Many residents and parish councillors brought up the issue of mobile signal with me during my summer tour. This did not come as a surprise, as I too have had to contend with poor mobile connectivity, and a couple of years ago I changed networks to get better reception in my village.

With our reliance on mobile phones only increasing, last month I asked for your experiences across Mid Sussex in an online survey. The results paint a stark picture of the serious consequences of living with poor, or even non-existent, signal.

Across the whole constituency, 69% of respondents said they usually have between 0-1 bars of data. Villages like Cuckfield appeared to be the worst effected, with 97% of respondents living there saying they don’t ever really have more than 0-1 bars, whilst 65% of them can ‘only rarely’ make phone calls.

More generally, people told me that they are often unable to log into accounts as they cannot receive access codes sent via SMS. This makes it really hard to access online services like their NHS app at home. They have missed important calls from their GP, their children's schools, or during an emergency.

This is not just an inconvenience but could cause real harm. People should have the reassurance that, in an emergency, their call will connect and help will arrive. It seems incredible that Mid Sussex, which is by no means out in the sticks, should be stuck in this situation.

On Monday, I was hoping to put your challenges to Ministers in the House of Commons. Unfortunately, the debate had to be postponed because events in Venezuela rightly needed to take precedence. However, I remain on the case and will endeavour to make the case for better mobile signal to both the government and mobile operators in the year ahead. If you would like to share your experiences with me, then please do get in touch by email: alison.bennett.mp@parliament.uk

Here in Mid Sussex, we’re rightly proud of our villages, countryside and strong sense of community. But one issue keeps coming up wherever I go, from station platforms to village halls, from farms to front rooms, and that’s mobile connectivity. Or, more accurately, the lack of it.

As your MP, I rely on my phone just like everyone else. Yet there are parts of our constituency where calls drop without warning, messages refuse to send, and mobile data simply grinds to a halt. I’ve lost count of the number of residents who’ve told me they have to stand in a particular corner of the garden just to get a signal. That might sound quaint, but it’s no way to run a modern economy or a connected society.

Mobile connectivity is no longer a luxury. It’s essential for small businesses taking card payments, farmers using digital tools, young people studying, and families staying in touch. It matters for safety too, whether that’s contacting emergency services, accessing healthcare information, or simply being reachable when it counts.

Rural areas like ours too often get left behind. Coverage maps can look impressive on paper, but they don’t reflect the lived reality of patchy signals, slow speeds and complete not-spots. In January, I am going to raise your experiences in a debate in Parliament, so please let me know what it's like for you by completing my online connectivity survey at https://alisonbennett.co.uk/signal for Mid Sussex residents.

I want to know where coverage is failing, which networks are causing the most problems, and how poor connectivity affects your daily life. This information will help me challenge mobile providers, press the government for action, and make the case that rural communities deserve the same level of service as urban ones.

If you live or work in Mid Sussex and have struggled with mobile signal – whether occasionally or constantly – please take a few minutes to complete the survey.

Good connectivity shouldn’t depend on your postcode. With your help, we can make sure Mid Sussex is heard – loud and clear.

How’s your signal?

Do you have good mobile phone signal, or is it lacking? 

During my Summer Tour, a number of parish councils and residents raised their concerns about poor to non-existent mobile coverage, and the impact that it has on day to day life. 

At the start of January there will be a debate in Parliament on Mobile Connectivity in Rural Areas, and so I am gathering together your experiences from across Mid Sussex. If you can spare five minutes, please complete this short online survey. 

Thank you.

An historic vote for a UK-EU Customs Union

Last week in Parliament, I was proud to support the Liberal Democrat Ten Minute Rule Bill calling on the Government to begin negotiations for a new customs union with the EU. This is a symbolic but important step in recognising how Brexit has held back our economy. The Bill passed its first hurdle in the Commons, after a rare 100-100 tie, the Deputy Speaker used her casting vote in favour of the Bill which will now return in the New Year for its Second Reading. 

Brexit is costing the UK £90 billion a year in lost tax receipts, but away from the big picture, it is having real consequences for businesses based here in Mid Sussex. A couple of weeks ago I visited CAE in Burgess Hill. You may have seen CAE’s flight simulators from Jane Murray Way as you drive round the edge of town. CAE train pilots in defence, commercial and business aviation. CEA told me that because of Brexit red tape, they cannot bring as many overseas examiners to Burgess Hill as they have demand for, and so instead of expanding here, the company has instead invested in Vienna. This has a knock on consequence for our local economy, not only in terms of jobs not created, but as a business booking 5,000 hotel nights a year in the area, the missed opportunity to further support our hospitality sector. 

On Thursday I put this to a minister in the Department for Trade and Business. His response was a disappointment, ignoring the substance of my question. Rebuilding closer trading relationships with our nearest neighbours is about restoring confidence, unlocking growth and ensuring Mid Sussex remains a place where businesses want to invest and create jobs.

Now read this:

"We're Not Squeamish": Westminster Is Slowly Waking Up To The Birth Rate Crisis

Falling birth rates are not just an issue in London, Brighton & Hove has the third lowest birth rate in England, and in recent years Mid Sussex schools have not always had full reception intakes. Last week I was very disappointed that the proposed Haywards Heath primary at Hurst Farm is now marked as ‘minded to cancel’ by the Department for Education. This is another example of the infrastructure that is promised with new housing not happening. It breaches the social contract that the housing sector makes with communities when new housing is proposed. This in turn undermines trust in developers and governments. Of course I understand that if there are not enough children to justify building new schools money needs to be spent wisely, but any government with a programme of mass house building has to keep its promises and take the public with them. Otherwise we are just looking at more traffic on the roads and a water supply that cannot cope.  

Signing off for 2025

This is the last Monday Mail of the year but I will of course be back in January. Thank you for reading, and for your comments each week. I am very grateful to you for your interest in what I am up to. Of course, I couldn’t get the Monday Mail out each week without the help of a small team of ever helpful volunteers who make time each Sunday evening to set up the email so that it lands in your inbox at 8am on a Monday morning - thank you. 

Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy and peaceful Christmas. 

Getting in touch

My parliamentary email address is: alison.bennett.mp@parliament.uk. If you need my help, please get in touch.

Best wishes,
Alison

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