‘I recently met with farmers who feel the goal posts are being moved’

David Simmonds

Conservative MP for

Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner

WORKING as a Member of Parliament, it is my responsibility to represent my constituents at both a local and national level. Nationally, we have been faced with many challenges since my election in 2019. Besides Covid, another important issue to dominate the headlines, and indeed my inbox, was the US and UK withdrawal from Afghanistan and the devastating effects it has had on the country and its citizens. Like every resident who wrote to me about this, I, too, was deeply saddened by the distressing scenes we saw at Kabul Airport and across Afghanistan. I know how emotive this issue is and continues to be.

Everybody has opinions on what actions should have been taken and when, but the reality we are faced with now is how we can work as a country to help as many vulnerable people as possible. I am wholly committed to helping those fleeing persecution and my team and I have been working extensively to try and rescue hundreds of constituents and their families.

We do need to be realistic about how much we can do and how quickly, particularly given the complexity of some of these cases. It goes without saying that any scheme of this kind needs to be both safe and effective. In my time at the Local Government Association, I was instrumental in making the Syrian Vulnerable Person’s Resettlement Scheme a success and took great pride in leading the political work with government in developing this programme. Currently, as chair of the APPG on Migration, I will work alongside colleagues to ensure that we do everything we can do replicate this achievement.

Another issue I am working on in Parliament, and which may be of interest, is the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill. For those who choose to go to university, I believe that being exposed to new opinions and having your world view challenged is an important part of academic development. While this may have the potential to make some people feel uncomfortable, freedom of speech is vital to university. During the second reading of the bill, I was pleased to support this valuable piece of legislation and I have spent three weeks serving on the Bill Committee where we took evidence from witnesses and reviewed the legislation line by line. This legislation will not only help tackle hate speech but will continue to demonstrate that the UK is a place of free speech and peaceful exchange of views.

Locally, I have been receiving a huge number of emails from constituents who wanted to highlight the Westminster Hall debate on HS2, which recently took place. There remain some serious issues with the accountability of HS2 and I know that many residents and landowners continue to feel they are being treated unfairly. I recently met with farmers who feel the goal posts are being continuously moved by HS2 Ltd and they have to fight for the assurances which were given to them in the past.

While I shall do all I can with colleagues in Westminster to help individual cases, the major concern is that these cases are not isolated. I speak with colleagues who have constituencies all the way up the route with the same stories to tell.

HS2 is going to be with us for many more years and we need to continue to work on improving the way HS2 Ltd go about their engagements with communities and those whose properties are being taken from them. The HS2 Act does give them a lot of power and it is clearly important that costs do not spiral any more than they already have done, but this must not come at the expense of the communities they are working in.

Lastly, I am pleased to be writing my first column for The Hillingdon Herald at a time when things are looking much more positive for the country. The sacrifices made over the past 18 months have enabled us to move forward, cautiously.