Meeting the new student leadership team at Hassenbrook Academy

I was recently delighted to visit Hassenbrook Academy to meet the new Head Girl, Boy and their deputies, who were all optimistic about what they can achieve at, and for, the school.

It was also very encouraging to see that Hassenbrook continues to make progress under the leadership of Executive Head Dr Asong and her teaching staff.

As MP I always enjoy the chance to catch up with local schools and see first-hand the hard work all our teachers do to drive up standards and give pupils a great start in life. Education is one of the most important gifts we can give to local young people and it can make all the difference.

Thank you for your support in the General Election

I am delighted and humbled to have been re-elected to represent South Basildon and East Thurrock with such an increased majority of over 11,000, winning 26,811 votes and a 56.9% share of the vote.

Across the last seven years I have worked hard to be a strong voice in Parliament for local residents and will continue to do so over the course of this Parliament.

I am grateful to voters for putting their faith in me and also to my dedicated campaign volunteers, who helped me run a positive campaign across all parts of our local area.

Whilst the election did not deliver an outright majority for any party I am pleased that the Conservatives won the most seats and a huge 42.4% of the national vote since the Thatcher era.

It is now crucial that Theresa May is allowed the opportunity to form a Government, giving our country certainty and security as we begin the Brexit negotiations.

Meanwhile locally I will continue to campaign on important issues such as inappropriate development, options for a new Lower Thames Crossing, and helping every student to achieve their full potential.

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.

Parliament approves General Election 2017

Today I was pleased to vote in favour of holding a General Election on 8 June, as it is clear we must secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs, guiding us through Brexit and beyond.

It has been an honour and privilege to serve as MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock since 2010 and I will again put myself forward for election to represent our area, ensuring local people have a strong voice in Westminster.

The General Election will provide a clear choice between strong and stable leadership with Theresa May as Prime Minister or a weak and unstable coalition government led by Jeremy Corbyn.

Every vote cast for me, Theresa May, and the Conservatives will count towards strengthening Britain's hand in the Brexit negotiations and delivering our long-term vision for the UK.

The Conservatives' Plan for Britain will ensure a better deal for local people, delivering an economy - and a country - that works for everyone.

I look forward to the chance to take the Conservatives' positive message to the people.

My statement following the Transport Secretary's announcement of a new Lower Thames Crossing

I am obviously very disappointed and upset by the announcement today that the Secretary of State for Transport will proceed with Highways England's recommendation for a New Lower Thames Crossing at location C and with route 3.

I feel we made a good argument against Option C and associated routes and was convinced we had built a strong case in favour of sorting out the existing crossing before proceeding with any new crossings.

Despite this I am pleased that the Secretary of State has said he looked closely at our arguments and considered alternatives but regret that he did not fully accept our points and has pushed ahead with what I believe to be a flawed decision.

I still believe Option C and route 3 is a mistake in terms of addressing my constituents' concerns about air quality and congestion and I will not stop making that point until the very last moment.

My main concern continues to be that if and when a new crossing is built, if it fails to solve the actual problem, there will be outrage from me and my constituents. There will be anger that our views were not listened to and we will be asking how we made such an error?

While I am disappointed by the decision and will still fundamentally oppose Option C3, I will want to engage with the Department for Transport and Highways England as they come forward with the detailed designs to mitigate its impact as much as possible.

Highways England have a duty to properly engage with local residents and treat them with the respect and dignity they deserve. I will be working with everyone involved to reduce the footprint of the junctions, crossing and associated roads as much as possible so as to save some of Thurrock's green and pleasant land!

Immediately however, I will be seeking an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State for Transport to express our concerns about the decision and call for proper mitigation and consultation. I will also be asking the Secretary of State to meet with local residents to explain how the decision was arrived at so they can understand why our calls for an alternative solution have not been successful.