On Thursday evening I hosted my latest neighbourhood meeting at Newcastle Baptist Church alongside local Borough Councillor Andy Parker. It was a pleasure to talk with the many residents who came along to raise questions and voice their opinions.
These meetings give local residents the chance to come and question me, as your Member of Parliament, on any topic – local, national or international. Residents raised issues ranging from speeding issues, grass cutting (now thankfully much improved since the Borough council have got the contract back), and local libraries, to wider issues such as unfair rises in broadband contracts and car insurance, and even international diplomacy.
My staff join me at the meetings to take notes, so I can get back to people raising specific cases in greater detail.
This meeting took me past the 10,000 houses invited mark - approximately one-third of the constituency. I will be continuing to travel round the constituency over the coming months – keep an eye out for a letter dropping through your letterbox for when I will be in your area.