Ellie's updates on parliamentary and constituency work

Hello all.  I’m writing this on the train to London on Monday morning, and back in the rhythm I hope of a brief weekly update!

In Westminster

Last week was a bit different from normal as I spent three full days in Bill Committee for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.  As I’ve mentioned before, the Bill Committee spends many days on line by line scrutiny of the bill, going through every clause and multiple amendments and proposed new clauses (hundreds in this case).

Without getting into the weeds too much, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB) is a bit of a mixed bag – some good bits that will help fix issues in the planning system, and some deeply worrying ones that risk seriously undermining nature protection.  I’ve been working closely with a wide range of concerned organisations such as the Wildlife Trusts to table amendments to try to fix the main problems with the Bill.

In particular I am concerned that the Bill doesn’t protect irreplaceable habitats, that it’s ‘overall improvement test’ is too weak, and that it sweeps away what’s called the ‘mitigation hierarchy’ i.e. the principle that one should seek first to avoid environmental damage, then minimise it, and only as a last resort offset it.  The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) – the government’s own watchdog – has raised serious concerns about this too.  It’s really important to have a Green voice in the room, voicing the concerns of all those concerned about nature protection, and putting the government Minister on the spot about why he’s ignoring the advice of his own independent advisers.  The Bill says on the front page that the Secretary of State confirms it won’t lead to reduced environmental protection – but sadly that’s clearly not true.  So I’m doing everything possible to pressure the government to recognise the truth of the OEP’s concerns and to take their advice to amend the Bill.

Of course, the way these things work in committee is that the government will never say ‘oh yes, OK, you’re right, we’ll vote for your amendment’ – but the aim is to ratchet up the pressure so that the government goes away and thinks about it and comes back at the next stage (Report Stage) with an amendment that has the same effect, but where they can claim the credit! 😊 Politics, eh… 

If they don’t accept these amendments at Report Stage then the campaign continues in the Lords, and it’s possible that the Lords (which is less partisan) will be able to persuade the government to make the changes… so it’s a long old process but again, that’s politics – chip chip chipping away to improve things (and to stop things getting worse…).

Anyway, so after three days on the trot in Bill Committee last week (quite a slog, and we continue this coming week), I was also in Westminster on Friday for the first day of a 2-day Report Stage for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, commonly known as the Assisted Dying Bill.  The Chamber was again full for the whole 5 hours of debate, but sadly the tone of the debate was not quite as measured and considered as for the Second Reading debate in November.  At Report Stage, the whole Chamber considers the Bill as it has been amended in Bill Committee stage; and also considers additional / further amendments.  For the Assisted Dying Bill, it had a hugely long Committee Stage (90 hours in total over more than 2 months; much more than any of the government Bills I’ve been involved with); I believe there were several hundred amendments tabled, of which about 150 have been accepted in Committee.  Now, at Report Stage, there are dozens more amendments to consider.  Some are drafting amendments – small tweaks to language to clarify things legally – while others are major changes.  If an amendment proposes a change so significant that it would make the bill unworkable, it’s called a ‘wrecking amendment’.

There are so many amendments to this Bill to consider that the Speaker grouped them into two groups, to be discussed on two different days.  Even so, the debate on Friday did not have time for all of the amendments to be individually proposed; and given that every vote takes 15 minutes, there’s certainly no time to vote on them all.  This is actually quite normal at Report Stage – generally speaking only a small number of amendments are voted on at Report.

From my perspective, as a supporter of the Bill (though recognising the concerns and principles of those who oppose it), some of the rhetoric employed by opponents of the bill on this occasion was a little disappointing.  Emotions are clearly running high.  Nevertheless, it was a useful and generally constructive debate; and I’m glad we have another day to consider the second group of amendments. And indeed many of the issues being brought as amendments at Report Stage have already been discussed in great detail at Committee stage, of course.

It's a huge privilege and responsibility to be part of the process for legislation as significant as this, and is something I take incredibly seriously.  I read every letter and email sent to me on the topic, and am often very moved indeed by the personal stories people share with me.  On this legislation, more than any other, my vote counts – because this is a conscience vote, so the other parties are not whipped, so there is no inbuilt majority for any one party.  On this issue, I can truly say I believe every single MP is thinking very deeply about the issues.

Back to the Constituency

On Friday afternoon I took the train home and went straight to Bromyard Theatre to watch the film ‘Conclave’ which I have been hoping to see for months – a fascinating and very topical story.  I recommend the book even more than the film!

On Saturday morning I held the second of my ‘New Voices’ events, designed to encourage new people to get actively involved in politics. 

We were a group of half a dozen of varying ages, and it was really great to meet everyone and have such a wide-ranging discussion of politics, values, motivations etc.  I’m really passionate about the potential for politics to make a positive difference (despite all the frustrations!) and so this is one way I feel I can reach out to encourage others to step up and make their voices heard.  I’ll keep on running these events, so do let me know if you’d like to come along.

Next I had the joyful experience of helping to judge the ‘Herefordshire Young Farmers does Mamma Mia’ competition at the HYF Rally.  It was brilliant!  This is the second time I have been asked to judge a talent contest – something I never realised was part of the MP job description 😊 – and it’s always such a joy! 

The 9 teams all did brilliantly with some really impressively synchronised dance routines.  A particular highlight: two teams rewrote some of the lyrics to Abba songs to fit the farming theme, so we had ‘Super Tractor’ and my personal favourite ‘MooMoo Mia’, complete with a dancer in an inflatable cow suit!  Huge thanks to Max for being my co-judge and huge congratulations to all involved.

More serious business after that; back to Ledbury to meet Jonathan the landlord of the Prince of Wales (PoW) pub to discuss business rates, employer NICs and the various other taxes and policies that small businesses contend with.

The PoW is a great example of a proper independent local pub with a great reputation for a wide variety of independent and local beers and ciders – and music to boot!  Small businesses face particular challenges – especially with the changes to employer NICs, which as Greens we have opposed – we think government should raise funds for public services by taxing wealth, not work.

Also at the weekend I did a couple of interviews, for BBC Breakfast TV and for LBC radio, on the UK-EU reset summit happening today (Monday).  I am certain that our best future lies in the closest possible relationship with the EU – and I know the majority of Brits agree; every opinion poll for the last 2 or 3 years show that most Brits think we’d be better off in the EU.  I very much hope the reset today is the start of a proper rebuilding of that relationship.

Looking ahead

In addition to the UK-EU summit, today Parliament is debating the Mental Health Bill, and I’ve got an Environmental Audit Committee hearing on flood resilience – at which my constituent ‘Flood Mary’ (Mary Long-Dhonau, who’s an indefatigable campaigner on property flood resilience) will be giving evidence.  Tomorrow and Thursday I’m back in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill committee; and on Wednesday I’m meeting disabled constituents and campaigners who are deeply concerned (as I am) about welfare cuts for disabled people.  I’ll also be on Matt Chorley’s show on 5 Live in the afternoon, so do tune in!

The following week, Parliament is in recess, so I’ll be out and about in the constituency doing as many visits as possible.

I’ll end with a quick reminder about upcoming events; a funding opportunity and a request for your feedback.

On Thursday 29^th May, I have organised a drop in with West Midlands Railways (WMR) at the Constituency Office, 9 The Buttercross, Leominster HR6 8BN.  If you’d like to meet senior representatives from WMR to hear about their plans and to feedback or comment on their service, do come along between 1.00 and 2.30pm.  There’s no need to book.

On Friday 6^th June I’m holding another Public Meeting / Q&A on my work at Leominster Sports and Social Club from 7.00 – 8.30pm – similar to the one I did in Ledbury in February. Doors open at 6.15pm for tea & biscuits beforehand.  Please do come along and ask me questions about my work as an MP or matters of national policy and how they affect you.  You can either submit a written question, or ask a question yourself on the night.

Do you know of any local projects that need a bit of support?  I’ve set up a Constituency Fund with money from my MP salary to support projects in the constituency that make life better by tackling inequality through care and creativity.  I’ve already made some donations, and I’d like to hear about any projects that might be suitable for some extra funding.  You can find out more about how to apply, and see examples of projects already funded, at this link. 

Do let me know if there’s anything in particular you’d like to hear about in my email updates, or would like me to cover in my TikTok explainers.

And (assuming you’re a constituent) please feel free as always to email me about any issue that concerns you – and do please share this update with anyone you think might be interested!

With thanks and best wishes,

Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 9 The Buttercross, Leominster, HR6 8BN.

If you are forwarding this email to a friend, then please mention they can sign up themselves for Ellie's updates here.

Hello everyone! 

There’s been a bit of a break between my last update and this one, so there’s huge amounts to update you on 😊.  However I don’t think I can really manage to summarise the entire last month, so I’ve just given you a detailed update on last week, a few highlights from the previous month. And I’ve tried to make it easier for you to skim-read, by using bold text to highlight key things – I hope this is helpful!

Last week

Last Tuesday I spoke in the Chamber on social care – pressing the govt once more to start the long-promised cross-party talks – I think this is about the 4th or 5th time I’ve had to bring this up.  Wes Streeting promised these talks in January, cancelled them in February, the day before they were due to start, and is now suggesting that he’s handed the responsibility over to Baroness Casey.  But her review has hardly started; and in any case the Secretary of State shouldn’t be outsourcing political leadership – which is the point I made in the House last week.  I will keep on pressing for the government to grasp the nettle on social care which is such a huge issue that desperately needs concerted political attention and cooperation.

I also spoke in the VE Day debate last week, where I told the story of my grandfather. He was a navigator on a Stirling Bomber shot down over France in August 1943.  Only 2 of the crew of 7 survived.  He was hidden by incredibly brave Resistance families who risked their lives to save his, the life of a stranger.  After 4 months he managed to escape over the Pyrenees and back to the UK.  I had the honour last year of meeting Monique and Jean, children of the couple who hid my grandfather in their bakery.  May the bravery of all who resisted fascism inspire us all today.

