IT HAS been non-stop since the votes were finally counted in the Abbey Stadium sports hall and the result was announced in the early hours of July 5.
It is the honour of my life to have been elected as your MP. However, I must admit to suffering from imposter syndrome as I stood in the House of Lords, listening to His Majesty King Charles detail the government’s agenda.
Almost immediately after being elected, the damning CQC and Ofsted report on SEND provision in Worcestershire was released, which clearly illustrated that children and families have been systematically failed.
I have already met affected families, the leadership of Worcestershire County Council and Secretary of State Bridget Phillipson as we work to start laying the foundations to rebuild provision.
But it isn’t just SEND that is broken; we have to fix the foundations of the economy to rebuild our public services.
Too many people can’t access an NHS dentist, are waiting months for operations and can’t get a GP appointment when they need one.
We’ve got to get a grip on knife crime and fix a broken immigration system.
None of these challenges will be solved overnight, and I’m sure the opposition will vigorously hold the government accountable.
I simply hope they will remember their role in creating some of these challenges over the past 14 years.
In the constituency, I was delighted to join the mayor in leading the Astwood Bank Carnival procession alongside some incredibly colourful floats.
I’ve also met with the Chamber of Commerce, visited local businesses, raised the ongoing issues of car theft with the police, and seen first-hand how the new Urology Investigation Unit at the Alex Hospital will dramatically improve patient experiences.
I met the senior leadership team at Redditch Borough Council to hear about their exciting plans for the town centre and discuss the government’s offer to local leaders to devolve transport, skills, housing, planning, and employment powers locally.
This could signal a once-in-a-generation transfer of powers from Westminster to communities like ours.
I have already held several surgeries across the constituency and I am grateful to the dozens of constituents who have already attended my surgeries in Harvington, Dodderhill, Norton, and Redditch. You can book an appointment by simply visiting my website.
Finally, new MPs do not have inherent staff or an office when they enter Parliament. The recruitment process, including security vetting, moves at a glacial pace. I’m pleased to have almost an entire team in place, but please bear with us as we triage the most urgent cases and clear the backlog.
Chris Bloore
Redditch MP
