The festive season is now upon us, and Meads Magic and the town’s Christmas lights turn on really kicked it off for me and many others in Eastbourne and Willingdon.
The brilliant annual Meads Magic brings the community together, showcases local talent and promotes shopping in the parade. When I was a councillor, I helped bring the event back and I am thrilled it has gone from strength to strength with live music and a Christmas market. Many thanks to Terrie and the team.
Talking of local shopping - an extension to Meads Magic across the town and beyond is Small Business Saturday taking place this week. This national event encourages people to shop in local independent stores in the run up to Christmas and it has been very successful. Every year, I tour the town in support of the initiative and to buy goods and praise our brilliant local retailers. Covid and now the cost of living has presented challenges to this sector so important to our town and its hospitality and tourism sectors. Can I urge everyone to go out and shop locally if they can for Christmas gifts. Your support could be the difference.
Despite some news headlines to the contrary, hundreds of millions of pounds of government investment in our DGH remains firmly on track. There was a very positive meeting last week with the hospital trust about the modular building programme announced by the government that will be substantially cheaper. It remains the decision of the trust what they want to see happen. Watch this space for more news on this once-in-a -generation investment.
In Westminster, the Online Safety Bill is coming back. I support new key measures within it including a new offence to crack down on the sharing of intimate images without consent.
Another big step in protecting children is a new offence to make it illegal to encourage someone to harm themselves. I will be voting for it. As the culture secretary said, social media companies cannot be "silent bystanders". The firms will face fines for allowing this content if the bill becomes law.
