It was an honour to be re-elected as the Member of Parliament for East Surrey in July.
To represent you is the privilege of my life, and while I am now doing so from the Opposition benches, I'll be working harder than ever to hold the Government to account on the issues that matter to the people of East Surrey and the wider country.
Following the election of the new Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, I was delighted to be reappointed to the role of Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with the additional portfolio of Shadow Minister for Equalities. I will be holding the Government to account to ensure their energy policies put cheaper bills, British jobs and energy security first, and in my Equalities role I look forward to bringing a common sense approach to matters of race, sex, and gender.
This year, as we continue to grapple with the impact of the war in Ukraine and ongoing instability in the Middle East, I know many of you have been concerned about strikes in the NHS and on the trains, rising antisocial behaviour in town centres, the scrapping of the Winter Fuel Payment, persistent problems with Royal Mail deliveries, and planning issues.
However, despite these challenges, there have also been many positives to celebrate this year. Locally, we've seen a decrease in shop thefts in and around Oxted thanks to the new CCTV system spearheaded by the parish council, wonderful community events such as the Edenbridge & Oxted Agricultural show and the Lingfield Day Christmas Fair, and the opening of a new Community Diagnostic Centre in Redhill.
As some of you already know, this year my family and I have been blessed as we are expecting a baby boy at the end of January.
I will be taking some time off, but I will be back doing my surgeries first and foremost, and my highly capable team will still be able to answer your queries in the meantime - so please do continue to write to me if you have any issues.
Now, as we enter the festive season, I hope that each and every one of you are able to find some time to relax and spend time with your loved ones. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Best wishes,
Claire Coutinho MP
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I can't quite believe that it has been over two years since I started my local charity, The Friendship Project.
Loneliness is something I care deeply about because the bonds that tie us together also bring us the deepest joy. When people do not feel those bonds, they struggle. When this happens repeatedly, our neighbourhoods and public services struggle too.
Two years on, I have been bowled over by the support we have received. Thanks to many generous donations, we have been able to distribute over £15,000 to support the unsung heroes who devote their time and energy into running local community groups who tackle loneliness by creating friendships.
Some of these tremendous groups include The Arc in Caterham, run by the Caterham Barracks Community Trust, an outstanding example of what people can achieve when they are trusted to do what they feel is right for the people they serve. I was honoured that The Friendship Project could support them with £670 to hold events for adults with learning difficulties and those struggling with their mental health.
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We also supported the amazing Prospero Theatre at The Arc with £2,500 in funding for their Friday Club, and early next year we'll be providing £1,000 to the Caterham and District U3A to help them organise social days out. The Tatsfield Not So Young Club will also receive £300 to fund their brilliant monthly member lunches.
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Earlier this year, we launched a project to install 'Happy to Chat' benches across East Surrey in partnership with Tandridge District Council, Reigate & Banstead District Council, and local parish councils.
I know that many people don't want to join structured community groups, and it's actually the simple yet frequent interactions that can make a world of difference in people's lives. Whether it's a quick 'good morning' on the way to the shops or a 'how are you?' while sitting in the park, it is these interactions that can mean the most. I hope that these benches might go a little way to encouraging more of these conversations.
So far, we have installed these benches in Tatsfield, Oxted, and Hurst Green. If you see one around the constituency, do take the time to stop for a few minutes chat to someone new. As we look ahead to the new year, we're hoping to install another 25 benches from Warlingham to Dormansland and everywhere in between.
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STANDING UP FOR PENSIONERS
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One of the first acts of the Government was to take the Winter Fuel Payment away from 10 million pensioners. I know that many families in East Surrey and across the country are deeply worried about how they will keep their heating on this winter, and in Tandridge alone, over 17,000 pensioners will lose this vital support.
I relaunched my Pension Credit campaign this year to make sure that those who are eligible for Pension Credit don't miss out, and you may have seen me out and about delivering posters to over 60 locations across East Surrey. I have been encouraging people to give the helpline a call to see if they might be able to get some more support this Winter.
If you or anyone you know struggles with the loss of Winter Fuel Payments in the coming months, please send me an email. My team and I are always on hand to help however we can.
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MAKING SURE RESIDENTS ARE HEARD
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I'm always keen to hear directly from local residents to understand their concerns, see what they do, and help them find solutions to their challenges.
