Alison Bennett's Monday Mail: What happens in recess

What happens in recess

Today I will be returning to Westminster after the Summer Recess. 

I thought I would share a little of what I have been up to during recess. I realise that this may not be typical, because as a new MP, much of my time has been spent on sorting out a constituency office, and recruiting people to work for me. 

First things first - I did go on holiday for a week. The prime minister cancelled his holiday following the riots, and I have every sympathy with him deciding that this was the right thing to do. However, I do hope that he is able to take time off in the months and years to come. We are all human, and we all need time to recharge and spend time with our loved ones. 

Holidays aside, I have been out meeting people across Mid Sussex. This included St Catherine’s Hospice, Haywards Heath and Beech Hurst Bowls Club, Sussex Police, the Royal Mail, local farmers, a church and a mosque. There is never a dull day. 

Then there is the desk work. Just because Parliament isn’t ‘sitting’ it doesn’t mean that people in Mid Sussex stop needing to contact their MP. With everything from international policy, to hedgerows that need cutting back, it’s the ultimate mixed mail bag. I have tried to prioritise the most urgent problems, but even then, I know that my office is not at full strength and does not have the capacity to help everyone who gets in touch. In the months ahead as I recruit a full team I am looking forward to this changing. 

The hospice funding crisis

On Friday I had a sobering conversation with the CEO of St Catherine’s Hospice. St Catherine’s is just outside the constituency in Pease Pottage, but it serves people right across Mid Sussex and Surrey and provides a vital role for people as they approach the end of their lives. 

The BBC reported this week that the hospice sector is not sustainably funded. The NHS funds only 30% of St Catherine’s income, and the rest has to come from donations. Inflation has ravaged the hospice sector, and many hospices are facing a bleak financial future with cuts to services and care following. The new government has inherited a healthcare system which is in peril on many fronts. End of life care is just one of them. What was clear to me from my meeting is that demand for the services that hospices provide is only going to soar as our population ages, and we can’t shy away from this. Everyone of us will one day die. Conversations about end of life care are vital, and investing in it is what a dignified society must do. 

Sweetly done

A real pleasure in July was beginning to get to know my fellow Liberal Democrat MPs. Calum Miller is someone who the week before the election I was learning about on one of my favourite podcasts, and within days I was sharing a hot desking room with. It is taking a while to get used to a throwaway comment making it into print though. 

September will bring two weeks in Parliament and then Brighton is hosting our Autumn Lib Dem Conference - I can’t wait. 

Getting in touch

My parliamentary email address is: alison.bennett.mp@parliament.uk. If you need my help, please get in touch and I will do my best to help, but whilst I am still recruiting, it will take longer than usual to respond. 

Best wishes,

Alison