Writing in this week's Redditch Standard (November 10th), Rachel said:
“Pageantry, pomp and tradition were all on display this week at the State Opening of Parliament.
“I’ve had the privilege of witnessing a number of these historic moments, but the majesty of these occasions are not lost on me all these years later.
“At the heart of this tradition is the King’s Speech which sets out the Government’s priorities for the new session of Parliament.
“In recent years we have faced two unprecedented crises, firstly the Covid pandemic and then the war in Ukraine. These events have exposed underlying issues in the way our country is run, and that is why we are determined to implement the change this country needs.
“The King’s Speech, the first in 70 years, set out how the Government will implement plans to deliver a brighter future for our country in the wake of these unprecedented crises.
“This means that we will also continue to tackle inflation, prioritise higher growth over extra borrowing, reduce debt, relieve pressure on the NHS by cutting waiting lists and implement our world-leading small boats laws so we can crush the people smuggling gangs and stop the boats.
“But we’re also going to do much more than that.
“We will safeguard our energy independence by backing North Sea oil and gas extraction. This will safeguard 100,000s of jobs and enable us to reach our Net Zero targets in a proportionate and pragmatic way.
“We will secure the benefits of Brexit by promoting trade and investment with the fastest growing economies around the world. By developing our global trading relationships, we can create new jobs at home and grasp one of the key opportunities of Brexit.
“We will empower leaseholders with greater rights and protections over freeholds and punitive charges. We will give renters more security and landlords more control over their properties, whilst also delivering our manifesto commitment to abolish Section 21 “no fault” evictions. These are all issues I’ve dedicated a lot of time to as Housing Minister.
“We will ensure criminals get the prison sentences they deserve and give police the tools they need to prevent new and complex crimes, such as digital-enabled crime, child sexual abuse, and child grooming.
“Now we have left the EU, we have the power to ban live animal exports, protecting livestock from distress and injury.
“We will continue to protect our national interests by backing our Armed Forces, supporting Ukraine, leading in NATO, and striving for peace and stability in the Middle East.
“In each of these areas we are taking the right long-term action to deliver change and a brighter future for everyone in Redditch and the Villages.”
