Reflecting over the past few months really does bring home to me role of an MP. First and foremost, to support and help constituents who contact me with their concerns and cases that need resolving. Secondly, to ensure that the policies and promises I was elected on in December 2019 are implemented and achieved, and finally, as Covid-19 has shown, the role also requires an MP to show leadership in the face of the unknown and unexpected.
With infection rates falling and death rates decreasing, we now have a handle on the Covid-19 health pandemic which enables us look to the future. Unfortunately, we cannot escape from the reality that individuals have already lost, and will continue to lose, their jobs. In the last two months alone, the number of people claiming unemployment benefit support has increased by over 2,800 in Hastings and Rye.
I never sought public office in December last year with a vision that within six months, I would be on a mission to pull my community out of the rubble of a global health pandemic. The hopes and aspirations I had then for Hastings and Rye have not changed, but the reality is that I am - we are all - going to have to try harder and work harder to ensure that our community gets back on its social and economic feet - and flourish. It is so important that in the face of this new adversity, we seek opportunity.
Along with colleagues in Westminster and the constituency, I have been discussing what we can do to help our local communities and residents who have been impacted by the health and economic challenges we now face. In the words of the Prime Minister, how do we continue on our mission to “level up” our communities in a post Covid-19 world.
One of my commitments to local people was to improve the breadth and quality of education. I see education and training as one of the pillars necessary to lift ourselves out of our current crisis. Due to the real threat of unemployment, I believe we need to focus on skills development and training available to adults, including for those who will need to transition from one career or sector to another.
Earlier this week the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) released a report looking at ways to improve skills training for disadvantaged adults. In the report they highlighted that over six million working adults do not have any qualifications at GCSE level. We are all aware how important it is to have a good education during our developing years, giving us opportunities and choices in later life. Many adults have been unable to access a good education which impacts on their confidence and ability to get fulfilling and well-paid employment.
I believe that an important policy area our Government should be turbocharging is adult education. Access to this flexible learning, which includes many technical options, has dropped at a frightening pace. We should be working with organisations like the Open University to support the most disadvantaged adults to get the training and education they need for the new jobs market – and ensure they are given the financial support to do so.
Whilst there are a number of areas we need to focus on to ensure that we all emerge from this pandemic stronger, including strengthening the economy and providing better health and social care particularly for the most vulnerable, I believe education and training will be one of the greatest drivers out of the impending economic crisis. That is why I am determined we
get this right for the most disadvantaged, especially adults who may have lost their jobs and livelihoods to this pandemic.
Levelling up our communities is a vision I was elected on and I am determined it becomes a reality, even in the post Covid-19 world.
https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/csj-blog/we-must-reboot-our-a…
Sally-Ann Hart MP