Political Opinion with Alison Bennett MP: My end of summer roundup

As summer draws to a close, I have been reflecting on the many conversations I've had with residents across Mid Sussex during my summer tour. Meeting people where  they live, work and spend their time is one of the key parts of my role as your MP,  and the last week of the tour was a wonderful opportunity to hear directly from  people across our constituency. 

I started the week with some Zoom and telephone surgeries, chatting to residents  about issues that are important to them or affecting their lives. Online and phone appointments are helpful for people who feel more comfortable meeting this way,  and convenient for people who are busy at the time of my in-person surgeries. I hold  regular meetings like these with constituents throughout the year, and they form an  important part of my week. You can request an appointment via my office.

Then, I headed to Lindfield High Street, where I held a street surgery with Cavan  Wood, who represents Lindfield on both the District and County Council. Together,  Cavan and I spoke to residents about a wide range of concerns and how we can  support them, me as their MP and Cavan as their local councillor.  

The following afternoon brought wind, rain and sunshine in equal measure for my  pop-up surgery at Tory’s Café in the Park in Haywards Heath. It was great to meet  Tory and the team, and I really appreciated the opportunity to chat to residents who  were enjoying another one of Tory’s ‘Summer Fun Days’.  

For people living in the smaller Downland villages, I hosted my drop-in summer  surgery at Rushfields Plant Centre in Poynings, where I spoke to residents about a  range of issues including speeding, mobile signal and youth employment. Thank you  to everyone who came along to chat, and to the team at Rushfields for their warm  welcome and hospitality once again. 

Rounding off the summer events, I was invited to Furze Field Manor Care Home in  Sayers Common for their summer barbecue. It was a lovely afternoon bringing  together residents, families and friends. We were treated to brilliant live music from  Tania, who sang classics by Tom Jones and Shakin’ Stevens to get people dancing and singing along. 

Thank you to everyone who took part in this year's summer tour. These  conversations are invaluable in informing my work going forward representing Mid  Sussex in Parliament, and I look forward to continuing to hear from residents in the  months ahead. If there is an issue you would like to raise or you would like a surgery  appointment with me, please contact my office at alison.bennett.mp@parliament.uk.