On Wednesday morning I appeared on BBC 5 Live’s MP panel, responding to questions from callers.  Later that day, I attended the first part of the debate on PiP reforms last Wednesday.  Many MPs are horrified, as I am, by the government’s attempts to balance the books on the backs of those who are sick and disabled.  Instead, the Greens have long been calling for a wealth tax to fund the public services we all rely on.

Photo: Nature Friendly Farming Network farm visit hosted by Broadward Hall Farm.

I tackled the Minister for Farming (yet again) in DEFRA questions on Thursday, pressing him to significantly improve support for nature-friendly farming.  The previous weekend I had visited two farms in North Herefordshire and met a number of farmers, all of whom are deeply frustrated with the government’s failure to support the sector.  There’s been a real collapse of trust – such a crying shame, when farming is essential not just for food security but also for climate action and nature protection.

Later that day I attended the VE Day 2 minute silence in Parliament Square, which was very moving. 

I then took the train home and went straight to the Bishops Frome VE Day commemorations, involving the traditional (for the village) burning of a beacon in the shape of a Straw Man – very impressive!

On Friday and Saturday I was as usual busy in the constituency.   I visited a wonderful rewilding project which was bursting with wildlife!  

Then on to TPG DisableAids, a Hereford-based family business that provides all sorts of disability equipment and mobility aids.  After a stop off at the independent family-owned pub the Bell Inn at Tillington for a delicious home-cooked lunch (celebrating Independent Hospitality Week), I held my constituency surgery in Wellington Community Centre. 

As it happens I was back in Wellington the following day for a ‘Water in Wellington’ history walk – part of the Herefordshire Histories Festival.  It was really fascinating – I hadn’t realised that the village only got mains water in the mid-1970s!

After that it was straight to Hereford Cathedral for the very first graduation ceremony for NMITE Herefordshire’s new engineering-focused university.  It was a wonderful celebration – tribute to all those who have worked so hard to set up this pioneering institution, and to the hard work of all the graduating students.

Photo of Water in Wellington participants.

Previous weeks

I think rather than providing a blow-by-blow account of the previous weeks, I’ll just encourage you to check out my social media feeds if you want to catch up on what else I’ve been doing 😊.  I’m still trying to do weekly video updates with a one-minute rundown of the main highlights.  And I have joined TikTok!  I want to help make Parliament more transparent and accessible, so I am trying to do quick informal video ‘explainers’ of different bits of Parliament’s internal workings.  Check it out and do let me know if there’s something in particular you’d like me to (try to) explain!

I do also want to pay HUGE tribute to everyone in the Green Party across the country who worked so hard to secure brilliant results for the Greens in the local elections on 1st May!  Yet again we increased our number of councillors (for the 8th year running!) – and the West Midlands in particular did brilliantly!

Above: Ellie on local election day, in Worcester.

Coming up soon:

This week in Parliament my key focus is the Planning and Infrastructure Bill – we’ve got three full days in Bill Committee, and I am tabling lots of amendments and speaking on many others.  Like many nature organisations, I’m worried that the Bill’s provisions will lead to erosion of protections for nature.  I very much hope the government will heed our calls to make changes to the bill to ensure that irreplaceable habitats are protected and that development doesn’t come at the expense of nature protection.

On Friday this week Parliament is sitting for the Report Stage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill – commonly known as the Assisted Dying Bill.  This Bill has been through Second Reading (last November) and Committee Stage (for several months) and is now returning to the main chamber of the Commons where MPs will consider more amendments.  I very much hope that the debate will be similar in tone to the November debate, which I think showed Parliament at its best: mutually respectful, thoughtful, and considered.

I’ll be back in the constituency at the weekend of course.  And I have a few things coming up to let you know about:

On Thursday 29th May, I have organised a drop in with West Midlands Railways (WMR) at the Constituency Office, 9 The Buttercross, Leominster HR6 8BN.  If you’d like to meet senior representatives from WMR to hear about their plans and to feedback or comment on their service, do come along between 1.00 and 2.30pm.  There’s no need to book.

On Friday 6th June I’m holding another Public Meeting / Q&A on my work at Leominster Sports and Social Club from 7.00 – 8.30pm – similar to the one I did in Ledbury in February. Doors open at 6.15pm for tea & biscuits beforehand.  Please do come along and ask me questions about my work as an MP or matters of national policy and how they affect you.  You can either submit a written question, or ask a question yourself on the night.

Finally: do you know of any local projects that need a bit of support?  I’ve set up a Constituency Fund with money from my MP salary to support projects in the constituency that make life better by tackling inequality through care and creativity.  I’ve already made some donations, and I’d like to hear about any projects that might be suitable for some extra funding.  You can find out more about how to apply, and see examples of projects already funded, at this link.  Thank you!

That’s all for now – thanks for reading!

With best wishes,

Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 9 The Buttercross, Leominster, HR6 8BN.

If you are forwarding this email to a friend, then please mention they can sign up themselves for Ellie's updates here.

Hello everyone

Last time I wrote was on Thursday 13^th March, on the train home.  So here’s the update since then!

On 14^th & 15^th March I was busy in the constituency.  I held my constituency surgery in Withington Village Hall, a new venue for me – part of my efforts to make my surgeries accessible to as many people as possible by holding them all over North Herefordshire.

After that I went to meet with the new editor of the Hereford Times, Alicia Kelly, to hear from her about her plans for the paper.  The HT is a local institution!  Alicia is keen to ensure the paper represents content from all over the county, and reflects local people’s interests and priorities – so if you know of a good local story, don’t hesitate to let her know!

Above: Ellie and members of the Home-Start team.

I then went to visit Home-Start, a local charity that supports families with young children.  I actually used to volunteer with Home-Start myself many years ago, so it was great to catch up with what they are doing now!

Next was a meeting with the Creative Health team and the Our Place project in Hereford city centre – not technically in the constituency, but it serves people from all over Herefordshire. We had an excellent discussion of how the arts and creativity can help address both physical and mental health problems – for example, singing is good for asthma!  And it was great to see the fantastic exhibition in their unit on Gomond Street.

From there I went to visit Herefordshire Local Optometric Committee members to discuss how eye health problems are treated in the county – very interesting.

And in the evening I was hosted in Colwall village hall by Herefordshire for Europe and Malvern for Europe for a ‘fireside chat’ / Q&A event.  With an audience of well over a hundred people the questions roamed far and wide!

On the Saturday (after a bit of work on my inbox) I visited the site of the forthcoming new Leominster Health Hub, and met with two of the doctors involved and the site owner Steven Dale.  It’s great to see the building taking shape and it’ll be fantastic for Leominster to have this new facility!

Next I went to visit Eastnor Castle to learn more about the various businesses associated with the castle, and to have a look at the restored water mill and see flour being ground.  It’s quite something!

Above: Ellie with James and Lucy Hervey-Bathurst at Eastnor Castle.

On the Saturday evening I took the train back up to London because early on Sunday I was setting off on a much longer train journey – to the Netherlands, for an Environmental Audit Committee study visit.

Two of the current EAC inquiries are focusing on flood resilience, and on the environmental impact of new housing.  The committee thought there could be some lessons to learn from the Netherlands in respect of both these areas, hence this visit. We packed a lot into the three days: meetings with water department officials and embassy staff and the British Ambassador; visits to a water management applied research institute and an experimental university site where building innovations are tested; a walking tour of Rotterdam’s water management infrastructure; site visits to a huge flood protection ‘water gate’ and two different beach replenishment projects and a ‘room for the river’ site where they’ve allowed the river to flood naturally in order to protect built-up areas elsewhere… it was all absolutely fascinating.  Admittedly, there’s a limit to the transferability of some of the tech – given that the topography of the UK is, shall we say, quite different! But one of the most fascinating lessons was the way that the Dutch approach seems to be to start with the question ‘what do we need to do to protect our infrastructure’ and then to get on with a prioritised, agreed, long term plan plus the funding to do it.  It’s an outcome-focused approach, whereas too often the UK approach seems to be input-focused, i.e. ‘what’s the smallest amount of money we can get away with putting into activity X until the next election’…  Very frustrating!  So I would very much like to see the UK adopt a more ‘Dutch’, outcome-focused approach to flood resilience investment and infrastructure planning.  I am sure our committee will be including something along these lines in our recommendations!

I returned to the UK (again by train) on the Wednesday evening, which meant I had sadly missed three days of business in the Commons.  Frustratingly, this included the Report Stage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, on which I had done so much work in Committee.  I was very sad not to have been able to participate in the final debate – or vote.  However, my colleagues Carla and Adrian stepped in to ensure that Green voices were heard in the debate and our concerns raised again.  Adrian also managed to get a vote called on our amendment on expanding access to free school meals!  Sadly, the government opposed it.

On Thursday I took part in a meeting of the UK Trade and Business Commission, taking evidence from three experts on the future of the UK-EU relationship, including the prospects for the upcoming May Summit.

Back in the House of Commons, I was in the Chamber for David Lammy’s statement on the renewed Israeli air strikes on Gaza, and questioned him on whether UK-made arms or components had been used in those strikes.  There is much more that the UK can and should do to show our opposition to the Israeli government’s war crimes in Gaza.

Left: Ellie at the statement on Gaza on 20th March.  Click on the photo to see the video of her question.

I then met with the Alzheimer’s Society to learn more about their work and their priorities for the upcoming Commission on Social Care.   Following my question to the Leader of the House last week, I had been assured of a government response – but I still have not heard anything about the rescheduling of the cross-party talks on social care, and it’s now a month since they were cancelled. This really is not OK and I will be chasing Wes Streeting yet again this week about this.

After further meetings with colleagues on social care, I took the train home.

Friday back in the constituency was the usual wonderful mix!

I started the day with a meeting with the council chief executive, Paul Walker – a regular opportunity to ask him about outstanding issues that constituents have raised with me, and to discuss key issues in the county.

