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PRIME MINISTER VISITS BRAND-NEW £17m WING AT CHELTENHAM GENERAL!
Alex invited the Prime Minister to Cheltenham to thank staff working in the £17.2m Chedworth Surgical Unit which opened this week!
The Chedworth Surgical Unit contains two new state-of-the-art operating theatres and the unit will treat an extra 1,500-plus patients a year.
The building hosts a new purpose-built Day Surgery Unit, with surgeons performing operations on hips, knees and the abdomen.
It also contains an interventional radiology room to carry out a range of advanced procedures, shortening recovery time and improving patient outcomes. This will help slash waiting lists in Cheltenham, and reduce the risk of upsetting last-minute cancellations.
Writing on Facebook, Alex said:
"I invited the Prime Minister to Cheltenham to thank staff working in the brand new £17.2m Chedworth Surgical Unit which opened this week.
"It’s a really impressive facility, and gives us capacity for hundreds of additional operations, from urology to orthopaedics, every year.
"Thank you to the passionate and dedicated clinicians who showed me and the Prime Minister round. The PM was blown away by your energy and positivity!"
You can watch an interview the Prime Minister gave about his visit to Cheltenham by clicking HERE.
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ALEX SWEARS IN TOP LAWYERS AS KCs (KING'S COUNSEL)!
One of Alex's duties as Lord Chancellor is to swear in barristers as King's Counsel, in a ceremony in Westminster Hall.
Here he is following the event, together with the mace-bearer and purse-bearer. Addressing KCs, Alex said:
"The title of King’s Counsel has for centuries been a mark of quality, setting apart those who achieve it as the very best of our jurisdiction. The rank signifies the highest regard for legal ability, for diligence, for professionalism and for integrity. And, for Honorary KCs, it recognises an exceptional contribution to our legal system outside of legal practice.
Your success is no less than our country’s success. What you have achieved, and will continue to achieve, contributes to this jurisdiction, to the kind of country we are, and the kind of country we aspire to be – our standards and our values."
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ALEX SUPPORTS CHELTENHAM YMCA'S SLEEP EASY FUNDRAISER
Alex was delighted to support Cheltenham YMCA's Annual Sleep Easy fundraiser by volunteering at the soup kitchen. A huge £10,000 was raised.
The YMCA do vital work and the flagship £4.1m supported accommodation building on Vittoria Walk provides 73 rooms for people in need of support.
In recent years, Cheltenham has secured nearly £1 million from the Government to set up our town’s first ‘homeless hub’ shortly after Alex raised the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Thanks to the hard work of organisations like Cheltenham YMCA, the number of rough sleepers in the UK has fallen by 49% since 2017.
Alex said:
"Congratulations to all those who slept rough last night in a cold and rainy car park in Cheltenham to raise money for YMCA Cheltenham.
"I didn’t brave it this year, but I know from bitter experience it’s pretty brutal. A million thank yous!"
To find out more, please click HERE.
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[Alex's OpEd in the Financial Times]
ALEX INTRODUCES NEW LAW TO 'HELP DAVID TAKE ON GOLIATH'
Alex is introducing a new law to make it easier for members of the public to secure the financial backing of third parties when launching complex claims against wealthy corporations.
The new legislation makes it easier for members of the public to secure funding for their legal fights against powerful companies – such as those caught up in the Horizon scandal.
This move has been called for by people who have needed third-party litigation funding in the past, including former sub-postmaster Alan Bates. The post-masters’ claim was only possible due to the backing of a litigation funder.
Alex said:
"It’s crucial victims can access justice – but it can feel like a David and Goliath battle when they’re facing powerful corporations with deep pockets.
This important change will mean more victims can secure vital third party funding to level the playing field and support their fight for justice.
"The sub-postmasters were able to secure third party funding in their legal action against the Post Office. Now others will too."
You can read Alex's OpEd in the Financial Times by clicking HERE.
