March is always Budget month for us in parliament, with the weeks in advance spent furiously lobbying the Chancellor to deliver our residents’ priorities. 

Working parents in the constituency had raised with me the problem of child benefit thresholds - something I shared with the Treasury. So I was very happy to see this issue addressed, alongside the rollout of more free childcare options from April and another cut to National Insurance that will save the average worker £900 a year. Hopefully this should all make a big difference to family budgets, especially as inflation comes down. I talked about these changes and the rest of the Spring Budget in a briefing for local businesses and community leaders at Pinney Talfourd, Upminster, where I was joined by Conservative Party Chairman, Richard Holden.

I recently visited Hornchurch residents on the St George’s estate to hear about the issues they are experiencing with the estate’s management. I was glad to report their concerns directly to Housing Minister, Lee Rowley MP, who is taking a new law through parliament - the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill - to address some of these challenges. 

I had a great visit to Upminster windmill to learn about their drive for more volunteers as the beautiful local landmark steps up its work following its restoration. I also had a chance to work with a Harold Wood chemist to promote the brilliant new Pharmacy First service that is rolling out across Havering. Pharmacy First offers treatment for seven common conditions, including sinusitis, sore throat and urinary tract infections, to get people treatment faster and in a way that is more convenient - reducing pressure on GPs in the meantime. Do check it out!

We have been out delivering our new banking survey to local residents and high street businesses following the announcement that Barclays in Hornchurch is to close in May. When speaking to Hornchurch shopkeepers, it became clear that there are similar concerns about retail and street crime as we have seen in Harold Hill, where a targeted operation is underway to push back against those who are causing misery for decent, hard-working people. That operation has seen prolific shoplifters and drug dealers arrested, leading to a 54% decrease in total notifiable offences. We are talking to the police about how to apply that brilliant work to other parts of the constituency.

In parliament this month, I have been leading work to introduce new laws to ban foreign governments owning our newspapers - something we think is critical to protecting a free press that can hold politicians to account!