Next was a delightful visit to Staunton on Wye primary school, where I had a great time looking around the school, meeting all the different classes, admiring their artwork and joining in with their play, and answering some excellent questions!  I was struck that, when I asked them in assembly about what issues they wanted me to work on as their MP, many of them talked about environmental and animal welfare issues.  They were well-informed and a delight to meet!

My surgery was held in Whitney on Wye, right at the edge of the constituency – again, part of my effort to reach out widely!  However, despite substantial efforts to publicise the surgery, only two people registered, so there’s clearly lots more demand elsewhere.

After a couple of hours back in the office in Leominster for a team meeting, I headed to Hereford Quarries for my last visit of the day.  I love a ‘factory tour’ – it’s always so interesting to see how things work behind the scenes – and this was no exception.  The site processes both new and recycled material, and it was fascinating to see how they wash and sort it – and how so much, including the water, is recycled.

Above: Ellie visiting Lugg Bridge Quarry, Hereford Quarries.

On Saturday I spent the day out and about in Worcestershire and Warwickshire, supporting Green Party local election candidates – fantastic to meet so many enthusiastic and energised local campaigners doing brilliant jobs getting more Greens elected!

And on Saturday evening I went to Hereford Cathedral for a wonderful Hereford Choral Society performance of Vivaldi’s Gloria and two other pieces.  I used to sing in the choir (and my dad still does) so it’s always especially lovely to go to their concerts!

As it happens, I have some music to look forward to in Parliament this week – but I’ll save that story for the next update!

Also coming up this week – today in fact – is the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. A significant piece of legislation, and I have requested to speak in the debate today.  So I’m going to stop here, and go and work on that now!

As always, thank you for reading and for your support!  And do encourage your friends to subscribe if they’d like to keep in touch with my work.

With best wishes,

Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 9 The Buttercross, Leominster, HR6 8BN.

If you are forwarding this email to a friend, then please mention they can sign up themselves for Ellie's updates here.

Hello all

I’m writing this on the train back to Herefordshire late on Thursday night after another busy week in Westminster, so I’ve got two weeks of Parliamentary activity to update you on…

Thinking back to 10 days ago, the big focus was on international affairs.  I spoke in the House on Monday responding to the government’s Ukraine statement, and had my first Urgent Question accepted by the Speaker on Tuesday, on Gaza. An Urgent Question is when a backbencher can call a Minister to the House to speak about an urgent issue; MPs submit questions first thing and the Speaker decides whether to grant any of them. Some days we have none, sometimes one or two, occasionally three.

Also on Tuesday I met with the organisation Patriotic Millionaires (wealthy people who support a wealth tax), was briefed by an LSE professor on climate risks, met with a constituent who is in prison, attended multiple drop-ins, took part in a meeting on rebuilding the NHS, and attended an International Women’s Day reception with inspiring young women from organisations like Girl Guiding and the WI.

The next day, women from all parties gathered in the Chamber for a photo celebrating the large number of women MPs – more than ever before.  We’re still not a 50/50 Parliament though, and there’s still a long way to go until true equality!

I had a very positive meeting with the Secretary of State for Education regarding the campaign for a new Natural History GCSE, which is something Caroline Lucas had been spearheading before me.

I attended PMQs, then took part in the Estimates Day debate on the Foreign, Commonweath and Development Office, where I challenged the government’s shockingly callous, counterproductive and short-sighted decision to slash aid.

On Thursday I met with my Monmouth MP colleague Catherine Fookes to discuss our shared interest in work to clean up the River Wye, then attended Business Questions where I asked the Leader of the House why I’d still had no contact from the Health Secretary following the last-minute cancellation of the Cross-Party Commission on Social Care launch meeting two weeks earlier.  

I stayed in the Chamber much of the day, since we then had a statement on North Sea oil (I challenged the government not to issue consents for oil and gas fields that have not yet started production); then a very moving debate for International Women’s Day, including Jess Phillips reading out the names of all the women who had been killed by men in the previous year.

The Parliamentary week ended with a debate on reforming political finance, where I called for limits to donations, tighter restrictions on foreign donations, and more powers for the Electoral Commission to stop breaches.

The following day, Friday 7th March, was actually my 50^th birthday, so I hope you all don’t mind that I took the weekend off to spend time with family and friends!  I had a wonderful birthday – an early morning swim in Ledbury, a long walk on the Malverns, tea and cake with my neighbours, a Thai takeaway with my sons and my parents, and then a festive evening at my local open mic night!  On the Saturday I briefly popped into the Herefordshire Women’s Equality Group ‘women at work’ event at NMITE in Hereford, then headed up to Snowdonia to stay overnight in a youth hostel, go on the fastest zip wire in the world with my two sons, and climb Tryfan!  We were blessed with absolutely glorious weather all weekend, and it was a wonderful break – even if my legs were a bit sore the next day!😊

Back to Westminster on Monday 10^th and more international affairs, with a statement on the deeply concerning violence in Syria.  On Tuesday my focus shifted back to domestic issues: I ‘guested’ on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee’s evidence session with Welsh Water; responded to the government’s statement on the North Sea tanker collision, and took part in an NSPCC event.  In the evening I was really honoured and delighted to be named one of the ‘One Hundred Women of Westminster’ feted by the House Magazine, alongside a number of other MPs, journalists, and other Westminster movers and shakers.  On Tuesday and Wednesday we were also voting on the Employment Rights Bill.

Late on Tuesday night I started receiving emails from farmers in my constituency, horrified that the government had just cancelled the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme with no notice at all – despite having previously said they would give 6 weeks notice if the scheme had to close.  So I ‘bobbed’ throughout PMQs on Wednesday, hoping to be able to ask a question on this, but wasn’t selected.  However, directly afterwards we had a ministerial statement on the issue, so I was able to challenge the farming minister Daniel Zeichner directly.  I had a second pop on Thursday, during the Future of Farming debate; and I was on BBC Hereford and Worcester about the issue on Thursday morning.  It’s simply shocking for the government to treat farmers this way.

Also on Thursday I was able to ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade about the devastating impact of the planning moratorium on the construction sector in North Herefordshire. I’m delighted that he agreed to meet with me and representatives of the local industry to discuss how to solve the issue. (Government announced £1 million on Tuesday for research to tackle pollution in the Wye, which is a step in the right direction, but as I have said for many, many months, we need far more support).

I also raised – again! – the issue of the delayed Social Care Commission talks.  I have been promised a response and I won’t stop chasing the government until they get going on this issue – it’s just so important.

Somewhat unexpectedly I had a call from ITV today asking if I could come on their politics panel discussion programme at the last minute – so of course I said yes!  The topics were Brexit and benefits cuts.  I’m shocked – but no longer surprised – that Labour are apparently planning yet again to balance the books on the backs of the poorest by cutting disability benefits; I’ve had large numbers of emails from worried constituents this week.  Government needs to help people to work if they can, and support them if they can’t.  But what they are doing is creating huge anxiety for anyone who is sick or disabled.  It’s frankly shocking – especially when (as I have said before) there is another way: Rachel Reeves could choose to increase taxes on wealth instead.

I’m back in the constituency for the next couple of days – holding a surgery for constituents in Withington, meeting the new editor of the Hereford Times, meeting local organisations Home-Start (who I used to volunteer with!), Creative Health / Our Place, and Ophthalmology Hereford; speaking at an event in Colwall with Herefordshire for Europe; visiting the site of the new North Herefordshire Health Hub in Leominster, and visiting Eastnor Castle to discuss the tourist economy.

I’m then back up to London on Saturday night, because next week is rather unusual for me – I’m taking the train to the Netherlands along with many of my colleagues from the Environmental Audit Select Committee for a study visit as part of our inquiry into Flood Resilience.  The Netherlands obviously has a lot of valuable experience in this area!  I’m looking forward to what should be a fascinating visit – but I confess I am sad to be away from Westminster too, especially as next Monday and Tuesday are the Report Stage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on which I did so much work in Committee.  My colleagues Carla and Adrian are kindly stepping in to cover the Report Stage debates, but unfortunately the study visit means I won’t be able to vote on the Bill.  This is yet another reason why electronic voting would be so much better – MPs could still vote if they were unavoidably away from the House on official business.

Looking forward a bit further, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill had its (very brief) First Reading this week, and will have its (much longer) Second Reading debate on Monday 24th March.  This is an absolutely crucial piece of legislation, and I will be taking a very close interest in it and leading on it for the Green MPs; I’m very much hoping to get a place on the Bill Committee for this one.

All in all, there’s plenty to get my teeth into! 😊

As always, do let me know what issues are important to you; do please follow me on my social media channels, and please encourage your friends and neighbours to do the same and to subscribe to this newsletter.

And if you have suggestions as to how I can improve these updates, please let me know!

With very best wishes,

Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 9 The Buttercross, Leominster, HR6 8BN.

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You know the saying ‘a week is a long time in politics’? Well, more or less every week feels like that – but last week even more so than most.

In Westminster

The Parliamentary week was dominated by questions of defence and international development, as Starmer prepared to meet Trump. On Tuesday the Prime Minister announced that he was slashing the international aid budget in order to ramp up investment in defence. While I recognise the importance of properly funding our defence budget, I utterly disagree with doing so by cutting aid. I challenged the PM on this directly in the Chamber, pointing out that he could find the money elsewhere (namely, by increasing taxes on the very wealthiest) and that slashing aid to the poorest and most fragile countries is unbelievably shortsighted and counterproductive. It will make the world less secure in the long run, and in the short term it opens up strategic space globally for Russia and China to increase their influence. Frankly, I’m furious. Essentially, our Prime Minister has thrown the world’s poorest under the bus on the altar of appeasing Trump. It’s shameful. (And yes, I know I’m mixing metaphors).

And while it was all smiles between Starmer and Trump on Thursday, the wheels came off by Friday. My goodness me. I could hardly believe my ears listening to the broadcast from the White House on Friday evening. Trump and Vance’s outrageous public bullying and attempted humiliation of Zelensky was extraordinary.

