BM
by Brian Mathew
4 Apr 2025
MP Newsletter #6: Schools, BoA, Events
BM
by Brian Mathew
7 Feb 2025
Dear reader,
A very warm welcome to this latest edition of my MP‘s newsletter. It has been another tremendously busy fortnight - both in Westminster and here around the constituency.
The recent highlight has without doubt been the visit of Sir Ed Davey MP - the Liberal Democrat leader. It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Ed and his team to our area. I’ll explain a little more about what we got up to on the day later in this newsletter.
I also wanted to take some time in this edition to write more about the very local issues and community engagement that are so important to me.
But I do also want to give a full account of my work in Westminster too and to outline and explain some of the things I’ve been up to in Parliament. This will form the basis of my next update in a fortnight’s time. There are several intricate and arcane rules and procedures in the House of Commons and sometimes it can take quite a bit deciphering even as an MP, let alone as a busy constituent.
As ever, I welcome all feedback and comments about this newsletter and I want to make sure that it is as useful as it can be for my constituents. If you have any suggestions, comments or feedback please do feel free to email me at brian.mathew.mp@parliament.uk. A reminder that you can also contact my office on 01225 434216, and please do get in touch via phone or email to book a surgery appointment. These take place at regular intervals at different villages and towns across the constituency and we will do our very best to fit you in at the one which suits you best.
Remember you can follow me on Facebook here and I’m also on Twitter/X here.
Please do also forward this newsletter along to friends, family, neighbours etc if you feel it would be useful for them. They can also sign up to receive these emails here.
Ed Davey visit
It was great fun welcoming the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey MP to Melksham and Devizes last week. Ed and I took some time to visit the Wiltshire Football Association at Green Lane in Devizes and take part in their ‘Roots and Shoots’ programme. This programme promotes social inclusion for those youngsters who are deemed at risk or perhaps known to the criminal justice system. These sessions use football to communicate and encourage camaraderie, as well as playing football and enjoying time together. They also benefit from visits from the police and other local agencies and invited speakers. Mercifully, the game of football that Ed and I played was relatively short and I think it’s fair to say that neither Ed or I will be being scouted any time soon!
After a delicious lunch at the Black Swan in Devizes, we moved onto Melksham to meet with the volunteers and campaigners who worked so hard on the election campaign last July. It was tremendous for Ed to meet people who fought so hard in our campaign and enabled me to become your MP. We also met with our excellent Liberal Democrat Wiltshire Council candidates who’ll be standing in the local elections on May 1.
Many of you will have heard that some local elections in the UK have been postponed or cancelled. Wiltshire is not one of these. The local elections for Wiltshire Council, and town and parish councils, will be going ahead on May 1. I encourage you to look closely at your local candidates and to cast your ballot.
I will be stepping down as a Wiltshire Councillor at these elections following eight years as the councillor for Box and Colerne. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve for the last eight years and I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with Wiltshire Council for the benefit of my constituents.
School visits
Our young people are our future, so one of the joys of my role is to visit local schools.
Last week I visited the Manor School in Melksham where I was questioned by year 5&6 pupils, as well as speaking with the headteacher about the opportunities, issues and concerns for the coming months and years.
This morning, I spent time with sixth formers at St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon, answering their questions and hopefully providing some inspiration that they can play a part in making our world a better place. I was also interviewed for the school magazine and met with headteacher, Tim Farrar. I’ve now visited the constituency’s four secondary schools and pay tribute to the work our teachers do in challenging circumstances, with funding still tight.
Next week, I am due to meet with the Chief Executive of White Horse Federation which is responsible for ten schools in our area in order to discuss a range of issues affecting our schools.
Bradford on Avon
I wanted to update you all on two letters of support I have recently written to Wiltshire Council. I am lending my voice to Bradford on Avon Town Council’s request for 20mph speed limits and also their project for a new pedestrian bridge across the River Avon in the centre of the town. It is good to know that the town council has now secured an offer from Wiltshire Council to provide technical and funding bid support for a new bridge.
The recent flooding in Bradford has thrown the need for a new pedestrian bridge into even sharper focus and I sincerely look forward to progress on this vitally important infrastructure project.
Traffic is a problem that had bedevilled Bradford for decades and I know it is a real concern for many residents in the town. There is a traffic project currently being worked on by Wiltshire Council along with the town council, and I will be watching this process closely and working with all.
BBC Radio Wiltshire
Earlier this week I took part in an hour-long phone-in on BBC Radio Wiltshire. The questions from listeners were as perceptive and interesting as I’ve come to expect from our well-informed residents, and it also gave me plenty of food for thought.
Questions ranged from the state of our high streets, local hospital services, the winter fuel allowance being scrapped, and my first few months as your MP.
Being accountable is so vital for any elected official, and I am looking for every opportunity to engage with local, regional and national media as well as meeting with senior leaders in our community. And of course, if you have a question, please do email.
Best wishes,
Brian Mathew MP
Your Lib Dem MP for Melksham & Devizes