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CHELTENHAM'S AMY WINS PRESTIGIOUS 'APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR' AWARD
Alex was delighted to meet Cheltenham's Amy Brown, recently crowned 'Apprentice of the Year' at the Apprenticeship National Awards.
Amy, who attended Bournside and GlosCol, decided that university was not for her and that she wanted to qualify in a trade and learn skills on the job.
She is now in the second year of her carpentry apprenticeship with building contractors Tombs Developments, based in Charlton Kings, and is thriving.
Writing on Facebook, Alex said:
"Like Amy, I am passionate about apprenticeships. They allow young people to learn as they earn, offering a pathway to qualifications without taking on debt. It's all about ensuring young people in Cheltenham get the opportunity to go as far as their talents will take them.
"Congratulations Amy!"
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BACKING CHELTENHAM'S BUSINESSES
Alex was invited to visit Hollywood Bowl Cheltenham to tour the bowling and family entertainment centre and to meet staff.
Alex said:
“I’ve been to the Hollywood Bowl in Cheltenham many times with my children, and it was great to meet members of the team. As both an employer and an entertainment provider they are an important business in the local area. It was important to hear directly from the business about what more can be done to make Cheltenham an even more attractive destination.”
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ALEX SUPPORTS CHELTENHAM SAMARITANS BEER FESTIVAL!
Alex was delighted to sponsor a beer and attend the Friends of Cheltenham Samaritans Beer Festival.
The beer festival, held at St Philip and St James' Church in Leckhampton, raised over £7,650 for Cheltenham Samaritans.
Cheltenham Samaritans launched in 1963 and has 140 volunteers who respond to around 2,000 calls, 400 emails and 100 online chats each month.
Alex said:
“It was a privilege to support Cheltenham Samaritans’ annual beer festival.
“Cheltenham Samaritans make an immeasurable contribution to our community by supporting and comforting people in their darkest hour.
“Our thanks go to Leigh and his team for the vital work they do to support some of Cheltenham’s most vulnerable people.”
Leigh Norwood - chairman of the Friends of Cheltenham Samaritans - has written a book on the 45-year history of the Friends of Cheltenham Samaritans. You can find out more by clicking HERE.
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[Alex at HMP Liverpool. Credit: Paul Cooper, The Telegraph]
"PRISONS, AS WELL AS PRISONERS, CAN BE REDEEMED"
Alex believes that prisons, as well as prisoners, can be redeemed.
Following a very critical inspection report several years ago, Alex visited HMP Liverpool to see how it has been turned around. The prison has been transformed for the better by new cells, productive workshops and tighter security.
The major refurbishment will eventually see at least 350 more prison places become available, whilst modern workshops will help offenders gain more skills so they can secure employment on release.
You can watch a video of Alex's recent visit to HMP Liverpool by clicking HERE
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ALEX'S DECISION TO KEEP ROBERT BROWN BEHIND BARS UPHELD BY HIGH COURT
A former British Airways captain, who killed his wife, Joanna Simpson, has lost a court bid to be freed from prison.
Robert Brown was due to be freed in November after serving half of his 26-year jail sentence for manslaughter, but his automatic release was blocked by Alex using new powers the Government introduced to keep offenders behind bars.
The High Court dismissed Brown's appeal against Alex's decision, with Mr Justice Ritchie writing that there were "good grounds for believing" that Brown posed a "high risk to the public of serious harm" and needed full and proper assessment.
Alex said:
"Joanna Simpson was brutally killed in a cowardly, senseless attack that left two children without a mother and caused irreparable harm to her family and loved ones.
"Public protection is my number one priority which is why I blocked Robert Brown's automatic release using powers we introduced to keep offenders behind bars. I am pleased the High Court has dismissed his claim on all grounds."
You can watch ITV's powerful and sensitive documentary about Joanna Simpson by clicking the image below:
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[File pic]
GETTING TOUGH ON CHELTENHAM'S SHOPLIFTERS
To tackle the scourge of shoplifting, Alex has helped introduce in Parliament the Shoplifting Action Plan.