It was good to see a united front from European leaders on Sunday. Let’s see what the coming week brings.

On the domestic policy front, I spent time last week preparing for the first meeting of the Cross-Party Commission on Social Care, a cross-party initiative where MPs, peers, and experts come together to tackle the systemic issues affecting our care system and lay the groundwork for a national care service. Yet sadly this meeting was postponed, apparently because one of the opposition parties (I can guess which one) couldn’t make it. The delay is deeply frustrating, given the urgency of tackling this huge stain on our country’s conscience.

On the more positive side, I attended an awards ceremony in Parliament for the National Association of Local Councils, in which Will Morris from Fownhope Parish Council was a finalist for ‘Young Councillor of the Year’. It was great to see his work as a parish footpaths officer recognised – as well

as the hard work of all those who give up their time to serve their communities as councillors across the country.

I also spoke at the Children’s Food Summit on how we can build political consensus on children’s healthy food. I spoke in a Westminster Hall debate on improving access to banking in rural areas – a key issue affecting many in North Herefordshire. And I took part in a select committee evidence session with leaders of the Office for Environmental Protection.

Of course, there’s also lots of work that doesn’t go on social media feeds. Lots of my time is spent responding to emails from constituents, for example. And there are also lots of background meetings. For instance, last week I had a briefing about the ‘restoration and renewal’ project – a huge project needed to tackle building safety problems in the Palace of Westminster. And I also spent a fascinating couple of hours with senior lawyers, academics, and military leaders discussing the Chagos Islands deal.

When we recognise a crisis, we find the resources to deal with it. We did it with Covid. We did it with WW2. We need to tackle the climate crisis with the same seriousness of purpose and the same commitment. What’s so extraordinary about our collective failure to do so is that the prize is so clear. Warm homes, good jobs, clean air, cheaper public transport, and a liveable future for our children. What on earth is stopping us?

In the constituency

On Friday morning I held my usual weekly surgery, this time in Bromyard, then headed off to Hereford to visit the wonderful National Star College, which provides educational opportunities for young people age 18-25 with disabilities. It was an absolute joy to visit the college – I was shown round by the students themselves, and invited to play under a parachute in the very first room I entered! I had a peek at their exciting new extension which will enable them to provide even better facilities, and heard about their ‘reverse jobs fair’ where students are able to showcase their skills and attributes to potential employers and work experience placements.

I then visited Eziserve, a local business with a long history of innovating in packaging design, to hear about how their ‘no-touch’ design for dispensing chemicals has hugely reduced spillages and contamination.

Later that afternoon, I met with the co-chairs of Farm Herefordshire to discuss current issues in farming and work to tackle river pollution.

Then, on Friday evening, I had the wonderful privilege of being one of the three judges for ‘Ledbury’s Got Talent’ at John Masefield High School – an opportunity to channel my inner Shirley Ballas! Honestly, I was blown away by the talent on show! The fantastic singing, dancing and musicianship throughout the night made it really hard to choose winners. In the end, we gave first prize to the JMHS rock band, who performed a song they’d written themselves with huge gusto and talent. What a brilliant evening!

The musical theme continued the following day as I took the Saturday morning off to join Hereford Choral Society’s ‘Sing for Fun’ workshop, singing Mozart’s Requiem – wonderful.

And on Saturday afternoon I met with local and regional National Trust staff at Berrington Hall to hear about their work regenerating the gardens at the Hall and the Trust’s new strategy, which puts restoring nature and equalising access front and centre. The sun shone brightly and the conversations gave me hope!

In the media

I’ve been on the radio a bit this week. On Wednesday, Evan Davis and the Radio 4 PM programme returned to North Herefordshire to follow up on their visit during the General Election campaign. I joined the programme to discuss how a thriving economy and thriving environment can and must work hand in hand.

On Saturday I was on the Week in Westminster on Radio 4, discussing the government’s cuts to the aid budget and the need for a much more strategic approach to defence and security.

No doubt these topics will continue to be at the top of the agenda in the coming week.

I’ve also had op-eds published in Politics.co.uk and The House Magazine on defence spending and my proposed equal protection from harm amendment, respectively.

As always, please follow my social media channels to keep up to date with what I’m doing on a daily basis.

And do please share these updates with any of your friends and neighbours who you think might be interested – and encourage them to subscribe via this link: https://elliechowns.org.uk/updates/

With best wishes,

Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 9 The Buttercross, Leominster, HR6 8BN.

If you are forwarding this email to a friend, then please mention they can sign up themselves for Ellie's updates here.

Hello everyone.  I’m back in Westminster again this week, after spending last week in the constituency, since Parliament was in recess.

In the constituency

It was really lovely to be based in my constituency office all week; great to have a proper chance to discuss casework with each of my brilliant team.  I think I’ve mentioned before that I get over a thousand emails each week, and I couldn’t possibly deal with all the issues raised by constituents without the support of my amazing staff.  Together we’ve all been trying hard over the past few weeks to tackle the slight backlog of correspondence that had built up while I was getting staff recruited and systems sorted.  We’re getting there now! 😊

The week in North Herefordshire actually started on Friday 14th, which began with an online meeting with Ornua, the company that is sadly closing its Ledbury factory; I have been pressing them to do everything possible to assist staff whose jobs are at risk. 

I then I held a constituency surgery in Kington, where residents brought issues to me including pollution, housing, and benefits.  After a quick cuppa in the Border Bean café, I visited a farm and small business just outside the town.

In the afternoon I met with local representatives of RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims; it was very powerful to hear their testimony, and I’ll certainly be supporting their campaigning in Parliament. 

Last but not least that day, I visited the wonderful new NHS Community Diagnostic Centre that is under construction next to B&Q in Hereford, which will be opening later this year.  It’s a great facility which will make it easier and quicker for patients to get the diagnostic tests they need such as MRI scans. 

It’s a very environmentally-friendly building, designed by local architects and built by local builders; and it's also fully publicly owned, funded and run!  I’m delighted that my questioning of Wes Streeting back in January helped secure confirmation of the final chunk of funding for phase 1, and next I’ll be helping to press the government for funding for phase 2!

In Westminster

On Monday 10th I spoke in the Westminster Hall debate on Agricultural Property Relief and inheritance tax.  I also attended a meeting of the APPG on Farming, and the launch of a report by the UK Trade and Business Commission, of which I am a member.

On Tuesday 11th we had the last day of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Committee, at which I proposed amendments on expanding eligibility for free school meals and on equal protection for children against assault. The government did not support these, but I’m going to continue working with campaigners and raising these issues at the Report Stage of the Bill. 

On Wednesday 12th I spoke in a Westminster Hall Debate on fuel poverty, which is a huge issue in North Herefordshire.  I also attended the inaugural meeting of the APPG on Nature Recovery. I co-sponsored the Ten Minute Rule Bill on capping political donations, proposed by my Lib Dem colleague Manuela Perteghella.  My select committee, the Environmental Audit Committee, held another evidence session on Flood Resilience, taking evidence from witnesses including from the TCPA, CIWEM and NFU.  After that I attended a ‘Yellow Wellies’ drop in on farmers’ mental health, and then spoke in another debate on the ICJ judgements regarding the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

On Thursday 13th I took part in the Urgent Question session on Ukraine, and pressed the government to stand up to and speak out against Trump’s outrageous disinformation.  I’m very disappointed in the UK’s continuing failure to do so.  Later that same day I challenged the government’s deeply concerning decision to prevent ‘illegal’ refugees from applying for citizenship – a ridiculous and cruel policy, especially since there are virtually no safe and legal routes for refugees to come to the UK.  I also met that day with colleagues regarding my participation in the all-party Commission on Social Care, and with cross-party colleagues, NGOs and health professionals regarding the ongoing campaign for equal protection for children.

Coming up this week

OK, I think that brings you up to date!  My key focus in this coming week is preparing for the All Party Commission on Social Care; I’m meeting with Wes Streeting, Baroness Casey, and other party leaders and representatives on Wednesday, and with Professor Andrew Dilnot today.

There’s also loads more going on – but I’ll report back on that next week!
In the meantime, please do share these updates with any of your friends and neighbours who you think might be interested – and encourage them to subscribe too!  Here’s the link: https://elliechowns.org.uk/updates/

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 9 The Buttercross, Leominster, HR6 8BN.

If you are forwarding this email to a friend, then please mention they can sign up themselves for Ellie's updates here.

Hello everyone – here goes with another quick update written from the train heading into London for another week at the Westminster coalface! 😊

A key part of my work over the last couple of weeks has been on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools (CWS) Bill Committee.  Our last sitting day is 11th February.  We’ve been through about 80 amendments so far and now we’re going through the new clauses of which there are more than 70…  It’s been a fascinating process.  I’ve proposed amendments on a range of things including extending ‘Staying Put’ provision (so young people can stay with their foster families for longer) and introducing family group decision making before family reunification.  I’ve also supported, and verbally proposed to the committee, amendments tabled by other MPs, particularly on equal protection for children from assault, and on expanding eligibility for free school meals.  I’ve learned a lot about how the committee process works – including the fact that you don’t always ‘push your amendment to a vote’ because you might be playing a longer game i.e. trying to persuade the government to see the wisdom of your arguments so that they might perhaps decide to ‘adopt’ your amendment as their own at some future point… On both equal protection and free school meals, I very much hope this will be the case.

The Bill Committee has taken up a lot of my time in the last fortnight – and I was knocked flat by a sickness bug for a few days too, unfortunately – but there’s been lots else going on besides.  Two weeks ago my Select Committee (the Environmental Audit Committee) had Ed Miliband (Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero) up in front of us for scrutiny.  It was just before the long-trailed announcement of government support for airport expansion – clearly a terrible decision – so I took the opportunity to grill Ed on the inconsistency of government policy on this.  You can read about the session here.

