Last weekend was a significant weekend of celebrations, most notably HM The Queen’s 90th birthday. The Queen has been the embodiment of public service to our nation and the other 15 Commonwealth countries where she remains their Head of State. She has reigned across 12 British Prime Ministers, starting with Churchill when she took the throne and also 12 US Presidents; she had already been our monarch for 9 years before Barack Obama was even born. A truly remarkable span of history and global change, providing stability and wise counsel internationally.
I made a significant contribution to a Parliamentary debate on the issue of contaminated blood provided primarily to haemophiliacs during the 1970s and 1980s. I have been working with two local families who have been affected by Hepatitis C and HIV contracted from blood products and their long battle for closure is hopefully coming to an end with a government consultation now concluded. We await the outcome which I hope can bring dignity although nothing can be done to restore people to where they once were with a restoration of health. Treatments for liver damage are advancing rapidly, and it is hoped that something as close to normal living will be able to be provided.
I had the opportunity of visiting two very interesting and growing businesses in our area. Augean plc within the Discovery Park site provides specialist waste disposal services with huge opportunities to grow within a hi-tech environment, a truly world-leading company on our doorstep. The other was Thanet Earth. Driving by the site, particularly at night when the growing lamps are illuminated, gives some idea of size, but the scale once on-site is truly astounding. There are upwards of 500 employees operating around the clock producing tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers primarily for national supermarkets in a highly mechanised and scientifically controlled environment. Schools are able to visit, an experience I would highly recommend.
We are very much in election season. The nationwide Police and Crime Commissioner elections are on Thursday May 5th. I know from experience that this new elected role suffered from a high level of misunderstanding last time and I hope more of Kent’s electors will recognise the increasing importance of this position as plans evolve to pass responsibility for Fire and Rescue and potentially the Probation service into the remit of the PCC. Then of course is the EU referendum on June 23rd. There is still time to register to vote, done in minutes online. Plenty more to come on this issue I’m sure, not least from the never ending diet of “project fear” advanced by those who want us to remain in this undemocratic, costly and outdated experiment that should be consigned to history. As you may be aware, I am part of Conservatives for Britain and Vote Leave. Probably best to ask yourself a simple question “If the EU didn’t exist, would you invent it, and more importantly would you then wish to join it?”