial disaster” forcing British fishermen to discard half the fish they catch because of EU quotas and allowing EU vessels to catch 59% of the fish in UK waters – a value in the region of £711 million annually.

The event follows a letter 14 MPs, including Craig, have sent the Prime Minister describing the UK/EU transition deal as “completely unacceptable” in respect of its treatment of UK fishermen.

Craig Mackinlay MP commented:

“It is understandable that our EU neighbours will attempt to frustrate our desire to control our fisheries and will seek to add it to the negotiations.

“Taking back control of the UK’s fisheries resources to be managed for the common good of all of the United Kingdom’s coastal communities has the potential to show how the UK Government can deliver for all parts of our nation that have often been overlooked.

“However, as we are not going to enjoy full control of our waters under international law from Brexit Day, I call on the Government to provide direct financial support to our fishermen throughout the implementation period so we can begin to support an industry that has been failed by the EU for far too long.”

New Kent Medical School a “massive benefit to students and patients”, says Craig

South Thanet’s Member of Parliament, Craig Mackinlay MP, has welcomed the news that Kent will host one of five brand new medical schools.

The Kent Medical School, based at the Universities of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church, will open its doors to 100 student doctors in 2020.

Kent has been chosen as part of a rigorous bidding process to help place more medical students in areas which traditionally struggle to attract doctors, particularly rural and coastal areas.

It will mean that, for the first time, Kent will have its own medical school, delivering benefits not just for the local area but also for NHS patients.

Previous studies show that doctors tend to remain in the areas they trained in.

Craig Mackinlay MP commented:

“A Medical School for Kent is fantastic news and a demonstration of the Government’s commitment to addressing regional imbalance across England.

“This educational facility will be key to the training and retention of 100 new doctors and will be of massive benefit to both Kent students and patients alike.”

Further information about health and care careers is available on: healthcareers.nhs.uk and skillsforcare.org.uk.

My thoughts on Thanet District Council, International Women's Day and the Church Hill Dental Practice closures

As a Conservative I am obviously delighted that we have taken, albeit minority, control of Thanet District Council. The mantra I would recommend to Bob Bayford and his new team is to do what people expect of their council well, as an entity to try to say ‘yes’ in as few words as possible rather than express over pages of local government patois the reason for a ‘no’, ensure value for money across all that is done, and focus on those difficult issues, be they the Local Plan, Ramsgate Port, Manston airport, parking and housing to come to common-sense decisions for the benefit of local residents. I very much look forward to working with the new team whom I’m sure will work positively with KCC and other Kent MPs. As can only be imagined, my relationship with the previous administration was, to put it mildly, somewhat strained.

The last couple of weeks have been very much constituency focussed, despite my usual ongoing work in Parliament on national issues – Brexit, pensions, health and taxation. We are coming to terms and seeking explanations for the appalling chemical weapon use in Salisbury which has rightly led to international condemnation of the Russian regime which is looking increasingly like a failed and rogue state.
 
I was pleased to have supported International Women’s Day on Thursday 8th March, a date that often passes by unsung but particularly important this year as we celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the first votes for women in 1918 following the courageous work of the suffragettes. South Thanet Conservative Association held an International Women's Day 2018 event, with the Rt Hon Priti Patel as guest speaker, and we were delighted to raise £1,000 for the Margate based Oasis Domestic Abuse Charity who provide invaluable support across East Kent.

I had a great session with politics students in year 12 at Chatham and Clarendon school. We had a lively debate on the role of an MP, what my working week involves and discussions on topical political issues that could have continued way beyond the allocated hour. In advance of the tourist season, I held a street meeting with local residents and Cllr Lesley Game (Thanet and KCC) to discuss solutions to the parking problems faced by residents in and around the Botany Road area as tourists flock to our fantastic beaches.

East Kent College held an East Kent Business leaders lunch where we discussed all manner of opportunities and threats to the East Kent economy, and finally on the local round up I called for a meeting of the relevant health bodies behind the impending closure of Church Hill Dental Practice. I was unimpressed with the explanations given as to how we are now where we are, leaving up to 8,000 patients without an obvious and accessible alternative.

I hope all enjoyed the weekend’s St. Patrick’s day celebrations. I expect the tills were ringing across the towns but serious issues are being raised as to the viability of local pubs, an issue I contributed to on Radio Kent. Use them or lose them is key but the tax system relating to them certainly requires review.