In my capacity as Co-Chair of the APPG on Water Pollution, I had a useful meeting with the secretariat of the Water Commission – the body that has been set up by government to look at how to reform the water industry.  The problem – as they recognise – is that water pollution is a problem of two halves i.e. both sewage and agricultural pollution – and government is studiously ignoring the agricultural side of things.  So I keep on keeping on, drawing this to their attention!  

At DEFRA questions last week I raised this once more and pressed the Secretary of State on when they would fund the Wye Catchment Plan… (Image above)

I also spoke in the House last week in the local government funding settlement debate – emphasising the specific challenges in rural areas like Herefordshire and calling for the new multiyear funding formula to properly recognise the challenges of rurality.  I also pressed the government on the financial pressures on local councils caused by the increase in Employer NICs; and called for long-overdue reform of council tax.

I was on the BBC Politics Midlands Sunday show talking about flood resilience and the need for more support for farmers.  And I took part in Ayesha Hazarika’s Times Radio politics panel discussion on Sunday 9th February.

Back in the constituency my latest constituency surgery covered the usual very wide range of issues including PiP delays, educational provision for autistic children, farmers’ concerns, and support for families with disabled children.

I also met with the principal and deputy principal at Hereford Sixth Form College regarding the serious issues their students face with college transport – the train and bus cancellations that these students and their families face are just not acceptable.

On Friday afternoon I met with one of the local Big Issue vendors and the wider Big Issue team to hear about the issues facing vendors and their Poverty Zero campaign. 

And on Friday evening I held my first ‘town hall’ style public meeting in Ledbury Community Hall – an opportunity for local people to come and literally ‘ask me anything’!  I passionately believe that politicians need to be as available and responsive as possible and so I plan to hold these sorts of events every few months in a range of locations around the constituency, in addition to my weekly constituency surgeries.

On Saturday I held the first ‘new voices’ event – for people who are considering maybe getting more involved in politics / standing for election.  Again this is something I plan to continue doing so please do get in touch if you or anyone you know might be interested in coming along for a cuppa and a chat about this!

Looking ahead to this week I’ve got the usual wide variety – a debate on agricultural property relief and inheritance tax on farms on Monday; the CWS Bill Committee final day Tuesday plus an oral question on health; the Environmental Audit Committee inquiry on flood resilience on Wednesday; Transport questions on Thursday; my surgery in Kington on Friday plus a meeting with RoadPeace and a visit to the new Hereford Community Diagnostic Centre.  The following week is recess – an opportunity to work in my Leominster office, which I am really looking forward to – alongside my brilliant constituency team who work their collective socks off to help constituents with casework!

With best wishes,

Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 9 The Buttercross, Leominster, HR6 8BN.

If you are forwarding this email to a friend, then please mention they can sign up themselves for Ellie's updates here.

Hello everyone, and apologies that this is my first update of the year.  I know I say this every time but it really has been incredibly hectic and I’ve struggled to find the time to write an update!  But I really want to keep people posted on what I’ve been doing so here goes. Buckle up 😊 – there’s a lot to catch up on!

My last update was before Christmas; I hope you all had a lovely restful time!  I took a week off from Christmas to New Year and just focused on spending time with family and friends which was really lovely.  Fortunately everyone else was doing the same, so the inbox wasn’t too bad when I switched the laptop back on! 

Parliament reconvened on 6th January and we were straight back to operating at 110%.  In fact on that first day back I spoke in three debates in the House: calling for previously-promised investment in Hereford’s new Community Diagnostic Centre; pressing for action on flooding and climate adaptation (noting that North Herefordshire was enduring flooding for the fourth month running); and speaking out on NHS backlogs and reform.

Later that week I also spoke on healthcare in Gaza, on the Community Ownership Fund, and on the impact of conflict on women and girls.

I voted for the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill at Second Reading, and put in a request to be on the Bill Committee.

My select committee, the Environmental Audit Committee, began its first inquiry of the year, on oceans, a fascinating topic.

Together with women MPs from other parties I made a speech at a cross-party event on women’s participation in politics, part of a campaign for equal representation by 2028. I also attended events in support of the Climate and Nature Bill, National Energy Action, the New Economics Network, and National Star (whose Hereford college I will be visiting in February).

I met Ministers Jim McMahon (local government & devolution) and Janet Daby (children, families and wellbeing) regarding local authority funding, especially funding for children’s services, and made a passionate case for rural local authorities like Herefordshire to be fairly funded, taking into account the significant extra costs of running services in a sparsely-populated area. 

On Friday that week I had my regular catch-up meeting with the Chief Executive of Herefordshire Council, Paul Walker, where we discuss issues of shared concern (such as funding and devolution) and where I flag up casework relating to the council that needs Paul’s personal intervention.

I held my regular surgery in Ledbury on that same day – as always, an incredibly varied set of cases.

That weekend I appeared on the BBC Midlands Politics Sunday morning TV show.

Back to Parliament the following Monday and I spoke in the debate on hospice and palliative care, specifically calling for a long-term government approach to providing adequate revenue funding for the sector (as the funding offered recently is only capital).  In the debate, I quoted one leader in the sector who said something like “it’s no comfort being able to re-tarmac the car park if you’re having to make staff redundant at the same time…”

On Tuesday we had an Environmental Audit Committee ‘awayday’ – well, away-morning – reflecting on our priorities and having an incredibly useful session with the Office for Environmental Protection, which has a key role scrutinising the government’s progress towards its environmental targets.  (Spoiler alert: not good enough, as shown in the report they published later in the week. While the report relates to the time under the previous Conservative government, it’s clear that Labour need to do more to turn things around, and I challenged the government on this in the House on the Thursday).

Also that day, together with my co-chairs of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Elections, we submitted an application to the Backbench Business Committee for a debate in the main chamber on Proportional Representation for General Elections.  I’m really delighted that this has been granted.

We voted for the Renters Rights Bill, which – although it doesn’t do as much as I and my colleagues hoped – certainly is a big step forwards.

On Wednesday we had a Westminster Hall debate on Water Quality, where I spoke about the situation in the Wye catchment and especially the Lugg, and pressed the Minister (yet again!) to treat agricultural pollution with the same seriousness as sewage pollution.  Without a comprehensive joined-up approach it simply won’t be possible to clean up our rivers.

The same day I appeared as part of the panel on BBC Politics Live; and in the afternoon the Environmental Audit Committee held the first session of our inquiry into the environmental impact of new housing.

On Thursday I spoke in the house on the Office for Environmental Protection's nature report, and also on the Gaza ceasefire news.

On Friday, Parliament was sitting to consider Private Members’ Bills, including the ‘Sunshine Bill’ on solar panels on new homes.  I’d hoped to speak in the debate, but sadly was not called.

That brings us on to last week!  And this was a bit of a different week, because I have got a place on the Bill Committee for the Children's Wellbeing and Schools (CWS) Bill, which is another huge new chunk of work and super-steep learning curve.

The Bill Committee is meeting 2 days per week (Tues and Thurs) for the next 4-5 weeks to do ‘line-by-line scrutiny’ of the Bill.  We’ve received enormous amounts of evidence, both written and verbal; and now we’re going through the bill, clause by clause, questioning Ministers, proposing amendments, asking for things to be reconsidered. It’s very detailed and in-depth work.  I’ve proposed, and will be speaking on, several amendments – including equal protection against assault for children, and on expanding free school meals.  I’ll aim to share more on this process in a future newsletter.

I attended a very moving Holocaust Memorial Ceremony in Parliament, with very powerful testimony from Holocaust survivors. 

The Environmental Audit Committee began our inquiry into flood resilience – a highly topical subject for so many of us.

Finally, on Friday, the Climate and Nature Bill came to Parliament, as a Private Members' Bill.  It was great to hear so many MPs from different parties make speeches about how passionate they were and how much they supported the Bill; but it was, to be honest, deeply disappointing that the government put huge pressure on their MPs – and on the proposer, Lib Dem Roz Savage – to prevent a vote. Given that so many MPs on all sides supported it, why not allow a vote so that it can go to Committee Stage and get that in-depth line-by-line scrutiny that all Bills need?

It’s so frustrating that even in the tiny part of parliamentary time that is supposedly led by backbenchers (‘private members’) the government is exerting heavy-handed control.  And there is huge inconsistency between Labour’s warm words on climate and their heavily-trailed forthcoming announcement on airport expansion – not to mention hiking bus fares while holding fuel duty down… If the government wants to be taken seriously on climate action, consistency is a basic requirement.

Looking ahead

Working on the CWS Bill will take up a lot of my time for the next month.  After that, I’ll be getting my teeth into an even larger task, as I will be the Green Party representative on the Cross-Party Commission on Social Care that Wes Streeting announced early in the new year.  The Commission will start work in April.  Like many, I want the work to be done much more quickly that the government has suggested; after all, there is a huge amount of detailed work that has been done on social care reform already.  The thing that’s been missing is the political will to bite the bullet and take it forward.  So I’ll be doing my very best to help move the process of consensus-building forwards.

Closer to home, I am really looking forward to holding my first ‘Town Hall’-style meeting on Friday 7th February in Ledbury – a public meeting where local residents can come and ask me questions about my work. 

I’m hoping to make these a regular thing and to hold them in a range of locations across the constituency.  Being open and accessible and accountable in this way is, I think, a key part of trying to help rebuild trust in politics.  (I’m continuing to hold my Friday surgeries, too; the surgery that week is in Leominster.)   

And as for the week ahead: well, I’ll be questioning the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, along with Environmental Audit Committee colleagues; I’ll be meeting the Secretary of State for Education regarding the Natural History GCSE; I’ll be continuing work on the CWS Bill; and I’ve been invited to Buckingham Palace for a reception with the King and Queen, along with lots of other new MPs.  We’ve also got the debate on Proportional Representation, and I’ll be working with colleagues in the APPG Water Pollution to plan next steps.  There’s always more to do!

Thanks for reading this far!  Please feel free to let me know if there are specific things you want to hear more (or less!) about in these updates. And please do encourage your friends to subscribe using the link below.

