It was an important week in south Bristol and across the city and country, with the elections for local councillors, metro Mayors and Police and Crime Commissioners. Back in Parliament, there was an important debate around a change in the law on assisted dying.
Congratulations to all new councillors
Congratulations to everyone elected to the Council in Bristol South in Thursday’s elections. I look forward to working with councillors from all parties, and am very pleased to have some great new Labour candidates locally following in the footsteps of Helen Holland, Chris Jackson, and Mark Bradshaw who all stood down this time after tremendous service to local residents. I wish them well for the future. At the time of writing, it’s not clear what the new administration in Bristol will look like, but as I always have, I will ensure that I work with the newly formed Council for the benefit of people in south Bristol.
It was great to see Clare Moody elected as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, the first Labour candidate to hold the position since it was created. She will be an excellent leader to work with the police in our region, concentrating on both tackling crime and preventing it in the first place.
Debating assisted dying in Parliament
On Monday, MPs debated a change in the law on assisted dying for the first time in almost two years, after a petition backed by Dame Esther Rantzen and charity Dignity in Dying gained more than 200,000 signatures. I am co-Chair of the All Party Group on Assisted Dying and was pleased to see MPs from all parties give insightful and heartfelt contributions to the debate, learning from each other about why a change in the law is so widely supported. Many were supportive of a change in the law, including colleagues who had previously been in opposition. It’s important that further time is given to this issue in the next Parliament, so MPs can continue to address the complexities and concerns around assisted dying in an informed way.
Supporting Great Western Air Ambulance
In Westminster, the Great Western Air Ambulance charity came to Parliament for their annual reception this week. The fantastic work they do in our region saves lives, and it was good to hear about their ongoing successes and how we can support them to continue helping people in the area.