Warmer, cosier homes Homes in the UK are losing three times the heat of Scandinavian countries. There is a real cost for this in terms of higher household bills: Around a third of homes with cavity walls have no cavity wall insulation,…
The UK’s housing stock is old UK housing is not as healthy and cosy as it should be. Our housing stock is some of the oldest in Europe. We also have a larger proportion of older housing stock (38% built before 1946) than any other EU…
It’s so important to boost home ownership – particularly for first time buyers who are stuck in long term renting and struggling to get on the housing ladder. Government statistics show that in 2022-23, the average (mean) age of first time…
Thank you to everyone who has worked with me since I was elected to Parliament in 2019, delivering for, helping and supporting our community across Dover and Deal. As you know, I announced in May that I would be leaving Parliament at the…
Concern and compassion for others is a hallmark of our community. Before I was elected, I saw this first hand as a volunteer at the Dover night shelter for homeless people. There I saw the dedication of people to helping others who were in…
Change is never easy. Yet it can often be necessary. Change certainly hasn’t been easy for me over the past week. In a tribal political world, I know I have caused a lot of surprise on all sides by my decision to move to the opposite…
In 1982, The Sir Galahad, a Round Table class troop landing ship, was sent with troops to the Falklands during the Falklands War with Argentina. On 8th June, the ship was preparing to unload soldiers from the Welsh Guards, when it and its…
Delivering the best possible healthcare for Dover & Deal matters to us all. It’s so important to have key services in our communities and to avoid long, costly journeys elsewhere. That’s why Buckland Hospital and its diagnostics centre…
The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East can seem very far away. So too does the tension between China and Taiwan. Particularly when we have so many challenges at home. However, global security matters to our national security – that’s why…
Last Thursday I could be spotted high up on the roof scaffolding around Maison Dieu, the grade one listed heritage town hall building in Dover’s High Street. I had been invited to see the restoration works which are currently underway as…
Keeping our neighbourhoods safe and secure matters to us all. That’s why I am regularly in contact with Matthew Scott, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent and our local district commander DCI Keith Taylor to raise concerns on behalf…
Dame Vera Lynn CH will always have a place in the hearts of our White Cliffs country. She was a truly Great Briton and made an enormous contribution to our country’s morale in the Second World War. After the war, Dame Vera worked…
Keeping Dover Clear of traffic jams is vital for East Kent residents and the national economy alike. As the Easter peak period getaway approaches, with peak traffic expected on Good Friday, I am working hard to see that everything possible…
Dover MP Natalie Elphicke has called for urgent investment to ensure the Port of Dover is ready for new EU border checks. The MP last week held a meeting between Port Chiefs and the Transport Secretary – as well as raising the issue with…
Last Friday, I proposed a new law in Parliament to require all traders to have public liability insurance. The law would also provide for an online database so this can easily be checked by anyone having works done. It will surprise many…
Dover & Deal MP Natalie Elphicke has called for more investment at Dover to crack down on smuggling. The MP made the call while supporting a proposed law to stop puppy smuggling. The proposed law will close loopholes exploited by…
Dover & Deal MP Natalie Elphicke held a “listening to Lydden” village drop-in surgery on Saturday. The event enabled villagers to share their views and raise concerns directly with the MP. Natalie was joined for the event by local District…
It’s not been an easy time for hard working families in Dover & Deal following the pandemic and with the inflation unleashed by the war in Ukraine. But things now seem to be turning a corner. Inflation is increasingly under control,…
Last week’s tragic deaths in the English Channel underline the urgent need to stop small boats leaving the French coast. This crisis has gone on for far too long. Joint action by France with the UK to bring it to an end is long overdue.…
It is now two years since Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. This has been a global turning point. The war has driven the cost of living crisis, reduced world stability and the post Cold War era has come to a sudden end. Few thought that…
Ensuring local access to the best possible healthcare is a key priority for us all. That’s why last week, I met with East Kent Hospitals chief executive Tracey Fletcher at Buckland Hospital. We discussed maternity and A&E services. When I…
Few subjects stir the emotion as much as housing. Whether it is getting onto the housing ladder or resentment at the squalid condition of overpriced rented housing, the frustration is palpable. Grandparents write to me concerned that their…
This Autumn, the European Entry-Exit System (EES) is due to come into force. This is a new digital border system for the whole of Europe. It will upgrade the current visa and ‘wet passport’ stamping process to a digital passenger advance…
I spoke to Anna’s morning show on BBC Radio Kent this week about the introduction of new import checks and preparations for the EU’s new Entry-Exit system, expected to come in later in the year.
Dover & Deal MP Natalie Elphicke last week in Parliament met with Dover Rotarians to discuss measures to boost local businesses, jobs and money. The Rotarians, many of whom run local businesses, quizzed the MP on the action being taken to…
More jobs and money is a key priority for us all. Last week, I hosted the Dover Rotary Club in Parliament. The discussion focussed on a number of local and national issues, including what can be done to boost jobs and money for our…
For many years, I have campaigned for more homes to be built – and for younger people and renters to be able to get on the housing ladder, as well as for more affordable and social rented housing. Last week, while preparing to speak about…
This week I welcomed the Roads Minister, Guy Opperman to Dover to discuss the progress being made on securing investment into Dover’s roads – but more needs to be done.
With a general election expected in the Autumn, this will be an important and exciting year in politics. Yet, away from all the political drama, it’s important to remember that the purpose of Parliament is to serve us all. The House of…