MP Newsletter #12: VE Day, Local Election results, Age UK

Dear reader,

A warm welcome to this latest edition of my newsletter. I hope you are well and looking forward to the weekend.

In my latest update I want to particularly focus on the tremendous show our constituency put on for the VE Day commemorations. Everyone involved should be incredibly proud.

Just to also repeat my request from the last edition, if you are aware of any local magazines, newsletters, or mailing lists that you think I should be contributing to, please do let me know by responding to this email with any relevant contacts or names of the publications. It’s good to spread the word!

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,  X (formerly Twitter) here and BlueSky here.

Please do forward this newsletter along to friends, family, neighbours etc if you feel it would be useful for them too. They can also sign up to receive these emails here.

VE Day

Yesterday marked 80 years since victory in Europe during the Second World War and it was a pleasure to attend so many commemorative events for VE Day across the constituency.

We are an area with many connections to the armed forces and home to many veterans and serving men and women, so I am particularly proud to represent you all at these events.

I started the day in Colerne to join a remembrance and anniversary service held by the Royal British Legion. It was a privilege to meet veterans and also to spend some time with schoolchildren who attended.

While events and anniversaries like these are inherently about looking back at the past and vowing to remember, they are also important opportunities to educate our youngest citizens. I hope that all those children who attended events yesterday will be able to take the spirit of remembrance and the message of peace into their lives as we move further away from the Second World War and it slips from lived experience to thoughtful memory.

Melksham did us all proud in their commemorations and it was a real joy to see a restored Sherman tank in the town centre before heading into the community lunch at the Assembly Hall. A huge thank you to Melksham Town Council for putting on the event, and indeed a full programme of events throughout the afternoon for all to enjoy.

My afternoon saw me over in Bromham for a church service followed by that most British of things – tea and cake! One of the simplest pleasures in this role is the opportunity to share a cup of tea and chat with constituents. It’s remarkable how much wisdom and help can be sourced from talking with everyone.

Then it was back to the north west of the constituency in Box at their VE Day tea aimed specifically at bringing together those residents who were alive during the Second World War. Hearing the stories of all those who lived through the war, and of those who served in its immediate aftermath, is a truly humbling experience.

Finally, my day ended at the lighting of the beacon on Roundway Hill in Devizes, which was a moving and poignant moment.

I know that services and events were also held in Bradford on Avon and many other villages, and am just sorry I couldn’t make it everywhere!

I am incredibly privileged to be your member of parliament and to be democratically elected is the thing I am most proud of. We must never forget that 80 years ago, that simple right which belongs to us all was challenged. Our country rose to the occasion and for that we must all be truly thankful.

The world is an increasingly fragmented place, and as recent events all over the world have proven, from factional skirmishes to full blown war, we must not take the peace we enjoy here lightly.

I hope this anniversary serves a reminder for us all that we must protect what those brave men and women fought for all those years ago.

I want to pass on my sincere appreciation for all those in our area who have served, or are serving, in our armed forces.

Wiltshire Council elections

Last week saw the election of 98 new Wiltshire Councillors as well as dozens of parish and town councillors

Firstly, a hearty congratulations to all those elected. I also want to say thank you to all those who stood for election – from all parties and none. Serving as a Wiltshire Councillor for eight years was an honour and I want to wish Phil Chamberlain, my successor in Box & Colerne, every success.

There are now a number of new councillors in my constituency, and I look forward to meeting all of them and working hard in conjunction with them to improve the lives of all those in our constituency.

More broadly, I welcome the Liberal Democrats as the largest party at County Hall and it was heartening to see so many excellent candidates returned. I spent many hours out door-knocking in the last few weeks and it was great to meet so many of you out on the doorstep.

The next Full Council for Wiltshire Council takes place on May 20th and this will see a new leader and cabinet elected. Again, I look forward to working with the new administration and will seek to join forces wherever possible for the benefit of the people of this constituency.

Westminster Watch

As I promised a few editions ago, I am keen to make sure that you are kept up to date with what I’ve been up to in parliament too. One of the ways in which MPs are able to advocate for their constituents and to hold the government to account is to write written questions to ministers. These have to be responded to within a relatively short timeframe, and while I’m sure you can imagine not all answers are immediately helpful, many times it can help with casework for a constituent or help to persuade the government to change course.

There is a full list of the written questions I have asked here.

I have recently asked questions on potholes, road surfacing and initiatives to improve active travel in our communities. Last month I raised the issue of safe walking routes to schools in a Westminster debate, and I want to particularly commend Holt Primary School for their walking bus initiative.

I have also asked the minister about efforts to alleviate the current backlog of driving tests. I know from conversations with many in our area that test centres remain horrendously booked up – a COVID hangover that we cannot seem to shift. The Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have now produced a seven-point plan to tackle this, but I will be watching closely. While I continue to advocate for improved public transport services, not least through a new railway station in Devizes and improved rail links in Melksham as well as rural bus routes, cars remain a vital way of getting around our area and many are waiting far too long for their test.

Best wishes,

Brian Mathew MP

Your Lib Dem MP for Melksham & Devizes