With regret, we’ve made the difficult decision to close this site down when Parliament is dissolved. Find out more…

HearFromYourMP

Sign up to hear from your MP about local issues, and to discuss them with other constituents

October 2014

Posted by Margot James, MP for Stourbridge, at 16:01, Wed 5 November 2014:

Dear All,

It is hard to believe that it is nearly eight years since I was first selected as the Conservative candidate in Stourbridge. Although I was only elected four years ago I have been involved for twice as long on account of being selected so early for the general election in 2010. I was prompted to reflect on all my time in Stourbridge, not just the time since I was elected, by two developments that took place last month.

The approval of funding for the improvement of Mary Stevens Park, which started out as a bid to renovate the wonderful old wrought iron gates, but soon grew to include the regeneration of the rest of the park and in particular the lake. I used to be more of a regular visitor to the park while my dog Lotus was alive. We walked across Hagley Road from my home in Old Swinford along the aptly named Love Lane and all round Mary Stevens Park and back down Corser Street. The park is a beautiful landmark in Stourbridge and so worth the investment that is at last forthcoming.

The other milestone for me was a meeting I had with the British Glass Foundation (BGF) at the Red House Glass Cone this month. The BGF was founded by local glass experts and interested friends, who were galvanised by the initial proposal to close Broadfield House Glass Museum in Kingswinford, and re-house the celebrated Stourbridge Glass Collection at the Red House Glass Cone.

I remember visiting the Red House Cone to look at the proposed space for this collection with friend and glass enthusiast Meriel Harris before I was elected. It was very clear from one visit that the space proposed was completely unsuitable. Many people lent their support to the campaign and the formation of the BGF. The energy and passion released all those years ago has now culminated in the approval of, amongst other grants and loans, just over £2m from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The funding secured by the BGF will now pay for the building of a state of the art Museum of Glass on the derelict White House Cone site, just opposite the Red House Cone.

Both these initiatives are vital to the protection of our heritage in Stourbridge and involved a massive amount of work from volunteers, councillors, council officers, the Friends of Mary Stevens Park and the Friends of Broadfield House. Many individuals have worked long, hard and with great patience over what seems like many years to bring about such substantial improvements and innovation in the life of Stourbridge and the wider borough of Dudley.

--Parliamentary work

I asked questions and spoke in debates about:

I wrote to Ministers about the following issues:

  • Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, about abuse of hardship payments by some who have received a benefit sanction.

  • Lin Homer, Head of HMRC, on behalf of several constituents who contacted me about Anthony Nolan’s ‘Save a Life at 16’ campaign to notify young people about the bone marrow register.

  • Nicky Morgan, Education Secretary, regarding the government’s plans for spending on sixth form colleges.

  • Jane Ellison, Health Minister, about the marketing of unhealthy food products.

  • James Brokenshire, Immigration Minister, regarding the UK’s visa policy for Palestinians.

I attended various events and had meetings in and around Parliament:

  • The Association of College Black Country dinner in Parliament. It was great to speak with some of our local Principals.

  • An address by the President of Singapore, as part of his state visit to the UK.

  • A farewell reception for the outgoing High Commissioner for Pakistan, His Excellency Mr Wajid Shamsul Hasan

  • Westminster Flu Day, to hear about the importance of the flu vaccination.

  • Human Trafficking Foundation Anti-Slavery Day Media Awards in Parliament.

  • An address by William Hague at Westminster Abbey, about the need to prevent future conflict and improve the condition of humanity.

  • The Pink News Awards in the Speaker’s House in Parliament.

--Out and about in Stourbridge…

  • I held my annual Careers Day at the Glasshouse College, which is part of the Raising Aspirations programme. Over 20 organisations, including household names such as the BBC and Aston Martin, came to talk to local students about their future options.

  • I really enjoyed visiting staff and pupils at Colley Lane Primary School, where I participated in a meeting of the pupil council. Read more (http://www.margotjames.com/content/mp-quizzed-colley-lane-primary-school-students)

  • Met with local Stourbridge Inspector Jamie Hobday to raise the concerns of a number of constituents about crime in the area.

  • I attended an event to celebrate the re-launch of Stourbridge College. I am delighted that BMET’s investment in the site is being matched by a commitment to the history of the campus through the recognition of the Stourbridge College brand. Read more (http://www.margotjames.com/content/mp-unveils-re-branded-%E2%80%98stourbridge-college%E2%80%99-0)

  • Met with Colin MacDonald, a local campaigner interested in restoring the Old Savoy cinema in Lower High Street. It was a pleasure to meet Colin and I look forward to hearing his ideas for the site in the future.

  • I held another drop-in advice surgery in the Tesco Crown Centre. It was very interesting to talk to constituents, and it was also good to catch up with some old friends who came to say hello.

  • Dropped in on the Stourbridge Navigation Trust’s open weekend, which celebrates the very important work that the Trust does for our local waterways.

  • Toured the outstanding new facilities at King Edward’s College Stourbridge. It was also a pleasure to participate in a question and answer session with the college’s politics society.

  • Visited staff and families at Hollybush House dementia care centre. It was great to tour the site and I enjoyed discussions with some of the residents and their families.

  • I met with representatives from the British Glass Foundation, who spoke to me about their innovative plans for the Museum of Glass, which they would like to open in the Glass Quarter.

  • I met Paul Gittins, a local artist who showed me his studio and his fascinating work.

--It wasn’t all work

It mostly was last month really, but at least I got to see a couple of films and an exhibition.

Jay and I saw ‘Gone Girl’ which I thought was OK but far too long and rather over hyped. Much more interesting actually was ‘Dolphin Tale 2’, an educational children’s film about a marine animal rescue centre in the States. I went to see this with Rupert and his family on a Saturday afternoon. Poppy, his eldest, was transfixed throughout and it really was good. Afterwards we took the children to Yo Sushi in High Wycombe which completed a very enjoyable outing.

My friend Jenny McGregor came with me to see the Ming exhibition at the British Museum. This was a wonderful view of “Fifty years that changed China” in the fifteenth century; as the Ming Dynasty built the Forbidden City and produced some fine art and sculptures.

It was a pleasure to hear from Anton Mosimann who I worked with back in the eighties and early nineties. Anton kindly invited Jay and I over to his club and produced some really fabulous food and wine and it was very good to catch up with him again. What an incredible success he has made of his club, now run by his two sons, whilst he still cooks all over the world.

Margot James

http://www.facebook.com/margotjamesmp

https://twitter.com/#!/margotjamesmp

www.margotjames.com

If you are subscribed to HearFromYourMP in this constituency, log in to post a reply.
Otherwise, if you live in the UK, sign up in order to HearFromYourMP.