At the start of this year, Tatsfield residents wrote to me to highlight their frustration with traffic disruption due to the Thames Water works on Ship Hill. I organised a public meeting with Tatsfield Parish Council to bring TfL and Thames Water to the village to address residents' concerns directly and find a solution that worked for everyone. While TfL should have done this proactively, I was glad that we were able to step in to help residents
In Whyteleafe, I hosted a constituency forum to address residents' specific concerns about antisocial behaviour, local parking, and planning issues. One of the major topics of discussion was the proposed development in Stablefields. I agreed with residents that no development should take place on Green Belt land without proper legal permission, and I'm glad that the Planning Inspectorate has now upheld an enforcement notice at appeal.
This year I have knocked on thousands of doors, responded to over 8,000 resident enquires and held 14 advice surgeries - supporting parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities, helping farmers draw attention to the Government's disastrous tax on family farms, and talking to local nurseries about the terrible impact of the Government's increase in employer's national insurance contributions on childcare and early years provision.
I've also had the pleasure of welcoming countless residents to Westminster for tours of the Palace. A personal highlight was meeting pupils from Hazelwood School in November - some of the children knew more facts about the history of the Palace than I did!
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Education is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet to improving the life chances of our young people. I had a wonderful time visiting many of our brilliant local schools this year - from Clifton Hill School in Caterham, to Furzefield School in Merstham and St Mary's in Oxted.
I was also delighted to attend Oakhyrst School's nativity production earlier this month. You will be astonished to learn that I wasn't asked to join them on stage, although I did rehearse 'Away in a Manger' just in case...
One thing that will make outcomes worse for all children in Surrey and across the constituency is the Government's choice to apply VAT to independent school fees.
I oppose this policy entirely. It was clear when I met with the headteachers of four independent schools across the constituency that this policy would have wide ranging impacts, not least on some of the most vulnerable children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Many families with SEND children save hard to find a school that works for their child, however, most do not have an Educational, Health and Care Plan (ECHP). As a result, 93% of those with SEND in independent schools will not be exempt from this tax. These children will be forced into the state sector, putting more pressure on SEND services and reducing outcomes for all children
When the policy was announced I created a survey to understand how the policy will impact families in East Surrey. Almost 1,000 parents responded, with many saying that they were considering withdrawing their children from their school as a result. Using the information from this survey, my Surrey colleagues and I wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, urging her to reconsider.
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TRANSPORT & THE ENVIRONMENT
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Our beautiful landscape is one of the many reasons that so many of us are proud to call Surrey home. We are truly blessed to have such an environmental treasure chest on our doorstep, and I have been proud to work this year alongside other Surrey MPs to push for the expansion of the Surrey Hills National Landscape to make sure our countryside is protected for future generations.
This year I also caught up with Sarah Jane Chimbwandira, CEO of the Surrey Wildlife Trust, who is working with eight landowners to protect nature hotspots in and around the Lingfield area.
Many of you will have seen worrying news about the changes being made to protections for Green Belt land. East Surrey residents already face particular challenges with access to infrastructure and services, so I am particularly worried about any changes which remove opportunities for local people to have a say over where new houses are built.
I will be meeting with Tandridge District Council to discuss what these plans mean for our area, and how we can provide constructive opposition to ensure that we get the affordable homes we need, while managing pressures on our infrastructure and protecting our green spaces.
Following recent boundary changes, Netherne-on-the-Hill is now part of the East Surrey constituency, and I look forward to working with residents on the issues that are important to them. When I met with Maria and Anthony from the Residents' Association, we discussed the need for a bus service because, as the name suggests, Netherne sits on top of a hill.
I met with Metrobus a few weeks later to discuss the possibility of a service through the village. I have been assured that they are committed to looking at these issues and trying to find solutions, and I will keep you all updated with any further developments.
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Our countryside simply wouldn't be the same of it wasn't for the hardworking families toiling away night and day to look after the land. Unfortunately, the Government seems to want to do everything it can to undermine this effort.
I have spoken directly to many local farmers, including tenant farmers, who are deeply worried about the impact of the Government's tax on family farms. Last month, as the official opposition in Parliament, we forced a vote to scrap the changes introduced by the Government. Unfortunately, the Government chose not to listen and is intent on jeopardising our family farms and putting our food security at risk.
