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Alistair Strathern

15 January 2024: My week in Parliament and Mid Bedfordshire




Parliament returned with a bang last week, and I’ve been busy in Parliament and across Mid Beds tacking your priorities for our area.

Its been heartening to see so many people moved to write to be about the shocking injustice faced by postmasters in the Horzion scandal, but heart-breaking that despite their brave campaigning it has taken this long to resolve. I challenged ministers to move much faster over overturning convictions and paying out compensation  https://www.facebook.com/share/v/f122NQ4mMMuyP2fz/?mibextid=WC7FNe

We are lucky in Mid Bedfordshire to have many fantastic kinship carers who have taken on responsibility for a young person in their wider family at a time of need. They get far too little support in this work, so I challenged the prime minister to take action  https://www.facebook.com/share/v/D99gczBB1B69W5RV/?mibextid=WC7FNe

I know how important local bus services are to our communities, and I know how concerned many of you are by possible cuts to local services. I’ve written to both stagecoach and CBC about specific issues raised, and have also followed up directly with the Chief Executive at Bedford Borough council. I also met with members of Wootton Parish Council, Bedfordshire to discuss how plans to improve local shuttle services could be improved.

Improving local GP access is a key priority for me as our MP. Over the last week I have met with Stondon Parish Council and the local GP in Lower Stondon to plan how I can best support their efforts to expand the local surgery, and held a further meeting with the local NHS ICB and Bedford Borough to push forward plans to finally provide GP services at Wixams, and ensure Wootton’s temporary GP accommodation is replaced.

Alongside this I know many of you have faced real challenges accessing Dental Provision. I spoke in parliament in support of Labour’s plan to improve things, and will be continuing to work closely with the ICB, councils and practices locally to improve things in the meantime. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/UAmpV61q1YaFa4Jp/?mibextid=WC7FNe

This week we also launched my campaign to end the scandalous issues of estate management, road adoption, and freeholder exploitation once and for all. If you are facing challenges with these issues please contact me on alistair.strathern.mp@parliament.uk

It was great to visit Alameda Middle School to deliver an assembly to 100+ pupils on the importance of working hard, being ambitious, and working with people you are trying to persuade, before speaking to classes about my work as their MP. Thank you to all involved for some fantastic questions!

I also had the pleasure of meeting the brilliant team at Gymnastics Reborn in Puloxhill. They put on fantastic classes for all ages, and are well worth a visit!

I was disappointed to hear of a planned temporary closure of the Post Office in Barton, and will be working closely with local cllrs to hold the Post office to account for a plan to get services reopened as soon as possible.

Over the weekend, we continued to be back out speaking to people about their priorities for Mid Beds- this time we were out in Shefford, with lots of local issues raised for me to be following up on!

On Sunday, we held my first Town hall event of the year at Parkside Community Hall in Ampthill. These events are an important way for me to stay accountable to all of you, and for you to question and challenge the way I am working on our behalf locally and in parliament. We had a great discussion on a wide range of issues. Thank you to everyone who took the time to be there, and look forward to seeing lots of you at my next Town hall in Shefford on the 10th February!

This week, my food highlight has to go to the fantastic team at Dalchini spice- whose balti chicken jalfrezi provided a much needed refuel after Sunday’s town hall!

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