A General Election has been called for the 4th of July.
Parliament has been dissolved which means that I am no longer the MP for Uxbridge & South Ruislip, however I am pleased to confirm that I will be standing as the Conservative Candidate in the General Election.
Let's look at what I have achieved in Parliament in the last 10 months...
I've fought against the war on motorists. Immediately after the by-election, I called on the Mayor of London to cease ignoring residents and halt the expansion of ULEZ into Uxbridge & South Ruislip. Despite the Leader of the Labour Party appealing to the Mayor of London to reflect on his decision, he continued to ignore the residents whom I represent.
In continuing the fight against ULEZ expansion, I sponsored new legislation in the form of the Greater London Low Emission Charging Bill which would have reversed the expansion of ULEZ. Unfortunately, Labour MPs did not feel as passionately as I did and deliberately ran the debate out of time on this piece of legislation.
I have spoken in the Chamber asking Ministers how the Government are supporting low-income motorists. Following this, I invited the Minister for Roads and Local Transport, Guy Opperman, to visit Uxbridge & South Ruislip, to understand the devasting impact that ULEZ expansion is having on households and businesses.
I raised the concerns of pedestrians in Uxbridge & South Ruislip who want to maximise their opportunities to use all available access to public transport, especially in light of the ULEZ tax-grab. I welcomed the Minister for Transport, Huw Merriman, to West Drayton Station to seek his support in enabling buses to serve the forecourt of West Drayton Station following delays to road works caused by Network Rail.
In London, it is important for all of us that crime is reduced. As a father myself, I care about my children travelling safely and independently. That’s why I've backed the Government’s extra 3,700 police distributed across London and spoken in the Chamber on the Knife and Sword Ban. I have also continued to write to the Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan, on keeping Uxbridge Police Station open, with a full-custody suite and 24/7 counter. To put further pressure on this local issue, I have spoken on national media more than once.
I have also taken the views from residents in Uxbridge & South Ruislip, who completed my Crime Survey, directly to the Policing Minister, Chris Philp, to discuss what the Government is doing in particular to tackle shoplifting.
I have been working with the redevelopment team for the new Hillingdon Hospital now that funding, planning permission and enabling works are all in place. I hosted the Secretary of State for Health, Victoria Atkins, to see first-hand the redevelopment that is taking shape. Getting the New Hillingdon Hospital is my priority as the local MP, it is the place I was born, my children were born, and a hospital that has helped myself, friends, and family over the years. That’s why my first Ministerial meeting, after I became an MP was with Health and Social Care Minister, Neil O’Brian, who I discussed the new Hillingdon Hospital with, as well as local pharmacy needs, and the new Brunel University Medical School. Since this meeting, I am pleased to say all these key areas have been boosted by additional funding from the Government.
I have been active in supporting our Family Hubs, which Minister for Public Health, Dame Andrea Leadsom visited to see first-hand the outstanding work by Hillingdon Council for our Early Years projects in our local community.
I also showcased the innovative work for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), undertaken by the SeeAbility programme at Moorcroft School. My dedication for families who need support, especially families with SEND children, continued in other Ministerial meetings.
In continuing my passion in support of SEND, I sponsored the SEND Provision and Funding Bill and hosted my own Westminster Hall Debate on how Uxbridge & South Ruislip support SEND education. This led to a meeting with the Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, David Johnston, and Hillingdon Council to discuss the new SEND & Alternative Provision Strategy. Furthermore, I have spoken in the Chamber on improving teaching and learning in schools and sponsored the Autism Awareness Bill, to ensure teachers are equipped with what they need to support pupils with autism.
I welcome the increase in apprenticeships available at HRUC Uxbridge College, which the Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, came to witness herself and meet the prospective students and apprentices that will be positively impacted by this. I have also made apprenticeships a key topic to discuss with big businesses in Uxbridge & South Ruislip, such as Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, General Mills Ltd. and more. I always ask the business owners I meet in the constituency how we can increase opportunities for our young people.
I am proud that schools in my constituency have achieved ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ Ofsted ratings which is a clear indication of the progress and prioritisation of education. My close links with Brunel University are crucial in shaping further opportunities for young people in our community. This is further supported by the recent announcement that MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) has entered an exciting partnership with HRUC Uxbridge College which again demonstrates the local opportunities that are available.
I continue to support local businesses and ask Ministers about how the Government is helping businesses in Uxbridge & South Ruislip to grow and thrive. As someone who was born, raised and lives in Uxbridge & South Ruislip, I know how our high streets have changed over the years. I want to ensure they are all vibrant and bustling. I also know what it is like to run your own business, and I want to ensure every budding entrepreneur in Uxbridge & South Ruislip has the opportunity to start their own business.