With best wishes for a happy and healthy 2025!

Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 9 The Buttercross, Leominster, HR6 8BN.

Hello everyone

I’m writing this from the train, on my way up to Westminster on my last Monday morning trip of 2024.  The sun is rising, and the fields are bathed in a glorious orange glow!

Last week in Westminster

On Monday I asked an Oral Question of the Secretary of State for Education regarding the currently-stalled Natural History GCSE.  This is something that Caroline Lucas had worked very hard on in the previous Parliament.  I’m delighted that the Secretary of State agreed to a meeting about this.

On Tuesday I took part in the ‘Urgent Question’ debate on Storm Darragh, highlighting the need for the government to properly invest in climate change adaptation, given the impacts that are already inevitable.

Tuesday was International Human Rights Day and I spoke in the Adjournment Debate on this topic, highlighting the work of human rights defenders in Colombia.  I also took part in the ‘Parliamentarians for Peace’ candlelit vigil.

Also on Tuesday, my parents came to visit Parliament for the first time since I was elected!  It was lovely to spend some time with them on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday I attended a couple of excellent briefings: with the UNWRA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini on the situation in Gaza and the wider region; and with Prof Chris Whitty on ‘Health in an Ageing Society’.  Professor Whitty really is an excellent presenter, and his report is definitely now on my Christmas reading list!  I also attended the launch of the new Commission on Palliative Care.

In the Environmental Audit Committee meeting on Wednesday we heard evidence on British science in Antarctica, including some very sobering information on the rapid rate of ice melt.  The urgency of the climate crisis should inform every aspect of government policy.

On Thursday I took part in a very constructive meeting with the Minister for Water and Flooding, Emma Hardy and the Deputy First Minister of Wales, together with two other MPs and a range of other stakeholders from the Wye Catchment Partnership, including Herefordshire Council, the Environment Agency, farmers, ecologists and more.  I emphasised the devastating impact of pollution in economic, social and environmental terms, including the harm done to the local construction industry; the need for government to pay adequate attention to diffuse agricultural pollution (which it hasn’t been talking about enough); and the need for financial support for the actions that actually make a difference (not for subsidising the chicken industry). I’m hopeful that there will be positive outcomes from the meeting, and will be following up and working with other Wye catchment MPs to push for this together.

In the constituency

On Friday I met the chief executive of Stonewater Housing Association in Leominster.  Stonewater is a national housing association with a particularly strong presence in North Herefordshire – in fact, it’s the constituency where they have the most homes. We discussed a range of cases that constituents have brought up with me, mainly relating to flooding, damp and mould. 

We then went to visit a retrofit project in Burghill, where Stonewater have been providing residents with insulation, heat pumps and new doors and windows, part-funded with government decarbonisation funding. It was great to meet residents and hear how pleased they are with the improvements!

Next I visited the Cider Museum in Hereford and met the National Association of Cider Makers, as well as getting a quick tour of the museum.  Herefordshire has a huge association with cider and it’s great to see that so recognised and celebrated.

Next it was Wellington for my constituency surgery. I’ve been trying out a range of locations for surgery appointments, so that I can be as accessible as possible to people across the whole constituency.

After that it was time to head off to Coventry to record BBC R4 Any Questions; more on that below.

On Saturday morning I was in Leominster Royal Mail Sorting Office at 0800 to meet the posties who do such an incredible job sorting and delivering our Christmas post.  As it happens, I once worked in a sorting office at Christmas, many years ago as a teenager, and it was interesting to see that the technology is still basically the same, i.e. hand-sorting into pigeonholes!  There was a festive atmosphere with Christmas music and jumpers galore, but at the same time a lot of focus from the team as there’s so much post to get sorted and delivered at this time of year.

I also had more constituency surgery appointments in Leominster on Saturday, as well as a meeting with a representative of the Friends of Mortimer Forest.

The highlight of Saturday, though, was undoubtedly Leominster’s Victorian Christmas Market.  The town was absolutely heaving, which was wonderful to see.  There were a dozen or more re-enactors, ranging from a ‘slop girl’ (a jobbing tailor) to a bare-footed soldier / beggar; to a seller of walnuts, a schoolmaster with cane; and lots more.  Together they added a huge amount of colour to the proceedings! There was also a procession with a horse-drawn carriage with ‘Queen Victoria’, and a towering Father Christmas.  Corn Square and Broad Street were full of lovely market stalls, and I know the council pulled out all the stops to ensure the resurfacing was done in time.  Huge thanks to everyone who worked so hard to put on this wonderful event!

Later on Saturday I went to watch Hereford FC play Chorley FC at Edgar Street – an excellent game, and we won!

And on Sunday evening I was privileged to attend the St Michael’s Hospice ‘Light Up A Life’ service in Hereford Cathedral. It was a very lovely and moving event.

In the media

I appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions on Friday evening, answering questions about economic growth, Syria, housebuilding and (the ‘light’ question at the end) sandwiches…

Coming up this week

Today we’re expecting a government announcement on devolution. I am also hoping to speak in the debate on the second reading of the Water (Special Measures) Bill.  As usual, things change on a daily basis, so I’ll let you know at the end of the week what’s happened!

With best wishes,

Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 9 The Buttercross, Leominster, HR6 8BN.

Hello everyone

Good news: this is a shorter update than last week’s!

Last week in Parliament

On Tuesday there was another historic free vote in the Commons, on Sarah Olney’s ‘Ten Minute Rule’ Bill on Proportional Representation.  I was delighted that the ‘Aye’ side won the vote, showing just how widespread support is among MPs for electoral reform.

On Wednesday I attended PMQs and ‘bobbed’ repeatedly, hoping to ask a question about palliative care, paying tribute to fundraisers at St Michael’s Hospice who I’d met the previous week, and calling on the PM to urge the health secretary to set out plans and a timescale for tackling the crisis in palliative care.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t selected by the Speaker, but I will keep on trying to catch his eye at PMQs!  I do enter the ballot to ask a PMQ every week, and have done since the start, but still my name hasn’t come out of the hat.  It is, literally, a lottery.

On Wednesday afternoon I had to attend a session of my select committee, the Environmental Audit Committee, which meant I couldn’t attend the Opposition Day debate on farming and inheritance tax.  However, I was able to participate in the Westminster Hall debate that was held later the same day on the subject of ‘the future of farming’; you can see my speech online, in which I called for more govt investment in farming support, plus help to rebalance the relationship between farmers and supermarkets.  I abstained on the vote on the Conservative motion on farming and IHT, because I don’t fully agree with either the Conservative or the Labour position on this. I support the principle of taxation falling on those with the broadest shoulders, I recognise the need to raise revenue for vital public services, and it’s clear that action is needed to stop wealthy investors using land as a tax loophole.  At the same time, it’s vital to support small and medium sized UK farmers and I know many farmers feel considerable anxiety about the future.  I have written to the Chancellor again about this, calling again for publication of an independent impact assessment and suggesting three ideas that could be explored to address the concerns raised by farmers: a time-limited exemption for farmers over 75; review of the thresholds and rates so that IHT is more clearly targeted at stopping the use of farmland as a tax loophole; and an exemption for land that is in Environmental Land Management schemes at the time of death and kept within them for 10 years subsequently.  I think these are ideas worth exploring that could help resolve the current impasse.

On Thursday I again bobbed unsuccessfully in Business questions and in the Ministerial Statement on Starmer’s ‘reset’.  It wasn’t my week on the bobbing front!

In the constituency

I held my constituency surgery as usual on Friday morning, this time in Leominster.  A very wide range of cases are raised with me in surgery – benefits, housing, domestic violence, health problems, social care, children’s services, road repairs, litter…   Each week I’m able to see 9 people face to face for a 20 minute appointment, but there are literally hundreds more who contact the office each week with cases, most of which can be addressed by my brilliant constituency team via email and phone.  I’m really pleased that I’ve now got a full team of constituency staff: an office manager, two senior caseworkers, and two caseworkers.  All are part-time, but there’s always someone available to help constituents every day!

On Friday afternoon I went to visit Luston School to hear about the challenges facing rural small schools in particular. 

I then popped in to visit the Balance Inn in Luston, a local pub that has been renovated and refreshed by its owners with a focus on high quality local proper food.  The wild mushrooms on toast were recommended to me by a lady at the bar and she was absolutely right – they were delicious!  I was asked by some local farmers who were having a Friday evening drink to join them for a chat about inheritance tax, which I gladly did!  Pubs like this are super important small businesses – great to support them!

I then headed for Ledbury to catch the Late Night Christmas shopping.  The high street was heaving, carollers were carolling, and it was all very delightful and festive!  I had a lovely time chatting to some of the shopkeepers, including the 23-person collective of artists who run Take 4 Gallery.
On Saturday morning (Small Business Saturday) I had hoped to be in Kington for the Food Festival, but Storm Darragh had other ideas; sadly the Festival had to be cancelled. I do hope it can reconvene sometime soon.  Small Business Saturday was disrupted in lots of places by the weather but of course we can and should be celebrating and supporting our small businesses every day! 😊

The eastern part of the constituency was not quite so badly affected by wind so I headed over to Wellington Heath Memorial Hall in the afternoon to join in with their 100th anniversary celebration, which included the rather unexpected delight of us all singing Old MacDonald Had A Farm!  The diversity of this job continues to surprise and delight me!

From there I headed to Malvern to meet the Chair and Vice Chair of Malvern Hills Trust.  The Trust cares for a considerable swathe of important habitat, crossing the boundary between North Herefordshire and West Worcestershire, including the wonderful Malvern Hills.  I met a ranger who told us there were many trees down across the hills due to the winds.

Then on Saturday evening I went to Hereford Cathedral for the Choral Society’s annual Christmas tradition: Handel’s Messiah by candlelight.  As usual it was wonderful!