This new approach includes a police commitment to prioritise attending the scene of shoplifting where security guards have detained an offender.
Alex joined Gloucestershire Police on a retail crime patrol in Cheltenham to see first hand the important work Gloucestershire Police are doing to target prolific offenders.
Alex spoke to staff in John Lewis, JD Sports and Boots, and heard how prolific local offenders are being given 'criminal behaviour orders' with exclusion zones banning them from the High Street or even certain shops. Their whereabouts can then be monitored through GPS tags that will alert the police if they breach the terms of the order. That in turn can lead to a prison sentence.
In addition, those released from prison following a sentence for theft, burglary or robbery can now be tagged by probation staff to keep a much closer eye on the whereabouts of offenders under their supervision. If a burglary takes place, the police can easily establish if a known offender was nearby.
The plan is working, with Gloucestershire Police stating that shoplifting is coming down following an intensive targeted operation against well-known shoplifters.
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ALEX SUPPORTS CHELTENHAM PUBLIC HEARTS DEFIBRILLATOR CAMPAIGN
Alex was invited by the founder of Public Hearts, Clare Seed, to a meeting at Public Hearts HQ alongside key partners Tidal Training Direct Ltd, Evans Jones Ltd, Spirax Sarco and Circle2Success Ltd to learn more about the lifesaving work Public Hearts are doing in Cheltenham.
Public Hearts is a community not-for-profit campaign who have installed 71 publicly accessible defibrillators in and around Cheltenham since 2018. That's about £200,000-worth of investment, and makes our town better covered than probably anywhere else in the South-West.
Thanks to the leadership of Clare and her team of volunteers, life-saving technology is now available for tens of thousands of Cheltenham residents and visitors.
It's truly lifesaving work, and we as a community are so grateful to Clare and her team.
To find out more information about Public Hearts, please click HERE.
To register for a place at the upcoming free community heart screening, please click HERE.
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ALEX INTRODUCES ROBUST SENTENCES FOR 'ROUGH SEX' KILLERS
Alex has announced that cowards who kill their partners using sexual violence will face longer behind bars as part of a clampdown on domestic abuse.
A new statutory aggravating factor will be introduced for offenders who kill through abusive, degrading or dangerous sexual behaviour – or so-called ‘rough sex’ – meaning killers will face tough penalties.
Alex has also appointed leading academic Professor Katrin Hohl as the new Independent Advisor to the Rape Review.
Alex said:
"This Government is on the side of victims, who should be supported throughout their journey through the criminal justice system, and our new Victims’ Code campaign sets out exactly what they can expect every step of the way.
"But we must also hold offenders to account. This new aggravating factor sends a clear message that killers who threaten the safety of women can expect to feel the full force of the law."
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MAJOR EARTHWORKS MILESTONE REACHED IN £400m AIR BALLOON SCHEME!
After ten years of campaigning (see the 2014 photo, with Alex looking a little younger…) the vital Air Balloon infrastructure investment project is well underway.
Alex began campaigning for action back in 2013, before he was an MP, and vowed that if elected, he would fight to deliver a solution for our town.
Now after ten years, five Transport Secretaries, four route proposals, three House of Commons questions to the Prime Minister, one public inquiry and countless meetings with Highways officials, the scheme is taking shape.
The scheme has reached its next major milestone with earthworks beginning to excavate a new section of road from the Air Balloon roundabout.
Earthworks will see 1.5million cubic metres of rock excavation – enough to fill 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools – and the removal of 300,000 cubic metres of topsoil, to create 3.4 miles (5.5km) of new road over the next 18 months.
To find out more information - including about road closures and community engagement events - please click HERE.
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ALEX BACKS CHELTENHAM TEACHER'S 300K CANCER FUNDRAISER
Alex is backing Cheltenham based teacher Rob Spooner’s cancer fundraiser.
