Commons Sense By Beaconsfield MP Joy Morrissey

First, I want to wish all in Beaconsfield, Marlow and the South Bucks villages a very Happy New Year. I hope everyone across the constituency had a wonderful time with family and friends over the Christmas season.

In my first column of the year, I want to touch on the year ahead as well as talking about my recent work as your Member of Parliament. Just before the Christmas recess, I had a very busy couple of weeks in Parliament talking to Ministers about the issues that matter most to residents. Here in South Bucks, we have consistently had issues with our roads.

With this in mind, I met with the Roads Minister, Guy Opperman. As I referred to in my previous column, I welcome that an additional £51.7million will be allocated to road repairs in our local area, but I know there is still more to be done. I invited the Minister to the constituency to see the issues we are facing on a regular basis.

I also met with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lucy Frazer MP, to advocate for grassroots sports. Local sports clubs, including football, are at the core of our community – bringing people together and providing people with a community hub. I was encouraged by the Secretary of State’s support for grassroot sports and I will continue to champion them as your MP.

I had a lovely time visiting different parts of the constituency over the Christmas holidays. The Christmas spirt was on show in a magnificent way from Hedgerley, to Burnham.

It was great to be in Hedgerley for St Mary’s Christmas Carol Service done purely by candlelight. In Fulmer, the South Buckinghamshire Riding for Disables Carol Service was also a fantastic event. This organisation does so much to support disabled children across the constituency and their carol service highlighted the fantastic work they do.

A number of places across the constituency have been impacted by flooding over the last few weeks. I was in Farnham Common earlier this month speaking to residents about the issues they have been facing. Over this period, I remained in close contact with Thames Water and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that residents’ safety and homes were protected.

During a visit to Iver, it was great to pop into the Iver Environment Centre – a community led wildlife garden in the heart of the Iver’s greenbelt. This brilliant community centre would be impacted in a devastating way if the Iver Motorway Service Area is approved. This is why I have written to the Secretary of State to ensure this application is rejected. We must ensure that our green spaces our protected.

I have also hosted a number of local surgeries – speaking to residents about the issues that matter most to them. If you would like to attend one of my local surgeries, please do not hesitate to contact my office and I would be more than happy to talk to you about any concerns you have.

In Parliament, my work in the Government Whip’s Office continues. As a whip for the Ministry of

Defence, I have been working closely with the Secretary of State for Defence during this turbulent period in the Middle East.

With the New Year in full swing, I want to talk about my priorities for the year ahead. Improving access to GP appointments and better local health services, better transport links for residents and businesses, a safer community, investing in education and of course protecting the greenbelt. These priorities will continue to be at the centre of my work as your MP in 2024.