On Sunday, after a morning making Christmas wreaths with friends and neighbours, I attended an absolutely lovely ‘live Nativity’ in Whitbourne complete with lots of local children playing the parts – shepherds leading real sheep, Mary and Joseph with a donkey, and the three kings on ponies.  I had been invited to nominate a charity for the collection, and I suggested The Living Room in Hereford, which offers support to people on the streets and facing crisis.  They run a café open to the public on Commercial Street – I warmly recommend popping in to learn more and support them!

The coming week...

As I write this I’m on the train to Westminster where I am expecting a statement on the very dramatic events in Syria over the weekend.  And on Thursday I will be meeting with Minister Hardy and the other River Wye catchment MPs to discuss the condition of the river; an important opportunity to press the government to take the action needed.

For now, I’ll sign off and send this.

With best wishes,

Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 9 The Buttercross, Leominster, HR6 8BN.

Hello everyone

I’m so very sorry it’s been so long since my last newsletter.  The problem is that the longer I leave it, the more there is to mention, so the bigger the task it becomes!  And there’s definitely a lot to report back on.

In Parliament

Last Friday was a momentous day in Parliament, as we debated and voted on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.  As a private members' bill, and a free vote, this showed Parliament in a different light – thoughtful, reflective, respectful, compassionate.  Although I wasn’t able to speak in the debate (there were hundreds of us who would have liked to) I was able to be there listening.  I was one of the 330 MPs who voted in favour of the Bill; I believe that offering the option of assisted dying at the end of life is the humane and compassionate thing to do.  I completely understand, though, why some are worried about this – and I am immensely grateful to the many hundreds of constituents who took the time to write to me, sharing their views on both sides of the debate. I’m still in the process of writing back to them all.

Environmental Audit Committee

I’m honoured to have been allocated a seat on a Select Committee: the Environmental Audit Committee. This cross-party committee meets every Wednesday afternoon to scrutinise the work of government in relation to environment and sustainability.  For example, last week we examined the work of the Climate Change Committee, and the week before we launched our new inquiry into the environmental impact of the government’s new planning targets.  Committee meetings are available to view online in the same way as parliamentary debates.

All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Water Pollution

I’ve also launched a new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on water pollution, with support from the charities River Action and Surfers Against Sewage.  We’ve got 58 members already, across multiple parties, all keen to work together to use Parliamentary opportunities to push forward action to tackle water pollution.

APPG on Fair Elections and visits to Parliament

I’m vice chair of the new APPG on Fair Elections which has over 100 members! We launched a report last week on what needs to be done to sort out our electoral system.

I’ve also been meeting with people from the constituency who have come up to London, including a group of 16 farmers who came to Parliament to speak to me about their concerns regarding inheritance tax; pupils from Mordiford Primary School who came to learn how Parliament works; and (in the streets outside Parliament) lots of Herefordshire residents who came to take part in the March for Clean Water.

In the constituency

I continue to hold surgeries each week, circulating around the market towns.  I’ve also started holding surgeries in some of the larger villages, such as Weobley and Wellington.

I met with local NHS leaders at Hereford Hospital to discuss their work and especially the integration of health and social care.  It’s good to have a direct channel to senior leaders so that I can raise cases that constituents come to me about. I’ve also met with other senior local leaders including the Chief Fire Officer and the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the West Midlands.

I’ve also attended Ledbury Town Twinning Association’s ‘Swedish Fika’; helped launch the new Bromyard site of the Marches Counselling Service; did an online Q&A with Hereford and Worcester Chamber of Commerce; visited Hellens Manor to hear about their community engagement work, and enjoy their monthly farmers’ market; attended coffee mornings in Burghill and in Wellington; officially launched the new Low Carbon Technology Training Centre at Holme Lacy, part of Hereford Ludlow and North Shropshire College; attended the Clever Betsy and Elizabeth Terrza art exhibitions at The Courtyard; opened Colwall Greener’s Eco Festival; shared Ukrainian food at the Apples and Borscht event in Leominster; laid a remembrance wreath in Ledbury, and another one in London alongside cadets from Herefordshire; met residents in Eardisland re flooding; and visited the Small Breeds Farm in Kington.

I’ve visited Megan Baker House in Ledbury to learn about how conductive education can help disabled people; attended a fundraising dinner for Herefordshire Headway, a local charity for people with acquired brain injury; and attended a fundraising celebration tea at the St Michael’s Hospice shop in Whitestone. 
Now I’m getting into the Christmas spirit, with my visits this last weekend including judging the Ledbury Traders’ Christmas window-dressing competition, and attending the wonderful Bromyard Christmas Tree Festival!

In the media

I appeared on BBC Question Time for the first time in November – a bit nerve-wracking if I’m honest, but I sort of enjoyed it!  I also appeared on BBC Politics Live last week.  I was on air on BBC 5 Live when Trump’s victory was confirmed; and I’ve been interviewed for The Westminster Hour on Radio 4 about the need for modernisation in Parliament.  I’ve also been on BBC Hereford and Worcester on a range of topics including the Budget, and assisted dying.

And finally

My amazing team of volunteers are delivering my latest printed newsletter in the next couple of weeks – a HUGE thank you to them all! 

We deliver paper newsletters because we know there are lots of people that we can’t reach through email or social media.  But it would be great to have more people subscribed to this email update – so if you know someone who might like to read this, please do forward it to them and encourage them to subscribe here.

With my very best wishes,

Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 9 The Buttercross, Leominster, HR6 8BN.

Welcome to the latest edition of my email newsletter. If you know someone who might like to read this, please do forward it to them and encourage them to subscribe here.

In Parliament

Last Thursday I spoke in Parliament about flooding, highlighting the fact that while it was National Flood Action Week, parts of North Herefordshire were underwater.  Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of these incidents. I called for a parliamentary debate on flood resilience, and highlighted the importance of working with farmers on natural flood management.  On the same day, I wrote to the Minister, calling also for more and better funding for local authorities to manage drainage, and for all new infrastructure and housing to take flood risk into account.

Last Wednesday I spoke in the debate on access to primary care, calling on the government to invest more the NHS, and to introduce a mechanism to protect and increase the proportion of the health budget that is spent on primary care.  As Lord Darzi’s report said, the NHS is underfunded and too hospital-orientated.  We need to invest earlier on to help everyone stay in good health.

On Tuesday I represented the Greens in the debate on House of Lords reform.  I welcomed the government’s proposals to remove hereditary peers, and called for a fully-elected second chamber.

The previous week, I spent all Monday afternoon in the chamber, ‘bobbing’ to speak in the debate on the Darzi report on the NHS, but I wasn’t called.  One Tuesday the same thing happened; I wanted to speak in the debate on farming, but wasn’t called despite hours of ‘bobbing’.

Let me take a moment to briefly explain ‘bobbing’.  It’s the term used for when MPs get to their feet each time another MP stops speaking.  It’s kind of like putting your hand up to speak, but you do it with your whole body.  You try to ‘catch the eye’ of the Speaker.  The Speaker alternates between calling a government-benches MP and an opposition-benches MP.  You can put your name down to speak in advance by letting the Speaker’s Office know (which I always do) but if you’re from a small party like the Greens, you’ll generally be put near the bottom of the list.  And if there are lots of people who want to speak, or lots of maiden speeches to be done that day, you may not get called at all.

The other way to get to speak is called ‘intervening’; it’s when an MP rises to their feet when another MP is speaking, and says ‘will the honourable member give way?’  The MP who already has the floor can say yes or no.  If they give way, they will get an extra minute on their speaking time.  Some MPs use this quite cynically; for example, they will accept interventions from members of their own party in order to get more speaking time overall.  And some MPs intervene multiple times on other MPs.  In the debate on House of Lords reform, this drove me slightly up the wall; some of us waited hours to get called to speak, while other MPs intervened multiple times and then were called to speak ahead of us, in some cases speaking for up to 20 minutes!  And in the whole debate, which lasted many hours, there was only one intervention by a woman and many, many dozens by men. 

So, as you can perhaps tell, I am a little frustrated by how the Commons operates. And don’t even get me started on how Committee seats are allocated!  Maybe I’ll write about that in the next update...  I’m constructively channelling my observations on House of Commons reform into a list of issues to raise with Lucy Powell, the Leader of the House, with whom I’ll be meeting shortly.

Looking ahead to this week, I was speaking in the Employment Rights Bill debate on Monday, because the Department for Business and Trade is one of the departments I’m shadowing.  FYI, here’s the full list of departments I’m shadowing:

• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
• Defence (MoD)
• Education (DfE)
• Housing, Communities and Local Government (DHCLG)
• Business and Trade (DBT)
• Joint lead on Health and Social Care (DHSC: I’m leading on social care, and Adrian on health)
• Joint lead on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
• plus constitutional reform (Cabinet Office). 

My 3 other Green MP colleagues have similarly wide portfolios!

Also today I’ll be presenting my ‘Presentation Bill’, the Water (Agricultural Pollution) Bill.  I’ve put this forward to highlight the fact that the government’s Water (Special Measures) Bill focuses solely on the water companies, and doesn’t take account of the fact that agricultural water pollution is an equally important issue. Unfortunately I wasn’t successful in the Private Members’ Bill ballot, nor in the Ten Minute Rule Bill ballot, so my Bill won’t get any parliamentary debate time I’m afraid.

However I am a co-sponsor of Max Wilkinson’s ‘Sunshine Bill’, which is all about making it compulsory to put solar panels on the roof of every newbuild house.  As you know, I’ve been campaigning on this for some time!  Max came out 3^rd in the Private Members Bill Ballot so there’s a reasonable chance that this Bill may actually go somewhere.

As you’ll no doubt be aware, Kim Leadbeater came out top in the Private Members Bill ballot, and is bringing forward a bill on assisted dying.  We’re now awaiting the exact details of the Bill. As a long-time supporter of assisted dying, I am very likely to support it. Many constituents have been contacting me to share their views on this issue, which of course I welcome.  The first debate and vote will be on Friday 29^th November.

