Category Archives: Articles

How Brexit can Still be a Success

Yesterday, I wrote a column for The Sunday Telegraph about why I will vote against the Prime Minister’s deal onTuesday, but how we can still make a success of Brexit.

This current deal would weaken our negotiating position with the EU and leave us bound indefinitely by EU-imposed rules. Rather, the UK should return to Brussels with a revised offer, which remedies the flaws in the backstop and ensures a transition to a ‘best in class’ Free Trade Agreement.

You can access my column here.

Also on Sunday, I was interviewed by Sophy Ridge on Sky News which you can watch here.

Capitalism for the Little Guy: Championing Local Consumers

As the constituency MP for Esher and Walton, I recently responded to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s ‘Modernising Consumer Markets’ Green Paper, which can be found here.

I started taking a closer interest in consumer issues and policy because they are commonly raised with me in letters from constituents, in surgery meetings and during discussions with local businesses and groups, including our Citizens Advice Bureaus.

Over the last few years I have distilled much of this feedback into a report summarising the issues and concerns (as well as some proposals for reform) that I have received locally.

These ideas range from ways to reinvigorate the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to make it a stronger consumer champion to proposals to reform the energy, mobile phone, broadband and currency exchange markets to empower consumers and deliver better deals.

Given the local salience of consumer issues, I wanted to convey the feedback through to this welcome government consultation in a structured way. You can read the submission here.

£866 Million Investment Boost for Local Housing Projects

Today, I have written an article for The Daily Telegraph on the government’s announcement of £866 million investment in local infrastructure to unlock new projects, to build up to 200,000 new homes.

Last year, 217,000 new homes were delivered, and 2017 saw the highest number of first-time buyers in ten years. But, we need to be delivering 300,000 homes each year, if we’re going to provide more affordable homes for the next generation.

Today’s announcement is one element of our ambitious strategy to deliver the homes Britain needs. You can access my column here.

Prosecuting Terrorism

Today, I announced the extension of the Unduly Lenient Scheme – a mechanism for challenging light prison sentences – to nine further terrorism offences.

You can read more about the detail of the specific announcement here. You can also read my column for the Daily Telegraph on this government’s wider counter-terrorism strategy here.

My Column on Changes to Dangerous Driving

Today, I have written a column for the i Newspaper announcing two key changes to the law on dangerous driving.

First, we will be introducing a maximum life sentence for offenders who kill someone as a result of driving dangerously, or carelessly while under the influence of drink of drugs.

Second, we will create a new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving to plug a gap in the law, especially for cases where individuals suffer life-changing injuries.

You can read my full column explaining the proposals here.

Clamping down on fraudulent holiday sickness claims

Today, I announced that the Ministry of Justice has issued a call for evidence on the government’s plans to crackdown on fraudulent holiday sickness claims. Bogus claims encouraged by unscrupulous lawyers push up the price of holidays for everyone else – so tackling the problem will cut the cost for families taking a break.

Since 2013, there has been an upsurge in the number of Britons making false insurance claims which risks driving up the price of summer holidays abroad for hard-working families. The call for evidence urges tour operators to make public the volume of claims and damages awarded in relation to personal injury claims arising from package holidays, and proposes introducing more predictable and transparent costs for tour operators looking to dispute a fraudulent claim. It is running until 10 November 2017.

You can read reporting in The Times here, and the Ministry of Justice press release here.

The UK offer to the EU

Following the Prime Minister’s speech in Florence, on Friday, I have penned a column for The Sun on Sunday,  summarising the key points – on how we intend to take back control of our laws, money and borders, while offering a positive and optimistic ‘win-win’ deal to our European partners.

You can read it here.