Above: Anne Marie Morris with Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport at the outset of their journey along the coastal railway to Newton Abbot
Coastal Railway & Kingskerswell Bypass
I was absolutely delighted to welcome the Secretary of State for Transport to South Devon so we could discuss additional investment in our coastal railway line and progress on the Kingskerswell Bypas
Given the swift progress that has been made on the Kingskerswell Bypass, it’s easy to forget that the funding announcement followed a campaign that had been going on for decades. Elected councillors and parliamentarians from all parties had tried and failed to win the political support required to make this happen. This meant that 35,000 journeys a day were being made on this busy stretch of road, causing congestion, delaying our emergency services, undermining public transport efficiency and stifling investment in Newton Abbot and Torbay. Cllr John Hart, Mayor Gordon Oliver, Cllr Jeremy Christophers and the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership deserves enormous credit for helping me lead a campaign that finally delivered a result. I took the Secretary of State to Kingskerswell so he could see for himself the progress being made and I updated him on the work we are doing to support those who are affected by the scheme.
Before heading off to Kingskerswell, I joined the Secretary of State for Transport on the train to discuss the coastal railway line. Securing additional investment for our railway line has been a priority of mine since I was elected in 2010. I secured a Westminster Hall debate on this in 2011 and obtained a commitment from the Prime Minister earlier this year at PMQs that the line will be supported. We have also seen Newton Abbot Station receive an upgrade and Dawlish Station has its new footbridge. This stretch of railway is more complex than most though and it was good for the Secretary of State to come down and meet with me, Network Rail and First Great Western to talk about how we are going to take things forward from here. All we need now is better and more rolling stock to improve the travel experience even more and reduce overcrowding at peak times!
In Parliament – EU Referendum
A relatively quiet week in Westminster burst into life at the conclusion of the Queen’s Speech debate when John Baron MP decided to push his amendment to a vote. The Baron Amendment expressed regret that the Government has made no provision to introduce a Bill that would give us a referendum on our membership of the European Union. As somebody who has previously voted in favour of a referendum being called and as a supporter of the People’s Pledge, I decided to also sign this amendment. The Amendment was predictably defeated. The Queen’s Speech of course reflects the proposed Coalition Government programme. The Conservative Party therefore published its own bill that would allow a referendum to be held. James Wharton was successful in the Private Members Bill ballot and he has announced he will take this forward. Hopefully, others in Parliament will back this bill and we will finally get a chance to have our say on what our relationship with the European Union should be moving forward.
In The Patch – The Devon Show
Back home, the focus of my attention was on the visit of the Secretary of State for Transport to Dawlish and Kingskerswell. However, the Devon Show also took place and it’s great to see it going from strength to strength. It is one of the best shows of its kind in the country and its quality reflects accurately the importance of the agricultural industry to Devon. This year, I was invited to attend the NFU Breakfast and a meeting with the Young Farmers and it’s also good to see the likes of the Federation of Small Business and Devon County Council offering such commitment to the show.