As Energy Secretary, I made a statement to Parliament earlier this year to make it crystal clear that applications for solar farms should prioritise previously developed land, brownfield land, and industrial land. I will continue to stand up for East Surrey residents who want to see our farmers supported and our natural world protected.
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Everyone should feel safe in our community. After my meeting with Surrey Police, Oxted BID, and local retail workers, I was pleased to hear that the Parish Council's work to install CCTV cameras across the town centre has had such a positive impact. I'm also grateful to the officers of Surrey Police who have done so much to tackle the criminal gangs who were shoplifting in the high street.
I have kept in touch with our local Borough Commander, Lyndsey Whatley, with residents' concerns and priorities, including anti-social behaviour, traveller encampments, and burglaries.
I also shared residents' concerns regarding the relocation of the Divisional Headquarters to Leatherhead, so I contacted the Surrey Police & Crime Commissioner asking for urgent confirmation that local residents' would not be negatively affected by this move.
I was assured that response times would not change and that the local Safer Neighbourhood Teams, based at Caterham Police Station, would continue to be in place. I also raised further concerns when I met the local Police Inspector, who clarified that the front desk service at Caterham Police Station would remain operational. I will continue to monitor the situation to make sure that police services in East Surrey are not negatively affected.
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IMPROVING HEALTH SERVICES
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The pandemic shone a light on how important it is that we all keep safe and well, so I have been meeting local GP surgeries, hospices, and health workers to ensure they have the resources they need to provide the highest quality care for East Surrey residents.
In January, I met the brilliant clinical and admin staff at Pond Tail Surgery in Godstone, who saw their patient satisfaction ratings increase from 50% to 77% in just one year, and discuss how I could support their ambition to move from their outdated premises.
Earlier this year, I was delighted that over 150 pharmacists across the Surrey Heartlands NHS area signed up to be able to treat more health conditions without patients needing to see their GP as part of plans to free up ten million appointments.
Unfortunately, I fear these positive developments have been undermined by the Government's decision to increase Employer's National Insurance Contributions. I recently met with GPs from the Oxted Health Centre who told me they will have to reduce staff and services, and I will continue to urge the Government to prioritise patients and protect local services.
I have also been inundated by emails from residents expressing their support for the brilliant St Catherine's Hospice, who do such an incredible job providing comfort and care for their patients at the most difficult moments. In August, I sat down with Giles Tomsett, their CEO, and Patricia Brayden, their Medical Director, to understand their concerns. When I raised these concerns with the Chief Executive of the Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership, I was glad that she agreed to visit the hospice to understand their challenges in more detail.
On a positive note, I am delighted that I was able to help secure a new Community Diagnostic Centre in Redhill. This will be a one-stop shop for life-saving tests and check-ups and mean quicker access to health services closer to home.
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The general election may not have produced the result I would have liked, but I had a tremendous time talking to countless voters on the doorsteps in East Surrey, and I respect the country's desire for change.
I am proud of what I achieved during my time in Government, and I will continue to champion the causes that I care deeply about from the opposition benches. As Education Minister I took the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act through the House to reverse the chilling trend of freedom of speech being under threat in the very places where the most controversial debates should be taking place - on campus. The Act placed new duties on universities to not just defend, but actively promote, the centuries-old principle of freedom of speech which has been at the centre of so much of our progress as a nation.
Unfortunately, the new Government has chosen to scrap the Act, sparking outrage from hundreds of academics in the process. I will continue to push the Government to reinstate it so that students are safe expressing their own views without fear of being cancelled - and you can read my thoughts here.
I also heard time and again how parents' number one worry was how to handle their children's access to digital devices. The evidence is clear that the use of smartphones and social media is devastating for the mental health of our children, so I am co-sponsoring Josh MacAlister MP's Safer Phones Bill to make it harder for companies to push addictive content using children’s data, to strengthen Ofcom’s powers to fine companies that fail to fulfil their duty of care, and to produce health advice on the impacts of smartphone addiction.
In opposition, I now hold the dual role of Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and Shadow Minister for Equalities. I have been holding Ed Miliband and the Government to account for their energy policies which are going to increase people's bills and damage our economy, all to import more technology from China and increase global emissions.
I am also calling on the Government to protect women's access to single-sex spaces, end race-based hiring practices which erect barriers to job opportunities solely because of the colour of someone's skin, and legislate to ban first-cousin marriage.
You can watch some of my speeches in the House on my YouTube channel here.
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