Comment: Leadership Drama Distracts from What Chichester Needs

You would be forgiven for thinking that the only thing going on in Parliament this week is an impending leadership challenge to the Prime Minister, but this week also sees the continuation of the King’s Speech debate. The State Opening of Parliament last week, and the King’s Speech itself, set out the government’s objectives for the coming year and the legislation it intends to introduce. The government has proposed more than 30 bills, some new and some carried over from the last session. 

There are several pieces of legislation that I look forward to scrutinising, particularly those that I know will be of interest to residents in Chichester. This includes the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, which I hope will tackle rogue property management companies, as well as reforms to special educational needs provision in the Education for All Bill. I know this is an issue that parents and carers across the constituency feel very strongly about and have serious concerns over. 

Jess Brown-Fuller at the Surfers Against Sewage’s paddle-out protest in Chichester Harbour.

Additionally, there are further measures to increase accountability in the water industry through the Water Bill, something residents in Chichester have been calling for over many years. On Saturday, I joined activists and campaigners at Surfers Against Sewage’s paddle-out protest at Dell Quay in Chichester Harbour. Perhaps ironically, we were advised not to enter the water due to a sewage discharge in the Solent. The number of protesters demonstrated the strength of feeling towards water companies that have been allowed to damage our precious waterways and harbours, filling them with sewage at every turn. The Water Bill must finally put an end to this by introducing a new regulator capable of holding these companies to account. 

The Courts and Tribunals Bill will also return to the Commons in the coming weeks following line-by-line scrutiny in the Bill Committee. This legislation seeks to remove trial by jury for a number of cases and instead have them heard by a judge alone. In my role as Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson, I will speak more about this as the Bill returns and as I seek to amend it to protect the fundamental safeguard of being tried by a jury of one’s peers. 

And finally, over the weekend, I managed to visit a few of the open houses and studios taking part in the fantastic Chichester Art Trail. With more than 100 properties opening their doors to share their art, it is a great opportunity to see the talent we have in the local area. If you missed it over the weekend, the houses will be open again this coming weekend, and more information can be found on the Chichester Open Studios website.