Parliament broke for its Easter recess with MP’s unsure when we’ll return.  Our last act was to pass the Coronavirus legislation giving the Government unprecedented but necessary powers. In a way the Commons has practised social distancing for years with the gap between the two frontbenches set at two sword lengths.  But this virus is a more sinister threat and we now know The Prime Minister and several Ministers have succumbed.  I wish them well for a full and speedy recovery.  I may not share Boris Johnson’s politics but he is our Prime Minister and we owe him our support to do the right thing in these challenging times.

My constituency office has closed but I and my staff are contactable through email and the telephone. We are trying to keep constituents updated via our website and social media.  Our priorities include making sure isolated vulnerable people receive the help they need.  We are also working to support employers and employees worried about their jobs and income.  A number of constituents are abroad and trying to get home and I’m encouraging Ministers to use the military, if necessary, to repatriate them.

I want to say a big thank you to essential workers in these challenging times.  The Government must do much more to increase testing to see who has, and has had, the virus.  Healthcare workers must be first in the queue allowing them to return to the frontline as the threat grows.   We can all do our bit to protect our NHS and save lives by following Government orders to stay at home.