Welcome to this week's newsletter.
We have an election coming up! No not the one you think! We have a local election on February 8th for Crewe Central ward after the Labour Councillor quit.
I don't think anyone can really argue that Labour being in charge of Crewe has been good for the town. Finally after the local elections in May last year a Conservative was elected for Crewe St Barnabas. The difference James has made has been huge (take a look at his Facebook here:(https://www.facebook.com/CreweStBarnabas)
I think our candidate for Crewe Central Roger will do the same. Roger Morris has worked in his family business in Crewe Central for 35 plus years. His motorbike shop is on West Street. This means he will be easy to find and cares about this area because it is where he has spent nearly every day for 35 years.
I got to know Roger when he donated his show room for the local COVID vaccine programme. Thanks to his generosity thousands of local people were able to easily get vaccinated. He made a big impact and it has inspired him to want to do even more for his community. Now he wants to see how he can help as your local Councillor. The Labour candidate lives in Nantwich and is already a Councillor there.
I think he will make a very effective Councillor and would strongly encourage you to vote for him. We need to show Labour they can't take Crewe for granted.
Find out more about him and fill in his residents survey here:
https://www.crewecentral.org.uk/
If you aren't sure which ward you are in check here:
Good luck to Roger!
Last weekend workers received the largest-ever cut in National Insurance, benefiting 27 million people. The 2% reduction, from 12% to 10%, translates to significant savings, with the average employee pocketing £450 annually, and self-employed individuals saving around £350. This responsible decision aims to alleviate financial burdens, rewarding hard work and injecting money back into the pockets of working people.
Congratulations to Edleston Primary School for achieving the highest improvement in writing among all schools in Cheshire East. Their exceptional progress, 4.1% above the national average, not only demonstrates the dedication of pupils and staff but also reflects positive strides in maths and reading. In what has been a challenging few years following the pandemic, all schools and pupils deserve recognition for their resilience and commitment to learning.
The UK, in collaboration with allies including the US, has undertaken military action against Houthi Rebels in Yemen. With the rebels threatening global shipping and endangering lives, targeted strikes by the RAF aim to degrade their military capabilities, ensuring the protection of vital shipping lanes and worldwide supply chains.
Addressing the ongoing challenge of illegal boat crossings, the UK government has successfully cleared the legacy backlog of 112,000 asylum cases - with a reduced approval rate. While acknowledging the complexity of the issue, progress is being made to secure borders and prevent dangerous journeys across the channel.
Finally, you may have seen the shocking events of the Post Office Horizon Scandal, detailed in an ITV drama. The Prime Minister announced this week that a Parliamentary Bill will be brought forward, which will exonerate victims and ensure they will get compensation of up to £600,000. It is right that we rectify the grave miscarriage of justice and learn valuable lessons for the future.
Have a great weekend.
National Insurance Cut
Well Done Edleston Primary
Military Action in Yemen
Legacy Asylum Backlog Cleared
Horizon Scandal
Traffic Report
National Insurance Cut
As of last weekend, 27 million people will benefit from the largest ever cut in National Insurance - announced by the Chancellor in last year's Autumn Statement.
This cut of 2%, from 12% to 10%, will mean that the average employee will save £450 a year. Those who are self-employed will save on average £350 a year.
I know that things have been tough for many families and it is important that we take responsible decisions which will not risk higher inflation. This is a long-term decision that will both reward hard work and put money back into the pockets of working people.
Well Done Edleston Primary School
Well done to all of the pupils and staff at Edleston Primary School for achieving the best improvement in writing across all schools in Cheshire East!
Data has been published for pupil performance at the end of Key Stage 2. Edleston Primary progressed 4.1% higher than the national average in writing, better than any other Cheshire East school. They also made fantastic progress in both maths and reading.
Well done also to every school and pupil for the progress they have made. I understand the last few years have been difficult - particularly with the disruption you all experienced during the pandemic.
You can find the data for every school here:
https://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/.../24027623.best.../
Military Action in Yemen
This week, the UK has taken limited but necessary action against the Houthi Rebels in Yemen.
The Houthis have spent weeks attacking commercial shipping going through the Red Sea. This not only risked lives, but disrupted one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world - putting pressure on worldwide supply chains.
Despite warnings, they continued to carry out attacks. Therefore, the RAF, along with the US and with non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain, carried out targeted strikes against military facilities.
This will degrade the Houthi's military capabilities and protect global shipping.
Asylum Legacy Backlog Cleared
Migrants crossing the channel in small boats to come to the UK is not only illegal, but puts the lives of those involved in danger. It should be the UK who decides who can come here to live and work, not people trafficking gangs. It is also not fair on those who come here legally, if there are people who are breaking the rules.
One of the Government's key targets is to stop the boats, and we are making progress - with small boat crossings down year on year for the first time.
To continue to tackle the crossings, it was important that we cleared the legacy backlog of asylum cases which were slowing down the system. And that is what we have done. 112,000 legacy asylum cases have now been cleared - meaning that we can now begin to process newer cases quicker.
The approval rate of these cases is also now lower. This is thanks to the additional 1,200 caseworkers the Government have hired, now scouring applications and doing background checks.
This is not an easy problem to solve, and I know that more needs to be done - but we are making excellent progress in securing our borders and preventing people from making deadly journeys across the channel.
Horizon Scandal
Many of you will have watched the ITV drama, detailing the horrific events of the Post Office Horizon Scandal - where hundreds of postmasters were wrongly convicted due to faulty software. This represents one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history.
While we cannot undo the damage that has been done, we must establish what went wrong. An inquiry is currently underway to perform an in-depth analysis of the decision-making processes that led to the scandal.
Earlier this week the Prime Minister announced that every Postmaster who was wrongfully convicted and has had their conviction overturned as it was reliant on Horizon evidence will be offered an optional sum of up to £600,000 in compensation. All reasonable legal fees will continue to be covered and any Postmaster who does not want to accept this offer can of course continue with the existing process. For those postmasters who have already received initial compensation payments or have reached a settlement with the Post Office of less than £600,000, they will be paid the difference.
This has been a shameful episode that has ruined the lives of far too many. We must learn the lessons so that this does not happen ever again.
Traffic Report
The following are road closures for the week ahead as reported by Cheshire East.
Moss Lane - Until 2nd June
Goddard Street - Until 22nd January
Manor Way - Until 9th February
Brookland Ave - Until 12th February
Shrewbridge Road - 14th January