MP Newsletter #33: King's Speech, Upcoming Q&A events, Fire Station update, School visits, Swindon elections, Steeple Ashton WI
Dear reader,
I hope you’re keeping well. It has been another busy fortnight both here in Wiltshire and in Westminster. As many of you will have seen, the political atmosphere in Westminster has once again been dominated by briefing, infighting and leadership speculation. Frankly, I think many people are tired of the constant drama and simply want to see politics focused on improving everyday life.
While others focus on political manoeuvring, my own attention remains firmly here in Wiltshire - standing up for our rural communities, supporting local residents and making sure the issues that matter to people across the constituency are properly heard in Parliament.
There is plenty to update you on below, including reflections on the King’s Speech, upcoming Q&A sessions events and recent visits across the constituency.
📌 In this edition:
👑 Reflections on the King’s Speech and rural Wiltshire
🗣 Upcoming Q&A events across the constituency
🚒 Fire station campaign update
🏫 School visits in Devizes & Shaw
🗳 Supporting Liberal Democrat colleagues in Swindon
🌿 Speaking to the WI in Steeple Ashton
👑 King’s Speech — Rural Wiltshire Must Not Be Forgotten
Last week saw the King’s Speech set out the Government’s plans for the year ahead. By the time you read this, there may well already have been further twists and turns in Westminster’s ongoing political drama.
While the chaos ensues in government, residents I speak to are far more concerned about everyday issues - paying the bills, accessing healthcare locally, finding affordable housing and simply being able to get around our rural communities reliably.
While Westminster dominates the headlines, my own focus remains firmly here in Wiltshire — standing up for local residents and making sure rural communities are properly heard in Parliament.
I was fortunate enough to be in the House of Lords chamber itself to hear the King deliver the speech. It is always a remarkable occasion and a reminder of the traditions of our democracy. But ultimately, the speech reflects the Government’s priorities for the coming Parliamentary session, and I must admit, I was disappointed by how little attention was given to rural Britain.
While there was reference to farms not complying with water regulations, there was no mention at all of actual farming, despite the huge importance of agriculture to counties like Wiltshire. Incredibly there was no mention of food, which is doubly alarming as food security should surely be at the top of the list when it comes to national security, quite apart from its importance to our rural economy. Rural communities continue to feel overlooked when it comes to transport, healthcare, housing and access to public services. Areas like ours have enormous potential, but too often Westminster still seems to treat rural Britain as an afterthought.
That said, there were measures in the speech that I welcome and have long supported. These included further action on sewage and water companies, investment in homegrown renewable energy and reforms to unfair leasehold arrangements.
However, I would also have liked to see much greater ambition on fixing social care and seeing patients return home to convalesce from hospital, as well as improving our relationship with Europe to help grow the economy and support local businesses including farming.
Whatever the political chaos elsewhere, my promise remains the same - I will continue working hard to ensure Wiltshire’s communities have a strong voice in Westminster.
🗣 Upcoming Q&A Events
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be hosting three public Q&A events across the constituency. These events are an opportunity to hear directly from me, ask questions and raise the local or national issues that matter most to you.
Whether it’s local health services, flooding, transport, planning or developments in Parliament, I want to hear your views.
📍 Melksham
🗓 Thursday 28th May
🕖 7pm
🎟 Register here: Melksham Q&A Event
📍 Devizes
🗓 Friday 29th May
🕢 7.30pm
🎟 Register here: Devizes Q&A Event
📍 Bradford on Avon
🗓 Friday 19th June
🕖 7pm
🎟 Register here: Bradford on Avon Q&A Event
And if you cannot make any of these events, please do not worry. Later this summer I will once again be undertaking a wider tour of villages and communities across the constituency, so do keep an eye out for further dates and locations being announced soon.
🚒 Fire station campaign update
The consultation on the eight fire stations proposed for closure by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has just closed this afternoon. I hope that as many of you as possible took the time to have your views heard. I have been working hard to try to prevent these closures, and particularly with Bradford on Avon Fire station in our constituency.
The decision on closures is scheduled to take place at a Fire Authority meeting on June 30th and I plan to be there and to speak if possible. I will of course keep everyone updated with the decision. I want to take a moment to thank all those who have been so involved in the response to these proposed closures and in particular are hard working and dedicated fire fighters in BOA.
🏫 Visiting Schools Across the Constituency
I always enjoy visiting schools across our constituency, and the past fortnight included some particularly enjoyable visits in Devizes and Shaw.
At Downland School in Devizes, I spent time with Headteacher Georgina Keily-Theobald and Chair of Governors Richard Green. Downland is a maintained special school for pupils aged 10–16, and it was wonderful to see how much the students were thriving and enjoying school life. We discussed the school’s tailored approach to education, ensuring each pupil’s needs are met while still encouraging strong academic achievement and strong GCSE outcomes.
I also visited Shaw School, where staff spoke to me about concerns around traffic outside the school during drop-off and pick-up times. It was valuable to hear directly from both staff and school leaders, and I have since followed this up with Melksham Without Parish Council.
Finally, I visited Nursteed Primary School in Devizes, where pupils were celebrating the 100th birthday of David Attenborough. The students asked some brilliant questions, and it was a real pleasure to spend time with them and meet the staff.
These visits are always inspiring. Young people constantly impress me with both the intelligence and creativity of their questions, while visits also provide an important opportunity to hear directly from teachers about the realities facing our education system.
🗳 Supporting Liberal Democrat Colleagues in Swindon
While Wiltshire did not have local elections this year, I spent some time in neighbouring Swindon supporting Liberal Democrat colleagues during the campaign.
I was delighted to see Martin Barrett elected to Swindon Borough Council to represent Wroughton and Wichelstowe. Congratulations to Martin on a well-earned victory and I look forward to working with him in the future.
🌿 Speaking with the WI in Steeple Ashton
Last weekend, I was honoured to speak with members of the Women’s Institute and wider community in Steeple Ashton. The WI has such a proud history of community action and bringing people together, and I was grateful for the warm welcome and thoughtful discussion.
During the session, I spoke about two issues that I believe are connected - youth homelessness and protecting our natural environment for future generations. Both ultimately come down to the kind of communities we want to build and the responsibility we have to look after one another.
I spoke about my recent meeting with staff from Centrepoint on hidden youth homelessness and concerns that too many vulnerable young people are struggling to access the support they are entitled to. We also discussed the importance of protecting local green spaces, improving environmental standards and ensuring future generations can continue to enjoy the countryside we value so highly here in Wiltshire.
The conversation also highlighted the important role local community organisations play in speaking up for issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. Whether it is supporting vulnerable people, protecting local nature or holding decision-makers to account, groups like the WI make a real difference in our communities.
📬 Staying in Touch
As always, thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter. My surgeries are always open to constituents and I continue to welcome your emails, letters and conversations when I’m out and about across the constituency.
You can contact me at:
📧brian.mathew.mp@parliament.uk
📞 01225 434216
You can also keep up to date with all of my Parliamentary work - including speeches in the House of Commons, written questions to Ministers, committee contributions and voting record via my official Parliament webpage here: