The prime minister has announced that there will be a general election on Thursday, 4 July.
I have loved every minute of my first four years as your MP since I was elected in 2019 – it has been the privilege of a lifetime to meet so many of the wonderful people who make East Surrey such a beautiful place to live, work and raise a family. From the hundreds of constituents I have met and been able to help in my surgeries, to securing a new diagnostic centre to Caterham Dene Hospital, to the wonderful community volunteers I have worked with on my charity, the Friendship Project, I have loved all of it.
There is so much more I want to do. I will carry on fundraising to support local groups that improve wellbeing and tackle loneliness, reducing pressure on local GPs and creating meaningful connections within our communities. I will continue working with Surrey Police to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in our town centres, and fight Labour’s plans to build on the green belt.
I will engage with Gatwick Airport to make sure that any expansion, if approved, results in much-needed new infrastructure and jobs for local people, and I will make sure that the people of East Surrey are heard when train operators draw up their timetables.
But at a national level, this election will be a choice. That choice will be to stick with a Conservative plan which has seen the economy turn a corner, passed new laws to stop small boats crossing the channel, and delivered tax cuts worth £900 for the average worker, or a Labour Party which forced through ULEZ on our doorstep, wants to build on the green belt, and will send your energy bill soaring by pursuing dangerous targets that no other country is aiming for.
I love this country. I want it to be prosperous and secure. In Rishi Sunak we have a prime minister who has got our economy back on its feet and has the courage to take decisions which are difficult – yet necessary – to create a safer and more secure future. All of our progress since the pandemic will be put at risk by a Labour government which will raise your taxes, saddle your children with debt, and hand Ed Miliband control of your energy bill.
Despite the election, my team and I will still be available if you need help with urgent casework, so please get in touch on Claire.coutinho.mp@parliament.uk.
I’ll be out and about every week talking to people about their priorities, so if you see me, please come and say hello!
Read Claire’s other letters here.
