NEWS
Articles written by Jacob for local and national newspapers.
You can get more news from Jacob by following him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Links are at the bottom of the page.
NEW SENSORY GARDEN FOR MSN
The Somerset Guardian, 15th September 2021
Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the official opening the new sensory garden in Midsomer Norton with the Mayor, Lynda Robertson. The garden has been designed so that it will appeal to all five senses, offering inclusivity via a rich...
THE DOUBLE HILLS MEMORIAL
The Somerset Guardian, 8th September 2021
Two years ago, Peter Yeates, who has been the indefatigable organiser of the Double Hills Memorial Service since it started in 1979, said that 2019 would be the last year. Fortunately, by popular demand and thanks to his great energy, after a...
AUTUMN UPDATE
The Farrington Gurney Parish Magazine, Sept/Oct 2021
Parliament returns on 6th September after the summer recess. As we continue to open up both domestically and internationally this will be echoed in the Houses of Parliament. By the time the new terms start, both for schools and universities...
FORTHCOMING LEGISLATION
The Midsomer Norton & Radstock Journal, 1st September 2021
As Leader of the House of Commons, one of my primary responsibilities is the Government’s Legislative Programme. This means working alongside the Government Whips to ensure that Bills put forward by the Government pass...
LOCAL TRANSPORT PLANS
The Somerset Guardian, 25th August 2021
Recently, Bath and North East Somerset Council (B&NES) Council announced that proposals to help reduce car use and the impacts of car travel in Bath and North East Somerset will go out to public consultation alongside the Local Plan Partial...
FLOOD DEFENCES
The Somerset Guardian, 18th August 2021
As you will no doubt be aware, there has been recent flooding across Europe and also across London and the South East of England. Parliament was also hit and there are areas across the parliamentary estate that remain out of bounds whilst the clean-up...
TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM UPDATE
The Somerset Guardian, 11th August 2021
Recently, following a review, the Foreign Secretary wrote to Members of Parliament about the traffic light system in England. From Sunday 8th August, Austria, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Romania and Slovenia were added to the green list. Slovakia...
BOUNDARY COMMISSION REVIEW
The Somerset Guardian, 4th August 2021
This week, I wrote to the Boundary Commission for England in response to its recommendations for the South-West. The 2023 Review of Parliamentary constituencies aims to ensure that the number of electors in each constituency is more equal...
EU SETTLEMENT SCHEME CLOSES
The Somerset Guardian, 28th July 2021
Last week, the Minister for Future Borders and Immigration, Kevin Foster, wrote to Members of Parliament announcing that the deadline for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens has expired. In his...
VACCINE ROLLOUT UPDATE - JULY
The Somerset Guardian, 21st July 2021
Last week, the Covid Vaccination Deployment Minister, Nadhim Zahawi, wrote to Members of Parliament to update them on the latest developments on the Government’s immunisation rollout. The Government pledged that by 19th July...
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL UPDATE
The Somerset Guardian, 14th July 2021
Last week, the Transport Secretary wrote to Members of Parliament outlining the Government's plans to progress the safe, sustainable and robust restart of international travel. Even though some remain apprehensive about the lifting of travel...
STEP 4 OF THE ROADMAP
The Somerset Guardian, 7th July 2021
This week, the Prime Minister wrote to all Members of Parliament to set out what our lives would be like from 19th July should we move to Step 4 of the Roadmap. This decision will be subject to a review of the final data next week. The Prime Minister...
NEW CANCER CENTRE FOR B&NES
The Somerset Guardian, 30th June 2021
Last week, Libby Walters, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Trust, wrote to me with an update on its progress towards building a new Cancer Centre on the Combe Park site. The Centre received planning...
SUMMER UPDATE 2021
The Farrington Gurney Parish Magazine, July-Aug 2021
As most people will no doubt be aware, the Queen has celebrated her 95th birthday this year. Whilst Her Majesty has, as usual, observed two birthdays – her birthday on 21st April and her public “official” birthday on 12th June, this year celebrations...
SUPPORT GRANT EXTENDED
The Somerset Guardian, 23rd June 2021
This week, the Minister for Welfare Delivery wrote to all M.P.s as regards the extension of the Covid Local Support Grant scheme. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has provided an unprecedented package of support for individuals...
A FOUR WEEK DELAY
The Somerset Guardian, 16th June 2021
On Monday, the Prime Minister announced a four-week delay to the final step of the roadmap. The plan is that this will now happen on 19th July. I appreciate that this will be disappointing news, particularly for those working in sectors that...
VACCINE ROLLOUT UPDATE - JUNE
The Somerset Guardian, 9th June 2021
This week, the Health Secretary wrote to let me know that half of all adults have now been vaccinated with second dose and three quarters of all adults have received their first jab. In short, this means that 27 million people have now received...
COVID-19 UPDATE
The Somerset Guardian, 2nd June 2021
On Tuesday 1st June, the Government announced no daily Covid deaths in the United Kingdom within twenty-eight days of a positive test. This is the first time that there have been zero reported fatalities related to the virus since March last year. In...