Alison Bennett's Monday Mail: Pop to the shops

Pop to the shops*

Last Friday, I held my first pop up MP surgery at Tesco in Burgess Hill. It was a real pleasure to talk to people who stopped for a quick chat whilst doing their shopping. These kinds of conversations are so valuable, and I’m really grateful to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts and concerns. Thanks also to Warren, Millie and the whole team at Tescos and Costa in Burgess Hill for making me so welcome.

I’ll be holding more pop-up surgeries across Mid Sussex in the coming months, so keep an eye out for me, I’d love to meet you and hear what matters to you.
*Inconsequential side note: ’Pop to the Shops’ will bring back memories for those who have had to entertain small children in recent years

A hosepipe ban for the South East

From this Friday 18th July, a hosepipe ban will come into force across our region. I know this will be frustrating for many, especially as we face these restrictions year after year whilst water bills keep rising and leaks can go unfixed for weeks on end. This situation is a clear sign that our water system isn’t working as it should.

Water companies like South East Water have had years to fix leaks and invest in long-term infrastructure, but they’ve repeatedly failed to deliver. It’s time for real accountability, and that means stronger regulation to make sure our water supply is secure for the future.

You can find full details of the hosepipe ban and advice on saving water on the South East Water website. I also spoke to the Telegraph about the need for urgent reform – you can read the article here.

A busy week in the Chamber

Wow - last week was full on, both in the House of Commons, and in other meetings. 

In the Chamber, I spoke in a number of statements, oral questions, and debates. Everything that gets said in Parliament is available to read in Hansard, the official, verbatim report of everything in the Commons and the Lords. 

You can look at my contributions here which shows that I have spoken in Parliament 167 times since I was elected a year ago. Eight of those contributions were last week! 

Some of what I say in Parliament gets clipped and published on my social media accounts. I know that everyone has preferred social media platforms, so you can choose yours by visiting my Linktree. 

Josh’s political thinking

Sussex’s very own Josh Babarinde who is the Liberal Democrat MP for Eastbourne was Nick Robinson’s guest on Political Thinking this week. Josh is so talented, and also a wonderful colleague. This is definitely something to listen to if you get a chance.

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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