I've championed the heritage of Uxbridge & South Ruislip, whether it is our pubs or our significant listed buildings such as the Battle of Britain Bunker. I have celebrated the historical assets of Uxbridge & South Ruislip in the Chamber, Heritage Pubs debate, and in my own Westminster Hall debate. I care about protecting our heritage because protecting our heritage is protecting our community. Not only has the Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries, Julia Lopez, visited Battle of Britain bunker with me, but I have also had a meeting with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and Libraries, Lord Parkinson, to showcase our wonderful heritage.
I’m protecting our green spaces. We are fortunate to have 67 green flag awarded parks in Hillingdon, with a significant number of these in Uxbridge & South Ruislip. As a local resident myself, I appreciate the value that these open spaces provide to the community both for their physical and mental wellbeing.
I have also used the opportunity in the Chamber to recognise residents who regularly report fly-tipping in the area. These residents are our local community champions who have a sense of civic pride.
I've supported the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill as many residents in Uxbridge & South Ruislip care about animals and have their own pets that utilise our green spaces for walking and activities.
Our grassroots football clubs also use our green spaces which I am fully in support of. I have spoken in the Chamber, and in a meeting with the Minister for Sport, Stuart Andrew. I often meet up with Wealdstone FC, Uxbridge FC and Hillingdon Abbots FC, and support the work they do to promote girls’ football and football for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) children and young people.
In the Chamber I raised with the Immigration Minister the impact that those seeking asylum is having on Hillingdon given that it is a port authority due to Heathrow Airport. I got assurances that this issue is fully recognised, and that further assistance is being considered to support Hillingdon Council.
I am aware that I was elected at a very challenging time for our country. To show my support for families experiencing these challenges, I spoke in the Chamber about what support is available. I have also had additional meetings with the Housing Minister Lee Rowley, about local blocks of flats in Uxbridge & South Ruislip that experienced issues with water and heating. I always want my residents to get the most out of Government benefits where possible which is why I asked the Minister in the Chamber what benefits are available for vulnerable families, and pensioners, and also how residents can make the most of welfare reforms.
As part of my responsibilities as an MP, I have been on three legislative committees which include the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Media Bill and Remote Court Hearings Bill. This gave me the opportunity to scrutinise national legislation on behalf of our constituency.
As a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, I have been involved in meetings with Ministers and Senior Civil Servants surrounding national and international policy on imports, exports and emerging free trade agreements with other nations.
My final question in the Chamber ahead of the General Election was regarding how the people of Uxbridge & South Ruislip can best support Team GB ahead of the Olympics. I am proud to be British, but most importantly a local from Uxbridge & South Ruislip.
I have made 40 spoken contributions in the Chamber on behalf of my residents. Spending half my time in the constituency, and half my time in the Chamber. I am honoured that I got to raise local concerns from my residents in the House of Commons Chamber.
I’ve welcomed 7 Secretary of States and Ministers to Uxbridge & South Ruislip, including the Party Chairman, Richard Holden, and had many Ministerial Meetings which are opportunities for constructive two-way conversations to develop a plan, direction and purpose on matters residents have raised with me.
I am grateful residents feel they can see me, talk to me, and email me. Since being your MP I have dealt with over 4,000 cases on casework, resolving issues my residents and neighbours are concerned about, mainly concerning housing, transport and immigration and I have held 26 constituency surgeries. It is important to me that I am actively available and can support my residents which is why I make daily phone calls, whether I am in Parliament, out and about, or at home.
One of the joys of being an MP is welcoming families, resident groups, local community groups, schools and colleges and business leaders to Westminster. I am proud to have hosted over 30 tours that have given the people the opportunity to experience their Parliament.
I am also eager for the young people of Uxbridge & South Ruislip to get involved in politics, which is why I am pleased to have hosted work experience pupils in my time as MP. I showed them what my day-to-day job involves, including visiting Number 10 Downing St, attending business meetings, charity events and watching the Prime Minister’s Questions.
In addition to my work in Parliament, I have also been out and about in the constituency I love, talking to residents and visiting the places that matter most to us. You can see my activity through my social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
It gives me great pleasure to announce that I will be standing as your local, Conservative, candidate for Uxbridge & South Ruislip. To see my plan for Uxbridge & South Ruislip, please click here.
If you vote for me on July the 4th, you can guarantee that I will continue to be your strong, local voice and represent you in Westminster.
Yours,
Steve Tuckwell, Conservative Candidate for Uxbridge & South Ruislip.
