Kemi Badenoch MP on the work in Parliament to help residents and organisations here in Essex

MP Kemi Badenoch talked to staff at Fanny & Frank women's clothes shop in Saffron Walden. (Image: MP's office)

During my recent visit to Saffron Walden, I was pleased to see so many of our shops and local independents re-open and offering a safe environment for their customers to shop. The town was busy, and people were maintaining social distancing, wearing masks and making good use of the hand sanitiser stations dotted around by the BID team.

It is great to see people supporting our local high street and we must continue to do so, which is why I warmly welcomed the Chancellor’s recent announcement of a £30billion package to stimulate our economy and help support restaurants, businesses, the tourism and hospitality sector and people’s livelihoods.

The Eat Out To Help Out scheme is a great initiative to get us out eating in our local eateries whilst enjoying 50% off this August and I hope local restaurants will sign up to the scheme. The VAT cut from 20 percent to five percent for the tourism and hospitality sector, benefitting spots like The Curious Goat and Café Cou Cou, will help relieve financial pressures. Local businesses that furloughed their workers will receive £1,000 for every employee they bring back.

I have received many letters not just from constituents but people across the country in my role as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, asking the Government to help protect our cultural and creative industry. The Treasury team have worked extensively on a package for the sector over the past few weeks and subsequently pleased to announce the £1.57 billion to support our cultural, arts and heritage institutions.

MP Kemi Badenoch visiting Saffron Walden (Image: MP's office)

I know this will make a huge difference to many residents, local organisations in our constituency such as and venues across the country that have been impacted by the crisis and require financial backing.

I recognise the impact of the crisis, particularly on employment. Locally we are already facing potential job losses, as can be seen from EasyJet’s announcement of a potential base closure at Stansted Airport. I have raised my concerns directly with EasyJet and discussed the announcement with Stansted Airport whilst we await the result of the consultation. I am committed to ensuring our local economy receives the support required to recover and will continue to raise our local concerns with ministerial colleagues.

If you would like to find out more about what I have been doing in Parliament and the constituency, do sign up to my Westminster Report via my website: www.kemibadenoch.org.uk. If there is a matter you wish to raise with me, please get in touch by emailing me at kemi.badenoch.mp@parliament.uk or call my office on 0207 219 1943 and my team and I will support you as best we can.