Tomorrow, we celebrate HM King Charles III’s Coronation in what will become a defining moment in our nation’s history and a reference point in our lives. Generations before recall gathering around enormous black and white televisions for HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953, and I wanted to create similarly happy memories for children in Hornchurch & Upminster by launching a Card for the King design competition; encouraging local organisations to apply for lottery funding for community celebrations; and sharing the work of my Department for Culture, Media & Sport, which is organising the Coronation with Buckingham Palace.
Hundreds of primary aged children from across my constituency submitted beautiful artwork to create a special card to send to our new monarch. Nathaniel Jeffery of Harold Wood Primary School drew the winning picture, and I was so glad to welcome him to parliament and visit Daria Grecu, Georgia Nicolaidou and Esme Harvey at Drapers’ Maylands and Upminster Junior Schools, whose artwork and poem also made it onto the card.
Separately, I visited New Scotland Yard to update Met Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, on our community petition to save Hornchurch Police Station. We have now secured the signatures of 1100 residents, who back Hornchurch & Upminster Conservatives’ campaign to keep the base in the Met’s estate rather than sell as Mayor Khan originally planned - a decision Sir Mark says is now under review. The government has just hit its target to recruit 20 000 extra police officers, several hundred of which are allocated to our Borough Command Unit, and we want them to have a local station from which to operate. Havering’s Joint Task Force is also currently based in Hornchurch, where they have been doing fantastic work tackling knife crime, vehicle theft and burglary.
On health, I recently welcomed award-winning NHS workers to parliament for a reception and tour. Attendees had all won our local hospital’s You Made a Difference award for going the extra mile for patients during the pandemic and I wanted to thank them on behalf of residents. I have also put forward two fantastic teams for the NHS Parliamentary Awards, including those behind the new St George’s Health Hub being constructed right now in Hornchurch. That Hub is vital to tackling challenges at Queen’s Hospital and getting constituents better GP access. I have also continued to raise concerns about the operation of local Urgent Treatment Centres, where residents have highlighted problems with care and long waits. On policing, the NHS and all other key constituency priorities, my team and I will continue our work not only in tackling short term challenges but unlocking long term solutions.
