Visiting new UPS development at DP World

I was pleased to visit the UPS development at their DP World site to view the progress in construction of their brand new UK centre.

I saw first-hand the work on the construction and was informed that the facility will be fully operational in the near future, which is very positive news.

Once operational it will be the first fully automated hub in Britain. It's an exciting development in the area that will bring many new jobs and opportunities to Basildon and Thurrock.

It's also a shining example of the confidence the company has in our post-Brexit local and national economy.

To get in touch about my campaign priorities for South Basildon and East Thurrock please email me at stephen@vote4metcalfe.com. You can also follow me on Twitter: @Metcalfe_SBET.

Football Shirt Friday: Supporting the Bobby Moore Fund with William Hill in Corringham

It was great to visit the William Hill branch in Corringham for the "Football Shirt Friday" initiative, which helps support the Bobby Moore Fund.

The Bobby Moore Fund was set up in 1993 by Stephanie Moore MBE, widow of the England football legend, to raise money to combat bowel cancer and fund live-saving research.

It was the second year in a row that William Hill sponsored Football Shirt Friday and is part of the company's pledge to support local communities.

In Corringham I met Regional Manager Chris Batham and paid a £2 donation to proudly wear my East Thurrock United FC shirt, helping to promote our local club!

During the visit I was shown the mechanisms that William Hill have to encourage responsible betting and also saw the preventative measures in place in the premises.

For a bit of fun the local branch gave me a £50 bet, the proceeds of which will be donated to charity. Naturally I placed it on Tottenham Hotspur to win the Premier League, with odds of 6/1 - a long-shot with Chelsea doing so well but hopefully a winner!

Find out more about the Football Shirt Friday initiative and its work to support the Bobby Moore Fund here.

My call for more powers to address traveller incursions

Ahead of the launch of the Conservative manifesto on 8 May I wrote to the Prime Minister's policy coordinator asking for tougher measures to deal with traveller incursions to be included in the final publication.

I believe more powers for the police to act on their own authority would help protect our local community and environment.

For too long there has been the appearance of one rule for the law-abiding majority and another for travellers who flout existing laws, from trespassing to planning breaches and most recently, in our area, mass fly tipping.

It is clear this must stop.

New powers are needed and the Conservative Government should deliver them so that we all abide by the same laws, suffering the same penalties if the laws are broken.

If I am fortunate enough to be re-elected I will personally take up the issue with the Prime Minister, Home Secretary, and Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Working together I believe we can find a proper solution to these ongoing problems.

To get in touch with me about my campaign priorities for South Basildon and East Thurrock please email me at stephen@vote4metcalfe.com.