Rob is running 5k EVERY DAY for 60 days to raise money for Cancer Research UK - after his mum was treated (successfully) last year.
Alex was pleased to join Rob for a 5k run at Pittville Park Run and Rob has already raise £2,700 for Cancer Research UK.
Alex can confirm that running 5k every day makes you faster - Rob flew past Alex on 16 March!
More information is available by clicking HERE
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[23 February 2024]
[8 March 2024]
CHELTONIANS IN PARLIAMENT!
Alex has welcomed nearly 100 Cheltonians to Parliament since the last update.
Over recent years nearly 3,000 local people have made the journey from Cheltenham to Westminster to take in Parliament’s remarkable history and architecture - including of course the Speaker's Chair, which was carved in Cheltenham.
A coach picks guests up from Cheltenham bus station, transporting them to Westminster for a tour of Parliament (including the chamber of the House of Commons) a Q&A with Alex and the opportunity to have tea in the Parliamentary café.
Total cost: just £23 per person, to cover coach hire. The tour is completely free of charge.
If you would like to attend, please fill out the tour form by clicking HERE
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AFTERNOON TEA WITH ST. MARK'S 'FRIDAY CLUB'
Alex was delighted to be invited by the Cheltenham Friday Club to give a talk on life as an MP .
The Friday Club meets on the first Friday of every month at St Mark's Methodist Church on the Gloucester Road.
More information is available HERE.
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[Queen's Road resurfaced in February]
GROT SPOT UPDATE
As part of his 'grot spot' campaign, Alex has pressed CBC and GCC to address local eyesores including potholes, blocked drains and graffiti.
Following Alex's reports since the last update GCC have resurfaced:
Following the last update, Alex has reported:
- The following roads for resurfacing: Priors Road, Gloucester Road, Bayshill Road
- Graffiti on post boxes on London Road
- Graffiti on bus stops on Greatfield Lane
- Graffiti on a utility box on Sydenham Villas Road
- Graffiti on the railway bridge over the lower High Street
- Blocked gullies on Western Road, St Georges Road, Glencairn Park Road
- Debris on East End Road
- Graffiti on Arle Avenue and the path off Keynsham Road
- Flytipping by Andover Road
Alex was also pleased to hear that GCC has approved the continuation of their £100m investment to improve the counties roads, and £500k for a pothole busting fund.
This is on top of £2.8m additional funding given by the Government to GCC for the year 2024/2025 for more resurfacing.
To speed up logging of grot spots, please use the new 'Report a Grot Spot' section of Alex's website to report problem areas. You can do so by clicking HERE.
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STAMP OUT SPIKING IN CHELTENHAM!
Alex was invited to attend a Spiking Awareness training session with Stamp Out Spiking at the United Services Club.
The training was for front-line workers in the hospitality sector and night-time economy including bar staff, security staff, taxi drivers, Street Pastors and students associations.
Stamp Out Spiking aim to raise awareness about spiking through campaigning, training, educating and providing a range of anti-spiking products and services.
You can find out more by clicking HERE.
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[Alex setting out his plans to Cabinet on 12.03.24]
FOREIGN CRIMINALS TO BE DEPORTED EARLIER
Alex has announced that foreign national shoplifters, thieves and drug dealers are to be deported rather than prosecuted.
Alex told The Telegraph that lower level foreign offenders will rapidly removed from the country using “conditional cautions” under which they will be expelled and banned from returning to Britain.
Out of a total of 88,000 prisoners behind bars in England and Wales, more than 10,000 of them are not from the UK.
Alex revealed that he had written to Poland and Romania to establish a deal similar to one the UK signed with Albania last July, where the Balkan state agreed to start taking back some of its prisoners.
He said that the cost to the taxpayer to hold foreign prisoners, £47,000 per year per criminal, left him with an 'intense frustration' and led him to push for the plans.
Alex said:
“There are some cases where it’s absolutely right that you are going to want to go through the criminal justice process to ensure that that person is properly punished.
