Column in the Barry & District News by Alun Cairns MP:
Constituents will be well aware of the chaotic developments in Parliament, with members of the opposition doing all that they can to frustrate the process of delivering Brexit.
When I knock doors across Barry, it’s clear that people just want Parliament to get on with delivering Brexit. This has gone on for far too long and people are fed up with those MPs, who promised at the last election to deliver on the outcome of the Referendum, but who are instead working against democracy and continuously delaying Brexit. Unlike them, I have been determined to see us leave the EU, as instructed by the country in 2016. At every opportunity, I have voted in Parliament for us to leave.
Unfortunately, Labour, the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the SNP have all been determined to oppose Brexit and keep Parliament in gridlock – failing to support the two Deals that have been brought to Parliament, failing to support leaving with No Deal and stalling on agreement to a General Election. They have been running scared of their responsibilities as MPs and for too long running scared of going back to the public and facing the consequences. It’s been a disgraceful display and I am certain that they’ll be punished by the electorate for the way they have behaved.
Away from Brexit, I note in last week’s B&D there was a report of increased violent crime in the Vale of Glamorgan, which is a serious concern. Ensuring that the police are equipped to tackle crime is a top priority for me and something I have argued for in Government.
Therefore, I am delighted that the Prime Minister has pledged to deliver an extra 20,000 police officers. The police do a fantastic job and it’s vital that they are supported, so that they can carry out their role of keeping us safe in the most effective way possible.
Finally, I’ve been contacted by a constituent who has tried and failed to register with a dentist in Barry, which I followed up with the Health Board. When the Health Board responded, I was disappointed to find that there are no dentists locally that are accepting patients. This is a total failure on the part of the Welsh Labour Government.
At a time when we are fighting the closure of the Sam Davies Ward, I am extremely concerned about the future of local health services under this Welsh Labour Government. With the investment by the Conservative UK Government in the NHS, Wales will receive an additional £1.2bn over the next three years plus another £110m due to infrastructure spending. The Welsh Government must ensure that this money goes towards the NHS and is used to support local health services.