In the constituency

Starting top left, moving clockwise, finishing in the centre, these photos show: Eardisland Craft and Produce Fair; Kingsland Apple Day; Big Apple Harvesttime; Ledbury Listens creative work and young people; soil health and seaweed fertiliser;  Kingsland Apple Day.

It’s been an apple-themed fortnight, that’s for sure!  Herefordshire is literally rolling in apples at the moment, and I’ve enjoyed taking part in various apple-themed events for the past three weekends, including Kingsland Apple Day, the Big Apple Harvesttime festival in Much Marcle, the Herefordshire AppleFest ‘Apple Banquet’ in Hereford, and Herefordshire Wildlife Trust’s Apple Day at Queenswood.  I also managed to spend a few hours helping out with the apple harvest on the farm where I live, which was lovely!

I attended a wonderful youth-run event, ‘Ledbury Listening’, which reported back on research with 636 young people on what they wanted in Ledbury.  It was brilliantly presented by a team of young people, together with drama and poetry contributions, and I hope I can support the implementation of some of the recommendations!

I’ve also been reaching out to the farming community.  Just this past weekend, I’ve visited two farms in the constituency to discuss soil health, water pollution and more; and I’m very grateful to Louise Manning and family for hosting me and a dozen Young Farmers for a very enjoyable evening of discussion on all things farming-related.

One of my key roles as the MP is to bring concerns from the constituency into Parliament – whether that’s about flooding, train service failures, support for SEND, farming or any number of other issues – through asking questions, writing to Ministers, and raising points in debates.  I still have lots to learn about how to use Parliamentary procedure to push things forward, but I hope and believe I’m getting the hang of it!

In the media

I spoke to BBC Midlands Today last week about the flooding in North Herefordshire, and also to Greatest Hits radio.  I was also interviewed for the BBC’s Sunday Politics programme about my decision to give away the majority of my salary. I also took part in Iain Dale’s Cross Question programme on LBC on Wednesday evening, discussing everything from China’s military moves around Taiwan to assisted dying.

Looking forward

This week I’ll be signing the papers to establish a new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Water Pollution. I’m pleased to have initiated this personally, after I realised that the existing all-party group on water had Water UK (the water companies’ trade body) as its secretariat, meaning that it was hardly an independent group!  The new APPG on Water Pollution will be supported by a couple of NGOs who have a long track record campaigning for clean water, including River Action.  River Action is also organising the March for Clean Water in London on Sunday 3^rd November – check out the details here and do come along if you can!

And finally…

A couple of quick asks from me:

1. If you know someone else who might like to know what I’m up to on your behalf from week to week, please send them this email and encourage them to subscribe here.
2. Please follow me on social media for daily updates: Facebook; Instagram; X.
3. Please encourage local good causes to apply to my Constituency Fund; details here.

Thank you and until the next time!

All the best,

Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 2 Canon Frome Court, HR8 2TD.

First of all, many apologies for the long hiatus between my last update and this one.  I’m finding that if I don’t write an update once a week, there’s so much to report that the task becomes ever bigger and more daunting!  So here goes with a quick (ish) summary of the last 5 weeks, and I will try to get back into a more regular rhythm going forward.

In Parliament

I’m back on the train to London as I write, after three weeks of ‘conference recess’ which has been another great opportunity to spend lots of time in the constituency.  The parliamentary timetable is quite odd – we returned to Westminster on 2nd September, but then stopped again on 12th September for the big party conferences.

Those two Parliamentary weeks in early September were busy as usual.  I spoke 11 times in just 8 days of debates (!), on a very wide range of topics including:

• rural bus services (challenging the Minister to reverse the inequality between rural and urban funding);
• the Winter Fuel Allowance (speaking out against the government’s harsh cuts);
• arms sales to Israel (challenging the Foreign Secretary to apply the principles of international law much more consistently);
• FE funding (highlighting the inequality in funding for FE versus sixth form teacher salaries).

I also led my first Westminster Hall debate, on environmental building standards. I pressed the Minister to urgently bring forward (and strengthen) the Future Home Standard, to include embodied as well as operational carbon in building standards, and to ensure that all new homes have solar panels on the roofs and swift bricks as standard practice.

I’m trying to post short clips from all my Parliamentary contributions on my social media channels, and I’m hoping to get a page set up on the website soon to track it all.  In the meantime you can follow my contributions via TheyWorkForYou.com.

Starting top left, moving clockwise, finishing in the centre, these photos show: H.Art in Leominster; Herefordshire Mencap; Wigmore Primary School; Kington Show; Leinthall Quarry; Ledbury Community Pharmacy Day; Our News Our Views.

Constituency visits

I’ve been on loads of local visits in recent weeks, including: Wigmore School, where I met with secondary and primary students; Wharton Court River Lugg works open day; H.Art in Leominster; Kington Show; the Battle of Britain memorial service in Hereford; Grange Court; meeting the Soil Association by the Wye re their ‘Stop Killing Our Rivers’ petition; a great participant-led meeting with Herefordshire Mencap and Our News Our Views; Ledbury Pharmacy; Leominster in Bloom plant and craft fair; Westfield School fete; Ledbury Methodist Church Place of Welcome and English conversation class for Afghan refugees; Citizens Advice Bureau Herefordshire; HVOSS; Avara; Whitwick Manor; Westfield School (during the week this time, to see the school in action); Leominster in Bloom’s ‘Shed Opening’; Leinthall Quarry; singing with the Military Wives Choir in Credenhill (just delightful: I got to sing while holding the most wonderfully good-natured baby!); meeting the Environment Agency re water quality; visiting the Age UK Ledbury Shed; Connexus site visit at the full Pitcher in Ledbury; Upper Sapey crossroads meeting re road safety; Weobley High School and Primary School, including helping to cut the ribbon at the Grand Opening of their new biomass boiler; the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford; watching the very moving film One Life, about Nicholas Winton’s work helping Jewish refugees escape from Czechoslovakia, with Nicholas’s son in law who lives in the constituency; a helpful session with the Leominster Jobcentre staff to learn about how my casework team can most effectively help constituents with benefits issues; Nigel Fraser of Herefordshire General Practice; a very useful meeting with 3 other Wye catchment MPs, convened by Friends of the River Wye and Save the Wye in Hay; Leintwardine First Saturday; Kingsland Apple Day; and Eardisland Craft and Produce Fair.  Phew!  I also had the delight of sharing a stage with Jenny Jones for an evening of conversation about how Parliament really works, organised by Hellens Sustainability Café.  And I spent an afternoon walking around Leominster a couple of weekends back, introducing myself to all the shopkeepers and giving them my contact details.  I hope to do the same in the other market towns soon.

Surgeries

I’ve continued with weekly surgeries, rotating around the 4 market towns of Ledbury, Leominster, Bromyard and Kington.  I’ve also asked my team to look into whether we can hold surgeries in some of the larger villages too.  Surgery dates are posted on my website, and appointments can be booked by sending an email.  At every surgery I’m accompanied by one of my caseworkers, and I am also incredibly grateful to the wonderful volunteers who help out as informal ‘receptionists’, making constituents welcome. (If you can spare some time on an occasional Friday morning from 0900-1230, and would like to help out in this way, please do let me know!)

At each surgery we’re able to see 9 people face to face – but every week there are many, many, many more who contact us and who we can help via email or telephone.

My new office & staff team

My new office manager Gill has started work and I’ve got two permanent caseworkers (Ella and Alice) as well as two temporary ones (Mark and Karl) who are doing an amazing job of helping constituents. I’m so grateful to them all!  Our new office in Leominster is taking shape, and it’s great to have a base.  Frustratingly, we still haven’t been able to get BT to install a phone line, but they’ve promised it’s coming soon!

Green Party conference

It seems a long while back now, but the Green Party’s conference was held in Manchester in early September and went really well.  We had a ‘meet the MPs’ session and I chaired a panel discussion on nature-friendly farming and participated in a panel on electoral reform.

In the media

I’ve been on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Channel 4 News, and the BBC’s Politics Midlands panel programme, plus various appearances on LBC, Times Radio and BBC Hereford and Worcester.

And finally…

…dear readers, I’d like to ask for your help with two things!

First, I’m really keen to encourage new people to consider getting actively involved in politics. Women and young people are still very under-represented in politics, so I am especially keen to encourage them to step forward!  This isn’t a party political thing: I simply want to encourage new voices in politics and help support the next generation of local councillors and potential MPs.  I’m planning to organise some informal dinners for people who might potentially consider getting involved in politics some day, and who’d like to hear what it really involves. So if this is you, or could be someone you know, please express interest by clicking here for more info.

And last but not least: I’m setting up a small informal Constituency Fund to help put a bit extra back into the local community.  Some years ago I took the ‘Giving What We Can’ pledge to give away a significant proportion of my income, and I’m continuing this as an MP. I’m keeping £2k per month of my salary to live on (equivalent to national average wage) and giving the rest away.  I’m splitting this giving equally between the Green Party (to support the next generation of Green campaigners), GiveDirectly (which gives cash transfers directly to families living in poverty in East Africa) and my new Constituency Fund, which aims to support local projects that make life better by tackling inequality through care and creativity. You can find details about the Constituency Fund, including how to apply, on my website here.  Please do share this info with local projects that you think might wish to apply.

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, or gave us your address at an event. 

This week…

So: back to Parliament, and it’s a very busy week!  I proposed an amendment to the Budget Responsibility Bill, which was considered by a Committee of the Full House yesterday, so I was mostly in the chamber.  This week I’ve also got meetings with various housing associations and train companies, so I will be raising with them the issues that constituents have raised with me. I hope to get back into doing weekly email updates from now on, so will keep you posted!  And if you know anyone else who’d like to receive these updates, please encourage them to sign up here.

With very best wishes,

Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 2 Canon Frome Court, HR8 2TD.

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 2 Canon Frome Court, HR8 2TD.

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 2 Canon Frome Court, HR8 2TD.