“But there will be other cases where actually it’s in the public interest to simply get them out of the country.”
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ALEX VISITS INTENSIVE SUPERVISION COURT IN LIVERPOOL
Alex visited Liverpool Crown Court to see how offenders with drug and alcohol problems are being supported to turn their lives around through a new US-inspired sentencing approach.
A pilot of ‘Intensive Supervision Courts’ launched last year in Liverpool, Teesside and Birmingham courts, as part of a tough community sentencing approach to tackle the root causes of offenders’ behaviour and protect the public.
Since the launch in June 2023, over 55 offenders have been ordered to meet regularly with the same judge, engage with specialist treatment and been subject to enhanced supervision including random drug testing from the Probation Service.
Studies show that getting offenders to confront their addiction through specialist support helps drive down the risk of them committing further crimes.
Alex said:
"These courts are addressing the drug and alcohol-related crimes which blight our communities by getting offenders to confront their addictions.
"Offenders are being punished for their crime, but these tough community sentences are also working to ensure they don’t offend again."
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ALSO SINCE THE LAST UPDATE, ALEX HAS:
- Attended Cabinet
- Held constituency surgeries to help constituents with casework, ranging from school placements, disabled parking and housing
- Called a meeting with Sanctuary Supported Living to discuss his concerns about the closure of Shaftesbury Place
- Participated in Pittville Park Run ++
- Attended Old Pat's RFC v Brockworth RFC
- Met with St James' Walk residents as part of an ongoing series of meetings to support them with their remediation works
- Attended the Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts AGM
- Met with the Cheltenham ME/CFS Friendship Group
- Met with the Holy Apostles’ Men’s Group
- Attended Pate's Spring Fair
- Met with pupils and staff at Ridge Academy
- Met with a Cheltenham bus driver to discuss his concerns about an increase in vandalism and anti-social behaviour on public transport
- Met with Cheltenham Tigers Rugby Club
- Submitted a response to the Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury Strategic and Local Plan
- Attended The Keith Nutland Award for Gloucestershire Young Musicians
- Attended the Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year competition at Cheltenham College
- Met with a UGlos Journalism student to discuss stalking
- Visited Liverpool Crown Court
- Visited a new state-of-the-art courts and tribunals building in Leeds as part of the Government's £220 million investment in court and tribunal maintenance, to ensure quicker access to justice for all
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FUNDRAISING FOR THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT MEMORIAL
Former members of The Gloucestershire Regiment are fundraising for a Gloucestershire Regiment Memorial at The National Memorial Arboretum.
The memorial will commemorate the Regiment which existed between 1694-1994 and those from Gloucestershire who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
The Glosters (as they are informally known) have raised £39,000 so far towards their £60,000 target.
To find out more, including how to support the campaign, please click HERE.
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SWIM FOR SUNFLOWERS SUICIDE SUPPORT
On 17 March, Alex took part in a sponsored swim at the Cheltenham Ladies' College swimming pool to raise money for Gloucestershire-based charity Sunflowers Suicide Support.
The group (between 9 and 80 years old) successfully swum 3,654 lengths in just 2 hours, which is 91.35km (56.7 miles).
To find out more information, including how to support the group, please click HERE.
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USEFUL LOCAL CONTACTS
Gloucestershire County Council
www.gloucestershire.gov.uk
01452 425000
Cheltenham Borough Council
www.cheltenham.gov.uk
01242 262626
Age UK Gloucestershire
www.ageuk.org.uk/gloucestershire
01452 422660
Gloucestershire Abuse Support
Home - Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service (GDASS)
01452 726570
Citizens Advice Gloucestershire
Gloucester & District Citizens Advice Bureau (gloscab.org.uk)
01452 527202
GRASAC (Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre)
www.glosrasac.org
01452 305421
Gloucestershire Older Drivers Forum
https://olderdriversforum.com/Gloucestershire/
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