Welcome to this week's newsletter.
Are you a resident in Nantwich experiencing delays in Royal Mail deliveries? I have received reports that some residents are going days without any postal deliveries and am currently investigating this with Royal Mail. They have suggested it is very limited but I'd like to hear from you if you have experienced the same.
Friday was International Women's Day. Join Motherwell Cheshire today for their celebrations being held in Crewe from 10am to 3pm at Cheshire College Crewe Campus. The following week, on March 16, 2024, the second event will take place in Winsford from 10am to 3pm at Brio Lifestyle Centre. These events provide a platform for women to express themselves, share their experiences, and inspire others.
This week, the Chancellor unveiled his budget. With inflation dropping from 11% to 4% and debt declining, the Chancellor had the economic wiggle room to reward hardworking people. Key announcements include a 2% cut in National Insurance for employees and the self-employed, changes to Child Benefits raising the threshold and halving the rate for the High Income Child Benefit Charge, and support for small businesses through a VAT registration threshold increase. We also saw funding boosts for the NHS and the freezing of alcohol duty and fuel duty.
Good news for Crewe residents! After persistently pursuing them, Post Office has confirmed a new branch will open in Crewe Town Centre, improving accessibility and services for the community. The store will be at the all-new Oso Go Store in Victoria Centre promises to address long-standing concerns since the closure of the previous branch in March last year.
Following a successful campaign, Ocado joins other supermarkets in dedicating a section to British produce, supporting local farmers and enhancing food security. By providing consumers with the option to choose British produce, environmental benefits are amplified, and national food security is bolstered.
Celebrating the joy of reading, World Book Day, are offering children £1 tokens redeemable for books, encouraging young readers and promoting literacy. The initiative aims to foster a love for reading from an early age, offering a diverse selection of books at an affordable price.
Nominations are open for the NHS Parliamentary Awards, recognising the outstanding contributions of NHS staff. If you know of someone or a team working in the NHS who have gone above and beyond, do get in touch.
Finally, this week I met with the Association for Physical Education who aim to place PE at the heart of school life, promoting both physical and mental well-being. With support from athletes like Max Whitlock, the organisation advocates for active lifestyles, benefiting individuals' long-term health and wellness. I told Max all about our very successful local gymnastics clubs!
Have a great weekend.
Chancellor's Budget
Crewe Post Office Update
Ocado Adds 'Best of British' Section
World Book Day
Issues With Royal Mail Deliveries?
NHS Parliamentary Awards
Motherwell - International Women's Day
Association for Physical Education
Traffic Report
Chancellor's Budget
This week; the Chancellor laid out his budget. I know that things have been tough over the past few years, and while there is still more we need to do, we have turned a corner in our plan to get our economy back on track. Inflation has fallen from 11% to 4%, debt is falling, wages are rising and we are outperforming many of our European neighbours.
Thanks to this progress, the Chancellor has been able to set out a budget that rewards hardworking people. Some of the key announcements include:
- Cutting National Insurance for Employees and Self-Employed by 2% - Combined with the cuts in the autumn will put an average of over £900 back into the pockets of working people and £650 on average for the self-employed
- Changes to Child Benefits - Raising the threshold for the High Income Child Benefit Charge from £50,000 to £60,000 and halving the rate and which it is repaid
- Freezing Alcohol Duty - Helping pubs and the wider hospitality sector
- Maintaining 5% Cut and Freezing Fuel Duty - Keeping costs down for motorists
- Increasing the VAT Registration Threshold for Small Businesses - raising it from £85,000 to £90,000
- Supporting Our NHS With an extra £2.45Bn on top of £3.4Bn to Improve Productivity
- Reforming the Tax System - Ensuring those with the broadest shoulders contribute the most
For full details of the budget announcements visit the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/.../chancellor-delivers-lower-taxes...
Crewe Post Office Update
I know how concerned everyone has been about the long time we have gone without a Post Office in Crewe Town Centre. I and others have been relentless in pressing the Post Office to get a new one in place. Good news at last!
A new Post Office will be opening in Crewe at the all-new Oso Go Store, Unit 3, Victoria Centre, Crewe, CW1 2PU. This follows the closure of the previous Crewe Town Post Office in March last year.
The new branch will be opening on Tuesday 9 April 2024.
Whilst the decision has already been made to reopen the branch at this location, the Post Office is seeking your feedback on specific aspects of the change that might benefit customers, particularly on the following areas:
• Do you have any comments about access into the new premises?
