Getting Things Done

Getting things done for Thornbury & Yate - A Record of Action

Here are some highlights of what I have been doing since the 2005 election.

For a full rundown of my activities, see www.stevewebb.org.uk

Read my annual reports

Every year I have reported back on the work that I have done on behalf of local people, both in the constituency and at Westminster. Click on the photo on the left to access copies of all my annual reports since the last General Election in 2005. Please note that these were produced whilst I was a Member of Parliament.

Campaigning to keep local post offices open

South Glos has seen a new round of post office closures under government plans for the Royal Mail. Post offices are a lifeline to many of our town and village communities and I worked hard alongside Tytherington residents, addressing public meetings, running petitions and meeting with government ministers, councillors and council officials to put together a funding package to enable Tytherington Post Office to reopen in 2009.

Pension campaign success

A number of local residents have had a big boost to their state pensions thanks to my campaign to find women who were missing out. I have secured tens of thousands of pounds in backdated pension rights for dozens of local women, and have forced the Government to hand back more than £100 million to thousands of women across the country.

Victory in fight for cancer drug

Charfield resident Robert Derrick contacted me after he was refused the cancer drug 'Sutent' because of the postcode lottery of the NHS. I spoke to local NHS bosses, the drug manufacturer, the Department of Health and the rationing watchdog NICE to press for this decision to be reviewed. Gloucestershire PCT finally reversed their decision and agreed to fund Mr Derrick's treatment.

Campaigning to save the greenbelt

I have been campaigning against proposals for the over-development of South Gloucestershire under the Government's 'regional spatial strategy' (RSS). The proposals would include a huge new housing site on green fields that would increase the size of Chipping Sodbury by half. The RSS decision has been postponed indefinitely following a legal challenge but developers have earmarked this site ready to submit an application.

Tackling climate change

As Lib Dem Climate Change spokesman in 2008, I campaigned to persuade the Government to set a binding target of an 80% cut in Britain's CO2 emissions by 2050, rather than the 60% that was originally contained in the Climate Change Bill. My amendment to the Bill was accepted by the Government and passed into law.

Campaigning for better public transport

I have met senior managers from First Great Western in my Westminster office to make plain to them the anger of local people about their increasingly poor train services. I have secured an extra rush hour train from Yate, an extra carriage on another rush hour train and played a key role in saving the X27 bus service.

A Cinema 4 Yate?

For years, local residents have highlighted the lack of a cinema at Yate. I launched the "Cinema4Yate" campaign with its own website and thousands of people registered support. After an inevitable delay when the shopping centre changed hands, the new owners are working on plans for the centre and have assured me that a cinema is still very much part of their thinking.

Phone mast success

Mobile phone company O2 agreed to move a mast that was to be placed right next to a local primary school, after a successful partnership between local residents, campaigners and myself. The company planned to put a mast up in Winterbourne, right next to Elm Park Primary. I chaired a meeting with campaigners and the phone company in Westminster and they subsequently agreed to identify an alternative location for the mast.

Speaking up for local jobs

I challenged the Prime Minister and led a debate at Westminster on the importance of government action to support jobs at Airbus. With the sale of the last British shares in the company, concerns have been expressed about whether Airbus work may be moved abroad. I have urged the Government to play an active part in negotiations to secure British jobs.

Veteran's Badge success

I ran an awareness campaign to ensure that dozens of local armed services veterans had their services recognised with a new Veteran's Badge. The badge is for all who served in HM Armed Forces before 31 December 1969. I was concerned that many local residents did not know about the badge, and after publicising it in the local media, hundreds of people got in touch. Most of these have now successfully claimed their badges.

Local school saved

King Edmund Community School in Yate was under threat of closure in 2005, as part of a local education reorganisation. I successfully campaigned with local parents and teachers to keep the school open. A few months later I was delighted to open a brand new business conference centre at the school, and to see it going from strength to strength.

Fighting for local hospital services

I have been leading the fight to keep Frenchay hospital open. I took the local campaign to Westminster to call for action on the massive debts of North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Frenchay. I sought an independent review of the plans for Frenchay, and have used Ambulance Trust figures to show that people living in the north and east of South Glos will take far longer to get to Southmead in an emergency compared with Frenchay.