Dear resident,

Welcome to the latest edition of my Notes from Westminster, which aims to keep you informed of some of the work I have been doing on your behalf, both locally and in Parliament.

Firstly, a quick reminder that I also now have a Twitter account, which you can follow at www.twitter.com/markhuntermp if you wish!

This week is National Apprenticeships Week. Boosting the number of apprenticeships is a big Lib Dem priority and I’ve been delighted to see that since the Coalition Government was formed there has been a 74% rise in the annual uptake of apprenticeships across our area.

After the good news that unemployment has fallen by 6% locally over the last year, we have more positive news for local workers as two of our biggest employers in the area receive big boosts:

John Lewis and Waitrose announced a 15.8 per cent surge in annual profits – a great boost for the Retail Sector and good news for their 1151 local employees based in Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme.

Thales UK, whose local base is on Bird Hall Lane, has been awarded contracts to supply a state of the art fully-integrated “search and attack” sonar system for the UK’s sixth and seventh Astute Class submarines.

After speaking with a number of local residents with disabilities and as President of Stockport Parkinson’s Society, I was delighted that the Government announced improvements to the new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for disabled people after campaigning on the issue in Parliament.

I joined local Lib Dem campaigners across the area and took to the streets to petition for an extra income tax cut in the forthcoming Budget. Since coming into Government in May 2010, the Lib Dems have secured a £600 a year tax cut for people low and middle incomes. We are now campaigning for the Government to go further, increasing the personal tax threshold allowance to £10,000.

I welcomed Local Government Minister, Don Foster, to the area after inviting him to visit the former BAE site in Woodford and meet with myself and local residents to discuss our concerns over the size and scale of the proposed residential development.

It was a pleasure to welcome the newest Liberal Democrat MP, Mike Thornton, to Parliament after campaigning in Eastleigh after the sensational by-election win in Eastleigh, Hampshire, against the Conservatives.

I paid my latest visit to the University Hospital of South Manchester (Wythenshawe Hospital) to meet with staff and see their state of the art “cardiac imaging unit”, the only one in Greater Manchester. After also recently visiting Stepping Hill Hospital again, I am reminded we are so fortunate to have two top quality hospitals serving our community.

Sunrise Senior Living on Dairyground Road, Bramhall, invited me to officially open their brand new Couples Suite.  This suite is expected to improve the residents’ quality of stay in the retirement accommodation. It was a pleasure to visit again and chat to residents and staff.

The Outwood Primary School, Heald Green, “News Committee” interviewed me for their yearbook.  The students were learning about democracy and parliament. Very impressed with their questions and enthusiasm!

We welcomed the Secretary of State for Scotland to our area to celebrate Burns Night. It was one of a range of social events we hold across the area and was very well attended with a night full of bagpipes and Burns’ poetry! Do let me know if you’re ever interested in joining other local residents at one of our many regular Liberal Democrat functions!Finally, a huge thank you to all those who have signed up to my nuisance calls campaign so far! If you haven’t yet, you still can at:http://markhunter.org.uk/en/petition/no-2-nuisance-calls-campaign-petition or simply by contacting me directly. The campaign is going very well so far and I will update you all in due course.

Best wishes,

Mark Hunter MP

p.s.   If you are ever interested in visiting Parliament yourself, please contact John Brooks in my Westminster office on 0207 219 3889 or brooksj@parliament.uk if you would care to arrange a tour.

 

This is sent out by Mark as a regular email.

 

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