The changing of the clocks at the weekend to British Summer Time has been a welcome return to lighter evenings, and the recent sunshine has been something of a relief from the grim news of recent weeks. Good weather is what we need, especially in a week when the cost of day to day bills is set to increase again by an average of £1191 as the effects of Chancellor, Rachel Reeves’ catastrophic mismanagement of the economy become clear. Under this Labour Government, an average household will see energy bills, council tax, water bills, car tax, TV licences, phone bills and broadband costs increase, at a time when household finances are already squeezed.
However, I was pleased to hear the previous Conservative Government’s commitment to policing has paid off, with our Brentwood policing team reporting a reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour , and the number of vehicle thefts down by 26%. I meet regularly with the policing team and will ensure they are thanked for their diligence.
My thanks this week go to all those involved in dealing with the fire at the Phoenix Epping Hotel in North Weald last week, from the fire crews who attended from Ongar and further afield, to the Home Office and Epping Forest Council officers who found new accommodation for those affected. It was clearly a very distressing event for the hotel’s inhabitants, and I was very pleased to see the local community in North Weald and Ongar rallying around to offer support and help as needed.
