Theresa May MP
Member of Parliament for Maidenhead,
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
and Shadow Minister for Women
Issues
Trains
Theresa is regularly in touch with First Great Western, Crossrail and Network Rail to raise issues which affect constituents and to ensure that people locally are getting the train services they need and deserve. There has been a marked improvement in the timetable following pressure from Theresa and local rail users, and most recently in September First Great Western launched a new evening commuter service which gets into Maidenhead at 18:09 – a great result for everyone! There is still some way to go – in particular there is an urgent need for a better evening service for Maidenhead and Twyford – but Theresa will continue to call for these improvements on the mainline and ensure that Crossrail will not have a detrimental impact for local passengers.
Planning and Development
The constituency continues to face immense pressure to protect its threatened Green Belt from residential and retail development. Theresa has expressed concerns over Government changes to the rules which protect against excessive out-of-town developments. By taking the decision away from local authorities and focussing on regional development targets this move could undermine the ability to protect our green open spaces and Maidenhead town centre. Theresa has also campaigned against large-scale developments such as Badnell’s Pit in Maidenhead and Sandford Farm in Woodley and continues to discuss local planning issues with both Wokingham Borough Council and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to ensure they are listening to local residents and making serious and informed decisions about development.
St Marks Hospital
Having seen a number of health services taken away from Maidenhead over recent years, Theresa was delighted that her campaign for a Minor Injuries Unit was successfully able to bring this vital service to St Marks. The Unit opened in September 2008 on a temporary basis after a strong local campaign led by the Maidenhead Advertiser and Theresa in which they convinced Berkshire East Primary Care Trust (PCT) of the need for such a facility in Maidenhead. This is an important service for Maidenhead which is a real improvement on the local NHS facilities which Theresa is fighting to protect.
River and Flooding
The River Thames forms the northern border of the constituency – a natural resource which brings money and tourists into the area and which should be enjoyed by all. Unfortunately, for too long the river has been dealt with in sections without a coordinated effort to raise issues affecting people living near the river or river users. Theresa is a member of a new cross-party committee of MPs and peers dedicated to the River Thames which offers a sensible and integrated approach towards flooding and other river-related issues, such as dredging and building on the flood plain. The successful campaign by Theresa and other local MPs to protect residential lock keepers in the Thames Valley area showed how effective MPs and campaigners can be when working together and Theresa hopes that the new group will provide a single voice to protect this unique part of the nation’s river heritage against similar threats.
Broadband
For those who live in remote areas, or indeed those who run small businesses based in the countryside, quick and reliable telecommunications services are an increasingly important means of conducting day-to-day life. Yet, broadband access is still a problem for a number of rural communities across the constituency. Theresa was therefore delighted by a successful result for the campaign run by her and local residents to bring broadband to Waltham St Lawrence and parts of Hurst and she continues to lobby for a new commitment to universal access to broadband.
Heathrow
Many local people were devastated by the Government’s decision to build a third runway at Heathrow. This expansion will result in thousands of additional flights, increased noise and more pollution. Theresa is firmly against plans to build a third runway and is campaigning against it on behalf of Maidenhead residents. She has raised the many concerns of local residents in the House of Commons. She is particularly concerned about the environmental effects of expanding Heathrow, both in terms of the UK’s carbon targets and the effect of increased flight numbers and road traffic on local residents. Theresa has also expressed her concern that the number of night flights might increase and has pressed the Government to confirm that this will not be the case.
Local businesses
Theresa frequently visits local companies in order to hear their views on how best to support business and prevent job losses during the economic downturn. She often writes to Government ministers on behalf of local businesses and has regularly spoken in the House of Commons to propose measures to reduce unemployment and help people back into work. Theresa has been particularly concerned about the plight of former workers at Nortel, many of whom live in the constituency. More than 100 people have been made redundant from Nortel without consultation. Theresa has worked with a lobby of MPs to help bring attention to Nortel’s actions and will continue to work to ensure that those made redundant are treated fairly.
Post Offices
Theresa joined local campaigners to fight against the proposed closure of six of the Post Offices in the constituency as they provide an invaluable service to the local community they serve. Theresa was delighted that, because of the strength of the local campaign, Bridge Road Post Office was saved – one of only 24 Post Offices across the country that were saved, out of 621 threatened with closure. However, she was very disappointed that five others were closed against the wishes of local residents.
Expenses
Many people were rightly angry when revelations about MPs’ expenses were made during 2009. Theresa has one of the lowest expenses claims of any MP and her main home has always been in the Maidenhead constituency. She has never claimed for food, furniture or household goods and has always been a full-time MP. However, Theresa believes that all MPs should apologise for the system of expenses that developed and allowed abuse to take place. Even before the expenses revelations, Theresa had called for reform of the system to restrict the amount that MPs could claim and to ensure proper audit in Parliament. All of Theresa’s expenses are available online, but she is always happy to answer questions from constituents who have specific queries.
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