A newly-elected Suffolk MP has had a busy time in her first month of representing the people of the Lowestoft and Beccles area.
Lowestoft MP, Jess Asato, has made her maiden speech during a debate in the House of Commons on 'Making Britain a Clean Energy Superpower.
And it has been a "few (hectic!) weeks" for the newly-elected MP - who spoke during the debate on green energy to pay tribute to predecessors, Peter Aldous and Bob Blizzard and mentor Tessa Jowell - before her first constituency surgery was held on August 2.
Getting on with the job! Today I held my first surgery and discussed everything from NHS dentistry access to speeding on Crestview Drive. Afterwards I was blown away by Re-utilise and Lowestoft Timebank - two incredible orgs working to support our community! pic.twitter.com/kJTbuDanTH
— Jess Asato MP (@Jess4Lowestoft) August 2, 2024
During her maiden speech, Ms Asato thanked the people of Lowestoft, Beccles, and the villages for electing and putting their faith in her as she paid tribute to Mr Aldous, Mr Blizzard and her mentor Dame Tessa Jowell.
Ms Asato said: "I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor, Peter Aldous, and his contribution to East Anglia’s position as a green energy leader, his defence of our local fishing industry and his campaigning for the WASPI women.
"I thank him for his many years of public service and wish him all the best for his future.
"I also pay tribute to his predecessor, Bob Blizzard, who very sadly passed away in 2022.
"He served the people of my constituency for more than 20 years, in local government and in Parliament, and his decades-long fight for a third crossing will see its fruition with the opening of the Gull Wing bridge later this summer.
"Finally, I must mention Dame Tessa Jowell, my mentor, who was much loved and is much missed.
"I would not be in this place if she had not encouraged me to follow my passion for change."
Earlier today, in a debate on green energy, I made my maiden speech.
— Jess Asato MP (@Jess4Lowestoft) July 26, 2024
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I began by paying tribute to my predecessors, Peter Aldous and Bob Blizzard, and my mentor Tessa Jowell. pic.twitter.com/b6CtG0TKFW
Unveiling her vision for politics, and how it has been shaped by her childhood
experience of poverty, Ms Asato said she is committed to changing that - as she encouraged her colleagues in the chamber to visit the Lowestoft constituency.
Highlighting a number of issues facing locals - including sewage in our rivers and the sea, flood protection, coastal erosion, children in deprivation and NHS dentistry, Ms Asato said: "Lowestoft is a special place to represent.
"However, that beautiful scenery and the really close sense of community we find in places such as mine have been let down.
"People are disgusted by sewage in our rivers and the sea.
"They are concerned about the lack of flood protection and about coastal erosion, not least because of the devastating impact of the 2013 flood in Lowestoft and the precarious nature of homes on Pakefield cliff threatened by the sea.
"Most worryingly, they are concerned about feeding their children.
"One of the most pressing issues for many residents is access to NHS dentistry.
On Friday, in my maiden speech, I highlighted the issue of people in Lowestoft and Beccles who are struggling to access NHS dentistry.
— Jess Asato MP (@Jess4Lowestoft) July 29, 2024
Today, I’ve written to the Health Secretary to ask for a meeting to discuss how we can urgently improve the situation. pic.twitter.com/c4Af796Xk9
"We are a serious dental desert."
With Labour’s promised increase in emergency dental appointments that "will be a huge relief for local residents, and incentives for dentists will be crucial to attracting them to work in dental deserts such as mine," Ms Asato has written to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, "to ask for a meeting to discuss how we can urgently improve the situation."
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