These covered his work as the Member of Parliament for Chelsea & Fulham as well as his Ministerial work as Minister for Trade Policy and Minister for London.
In response to Transport for London’s (TfL) proposal to install westbound and eastbound bus lanes on the Chelsea Embankment, which would halve capacity on the Embankment and hugely impact traffic congestion, I have launched a petition to Keep Chelsea Moving! This week, I also organised a useful meeting with Felicity Buchan MP, Minister in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and Chelsea Reach houseboat owners.
It is a privilege to serve as your Member of Parliament. We are one of the most vibrant and active constituencies in the country and this is because of the people who live and work across Chelsea & Fulham. I am starting to look ahead to 2024. Every single vote is going to count to get Tony Devenish re-elected as our GLA member, Susan Hall as our new Conservative London Mayor and there is also the small matter of a General Election to fight.
This week I attended the memorial service of the late Earl Cadogan. He was a lifelong Chelsea resident and dedicated his life to improving our local area, through the Cadogan Estate. One moving tribute to him at the service recounted how “his vision for Chelsea was for it to be the best place to live in London”. Who could say he didn’t succeed?
Last night I hosted my latest Crime Summit at St Dionis, Fulham. I regularly host these public crime meetings to give residents the opportunity to raise concerns and questions about crime in the local community directly with the Metropolitan Police and local elected representatives. There was a fantastic turn out, with many residents from across Fulham and Chelsea attending.
Since Monday I am back behind the desk at the Department for Business and Trade as Minister of State for Trade, in addition to being appointed Minister for London by the Prime Minister. I am disappointed to have left the job of Chairman of the Conservatives Party. However, I was able to choose to go back to Trade Minister, which is a job I also love.
This week I attended the House of Lords to witness the King's Speech. I have also planted a Remembrance stake for the Chelsea & Fulham constituency in Parliament's Constituency Garden of Remembrance.
This week I met again with the Earl's Court Development Company to receive their update that the plans now include a cluster of skyscrapers on this large site. These new proposals are now showing buildings up to 42 storeys high! The next public consultation will begin on 15 November. Read on below for more details on the proposals.
My week started with a fantastic visit to Charing Cross Hospital together with Health Secretary Steve Barclay. Read on, below, on the important work medical staff carry out at the hospital every day. This healthcare facility serves Chelsea & Fulham constituents and the Government is committed to big investments to ensure Charing Cross Hospital has a great future!
This week I have received news from the management of the Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation in Fulham, that their Board of Trustees has now taken the decision to sell the majority of the Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions site in Fulham to Chelsea FC - the neighbouring football club. I have engaged with both Chelsea FC and the Stoll Foundation throughout this process and I will continue to do so.
I would like to invite all residents to my next Crime Summit. The public meeting will take place on Thursday, 23 November at 19:00-20:30 in Fulham. All Chelsea & Fulham constituents are welcome to attend and you will have the opportunity to raise concerns and questions about crime in our local area directly with the Metropolitan Police and local representatives.