• Do you have any comments about access inside the new premises?
You can have your say via the link below.
https://www.postofficeviews.co.uk/.../crewe-town-cw-2pu...
Ocado Adds 'Best of British' Section
You may remember over the last few weeks supermarkets such as Sainsbury's and Aldi adding a 'best of British' section to their website, following a campaign I supported and pioneered by Dr Luke Evans MP.
Well, we have achieved yet more success, with Ocado being the latest to create a dedicated section where they can highlight British produce.
This will allow consumers to make the choice to support our British Farmers, which not only has environmental benefits but also helps improve our nation's food security.
World Book Day
Thursday was World Book Day where we promote the benefits of reading.
Thanks to our fantastic teachers and a focus on reading, our primary school children are now the 4th best readers in the world. I was a big reader as a child and a teen and I think it helps you a lot in later life!
It was great to speak with the team from the World Book Day in Parliament this week to learn more about what they are doing to encourage more young people to read more books.
They have £1 tokens which can be redeemed against book purchases at participating retailers. World Book Day have also made available a selection of books for just a £1, meaning they will be free with the voucher!
You can find out more, and download a digital voucher, via the link below. The offer is valid until 31st March.
https://www.worldbookday.com/books-and-tokens/book-token/
Issues with Royal Mail Deliveries?
Do you live in Nantwich and are having issues with late Royal Mail deliveries?
I have received reports that some residents are going days without any postal deliveries, only to receive a large bundle of post a few days later. I am currently pushing Royal Mail to investigate and resolve the issue, but it would be good to get a sense of the scale of the issue.
If you have experienced similar issues please do get in touch by emailing me at kieran.mullan.mp@parliament.uk.
NHS Parliamentary Awards
Nominations are now open for this year's NHS Parliamentary Awards.
The awards give us an opportunity to give thanks for the amazing contributions that NHS staff make to our health service.
We had a couple of local nominations last year, including Karen Cotici, a Registered Nurse apprentice at Leighton Hospital, who was shortlisted for the NHS Rising Star Award, and The Dynamic Support Database – Clinical Support Tool for the Future NHS Award.
If you know of someone, a team, or an entire organisation who works in the NHS and go above and beyond in their role, do get in touch and I will see if they can be nominated.
Click the link below to find out more about the awards and the specific categories.
https://nhsparliamentaryawards.co.uk/
Motherwell - International Women's Day
International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This year, Motherwell Cheshire invites you to join them in celebrating this significant event at their two #womenofwords events.
The, the first event will be held in Crewe from 10am to 3pm today at Cheshire College Crewe Campus. The following week, on March 16, 2024, the second event will take place in Winsford from 10am to 3pm at Brio Lifestyle Centre. These events provide a platform for women to express themselves, share their experiences, and inspire others.
This is a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women and the progress made towards gender equality.
These events are not just celebrations but also a chance for everyone to learn and grow. You'll hear inspiring stories from women who have overcome obstacles and achieved great things. You'll also get the chance to network with like-minded individuals and make new friends. Plus, there will be a variety of activities suitable for all ages, making it a fun day out for the whole family.
Association for Physical Education
This week, I met with the team from the Association for Physical Education in Parliament. In particular, it was great to talk to Max Whitlock, a Gymnast who has represented Team GB and won 3 gold and 3 bronze medals at the Olympics. I told Max all about our thriving local gymnastics community locally-we are very lucky to benefit from two clubs in Crewe-Camm Street (https://www.cammstreetcentre.com/gymnastics) and LS Gymastics (https://www.lsgymnastics.co.uk/). I've been able to see both groups in action and see how much enjoyment they bring to young people locally.
The AfPE is a charitable company, a membership organisation and the subject association for physical education in the United Kingdom. They are the voice of PE and their vision is to support the workforce to put physical education at the heart of school life.
I think it is incredibly important that we encourage pupils to be more active and take up sport in school. It is not only great for their physical and mental health, but will also make it more likely that they continue to be active in later life.
Find out more about the AfPE here:
Traffic Report
The following are the road closures for the week ahead as reported by Cheshire East.
Delamere Steet, Crewe - Until 10th March
Flag Lane, Crewe - until 10th March
Moss Lane - Until 2nd June
Stewart Street - Until 14th March
Weston Lane - 14th March