NEWS
Articles written by Jacob for local and national newspapers.
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SCOTTISH INDPENDENCE
The Somerset Guardian, 15th January 2020
This week, the Prime Minister wrote to the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, following a formal request from her office to Downing Street asking for a second referendum on Scottish independence. In 2014, a referendum took place...
A NEW PARLIAMENT
The Farrington Gurney Parish Journal, December 2019
I am delighted to have been re-elected as your Member of Parliament. It is an honour to be the Member of Parliament for North East Somerset and to represent all constituents, however they voted, to seek “redress of grievance” on their behalf or to...
A GENERAL ELECTION
The Somerset Guardian, 30th October 2019
On Monday, the Prime Minister asked Members of Parliament to vote on an early General Election. Boris Johnson proposed that the United Kingdom (UK) should go to the polls on 12th December to free it from Parliamentary 'paralysis', which would...
BREXIT BLOCKED AGAIN
The Somerset Guardian, 23rd October 2019
This weekend, Members of Parliament (MPs) convened for the first time on a Saturday since the Falklands Conflict in 1981. The only other occasions have been the outbreak of World War II, the Suez Crisis and 30th July 1949, which was the last sitting...
THE QUEEN'S SPEECH
The Somerset Guardian, 16th October 2019
On Monday, Her Majesty came to Parliament to deliver her Queen’s Speech. It outlined the Government’s forthcoming business and laws that it wants Parliament to approve, forming part of the State Opening of Parliament ceremony and the...
CLIMATE CHANGE PROTESTS
The Somerset Guardian, 9th October 2019
This week, the climate change activist group known as Extinction Rebellion has taken over many streets and bridges in London, blocking the way with demonstrators and lorries and causing a certain amount of chaos and disorder. In twenty-four...
THE PARTY CONFERENCE
The Midsomer Norton & Radstock Journal, 3rd October 2019
On Sunday, the Conservative Party Conference began in Manchester where I was honoured to deliver a speech to attendees. Like many people there, I have belonged to the Tories since I was young and was delighted to see such a strong...
HOSPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
The Somerset Guardian, 2nd October 2019
This week, the Government announced plans to invest billions into the NHS, including £2.7bn of investment for six hospital trusts over five years. The announcement that was made by the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, signals the end of...
THE HELP TO SAVE SCHEME
The Somerset Guardian, 25th September 2019
Last year, the Government launched the Help to Save scheme for working people on low incomes, which was pioneered by the Treasury. Help to Save is a Government-backed savings account and the 50% Government bonus provides an excellent...
HERITAGE ACTION ZONES
The Somerset Guardian, 18th September 2019
In May 2019, Historic England launched a £95 million Government-funded project known as the High Streets Heritage Action Zones (HSHAZ). The aim is to find new ways of supporting and regenerating historic high streets in Britain with...
THE ROLE OF THE SPEAKER
The Somerset Guardian, 11th September 2019
This week, the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, announced that he will stand down at the next general election. The role of Speaker is virtually as old as Parliament itself. The earliest year an administrative officer was documented is...
THE DOUBLE HILLS CEREMONY
The Somerset Guardian, 4th September 2019
At the weekend I attended the Double Hills commemoration in Paulton which, as ever, was well-attended by families of the fallen as well as nine Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers and the Army Air Corps who are present every year. For...
PROROGUING PARLIAMENT
The Daily telegraph, 28th August 2019
In almost 400 years no parliamentary session has lasted as long as this one. It is, therefore, only right that it is prorogued and a new session begun. Respected parliamentarians such as Valerie Vaz and Chris Bryant have called for this to happen and...
A SUCCESSFUL SUMMIT
The Somerset Guardian, 28th August 2019
Last week, the forty-fifth G7 summit was held in Biarritz. This was the first summit attended by our new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. The Prime Minister’s performance in Biarritz was confident as he continued his ‘can do’ attitude when engaging...
A RIOTOUS PAST
The Somerset Guardian, 21st August 2019
This week, the story of my ancestor, John Rees-Mogg, was reported in the Times by Roland White. Mr. White wrote that historian, Catherine Bateson, had recently uncovered an 1852 account from the Sherborne Mercury of rioting at a general election...
BANNED WORDS
The Farrington Gurney Parish Journal, Sept/Oct 2019
Much to my delight, Boris Johnson asked me to become Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council in his recent appointments upon being elected as Prime Minister. I had my first Cabinet meeting, my first outing at the Despatch...
A NEW ROLE
The Midsomer Norton & Radstock Journal, 1st August 2019
Much has changed since my last article. We have a new Prime Minister and a new Government. Even more importantly, we have a new spirit of optimism. For the last three years, Brexit has been seen as a disaster to be mitigated. Boris Johnson...
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HAPPY NEW YEAR
The Somerset Guardian, 8th January 2020
The start of the New Year signifies hope and change for many. Resolutions are in full swing and optimism, even during the darkest, shortest days, is aplenty. Whilst the end of the year is a time for reflection the beginning of a new one offers the...