I hope 2018 started off well for you and your families and that your return to school or work went well. Like many commuters, my husband and I were concerned by the potential disruption caused to the railways by the RMT union strike on Monday 8th so we travelled to London early to avoid any chaos. It appears that the RMT are expanding their dispute beyond Southern Rail now and disappointedly continuing their strike action into 2018. Fortunately, many RMT members continue to work on strike days and Southern Rail staff have been trained to fill in for some roles on board the train which minimises the disruption to rail customers. As it turned out Southern managed to run 90% of a normal service last Monday which is good news.
Back in Westminster we are debating the second reading of the trade bill which will put in place the structures to enable the UK to operate an independent trade policy as we leave the EU. As well as transitioning current trade arrangements between the EU and countries outside of the EU, the bill will also ensure that UK companies continue to get access to Government procurement opportunities which are worth around £1.3 trillion per year. An independent Trade Remedies Authority will also be established to deal with anti-dumping measures and other unfair practices. The bill aims to be flexible enough to facilitate whatever trade deal we eventually negotiate with the EU, so there is quite a lot of activity behind the scenes to make sure we are prepared. Having spent 27 years working in international business I find this area fascinating and look forward to seeing how the negotiations develop.
These debates usually go on late in to the night with voting sometimes in to the early hours….but it’s good to be back and I’m looking forward to seeing what 2018 brings in what will undoubtedly be an exciting year in political world.