We now have an increase of 100 officers in Lancashire following the Prime Minister’s pledge to take on 20,000 additional officers across the country
Lancashire Constabulary was recently given a further £11 million by the Government to boost officer numbers, and I hope the Police and Crime Commissioner invests this money in the right places as soon as possible.
I was pleased to read the Government’s Energy White Paper this week and to see the commitment to Hinkley C with EDF.
I have lobbied the Government and EDF to ensure that fuel for this plant is produced in the UK – and that would be here in Fylde at Springfields, protecting thousands of jobs in the process. I will be having more meetings on this matter in the near future.
It is more important than ever during this pandemic to make sure no one is left feeing alone, sidelined or forgotten this Christmas.
Please take the time to say hello to your neighbours across the fence, to make a phone call to those family members and friends who live alone, to make sure everyone has meaningful contact with others.
There are many friendship groups out there doing fantastic work, such as Just Good Friends, who have managed to maintain socially-distanced contact throughout this pandemic and I thank them for helping so many people throughout these difficult months.
Thank-you to all the frontline staff who will be working through Christmas – this is one unlike any other we have ever seen before, and I want to say a special thank-you to the carers, doctors, nurses, consultants and support staff in the NHS who will be looking after the vulnerable and ill.
Please enjoy Christmas. We have worked hard in Fylde to reduce the level of transmission of Covid-19 to the lowest in Lancashire – but the numbers are still high enough for our health leaders to express concerns over the number of people in hospital, especially in the over-60s bracket.
It is wonderful to see people being vaccinated in Fylde already, with dedicated clinics now operating in doctors’ surgeries. The end of this pandemic is in sight and if we adhere to the guidelines, we will hopefully avoid a third spike while seeing vaccinations continue.
Merry Christmas to you all.