Tim Loughton MP May Newsletter

Welcome to my latest lockdown constituency e-Newsletter. I hope you are continuing to hold up and looking forward to the gradual loosening of restrictions from next week. You can find the full details of what the Prime Minister announced yesterday HERE and I hope that the great majority of people will continue to observe them and use common sense so that the Government will not have to put them into reverse if the pandemic spread turns upwards again. I am only too aware that this message has not been helped by the furore over the actions of a certain Special Adviser at Number 10 and I have of course made my views very clear at the outset on this matter.
 
I continue to spend much of my week on conference calls with local organisations and again pay tribute to all those in the NHS and care sector who continue to do such an excellent job. It is a privilege to thank them personally when on duty for handing out meals to nurses and others coming off shift at Worthing Hospital especially. I should also mention the excellent job that Sussex Police are doing, and I would like to pay tribute to Chief Constable Giles York who retires this week after a long and distinguished record with the police service and we wish him well. I was interested to hear that so far Sussex Police have issued 903 fixed penalty notices since the beginning of the lockdown in March although that number has been tailing off in recent weeks. I was horrified to be told however that assaults against police officers and PCSOs have now risen to 238 since the beginning of lockdown and that represents a rise of more than 27% over the comparable period last year. The police have a difficult enough job already and there is absolutely no excuse for assaulting them in the course of doing their duty. Worst of all there have been cases of disgusting people spitting at officers and claiming to have COVID and I am pleased to see that prison sentences have been handed out and this is being taken very seriously.
 
I am delighted to announce the first wave of my Coronavirus Community Award winners and thank you to all those who have sent me nominations so far. Keep them coming. I am also asking for your help with collections toys and activity equipment for two excellent local charities Safe in Sussex and Home-Start and you can see the details below.
 
Parliament returns on Tuesday and we will be considering the Finance Bill amongst other measures, which gives effect to the various Budget measures announced in March in what seems like a different age now. It is not clear how many of us will be required to turn up in person as opposed to continue working from home and our constituencies, but we are all learning how to be flexible in these extraordinary times
 
Keep safe everyone.

Best wishes

Tim Loughton MP