Dear people of Broxtowe,
I am keen to let you know that despite the changes that have been brought in due to the coronavirus pandemic, my team and I are working tirelessly to ensure that you, the people of Broxtowe, are represented and safeguarded throughout this pandemic. My office has never been so busy since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The work we are doing is incredibly varied, complex and unprecedented, but we are working around the clock to ensure that the people of Broxtowe are supported. My office receives hundreds of emails per day from worried constituents who may be vulnerable and in need of urgent support. Please be assured that all correspondence is being dealt with and I will be in touch as soon as possible.
At the national level, I am liaising with the Government on a daily basis including with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to ensure that those Broxtowe residents who are currently abroad, including Peru, Costa Rica, Thailand, New Zealand, Vietnam, India and two cruise ships, may get home to us safely. This will be an especially challenging time for those who are stranded abroad because during times of crisis we want, desire and wish to be at home with our loved ones. I promise that I will work as hard as I possible can to ensure that our fellow citizens will be returned to Broxtowe and to their family members as soon as possible. I will continue to work with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to get this done.
I have also been working with other Government departments on behalf of Broxtowe’s employees and employers to ensure that you are getting the support that you need. I contacted the Cabinet Office and the Department for Health and Social Care to hasten the access to essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) of the right quality for Primary Care GP Surgeries in Broxtowe; this work continues.
Here in Broxtowe and in my Westminster office, my team and I have found new ways of working to ensure that we follow the guidance of Public Health England and the Government. My staff, in line with this advice, have been and continue to be working remotely. This means working from home, making use of virtual meetings, telephone calls, WhatsApp and other communication technologies, such as Zoom. I have had various teleconference calls with numerous Broxtowe people and organisations, including mutual aid groups, pharmacies, QMC, the police, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and from across the constituency from Beeston to Bramcote to Attenborough to Awsworth and from Toton to Watnall. This pandemic has made us think about new ways of working and we will be adapting some of these systems into our normal business once we have beaten the coronavirus.
I am using my website as a platform to ensure that constituents receive the most important information including how to stay safe, limit the spread of COVID-19 and access any financial support they may need.
Parliament is on Easter recess, which will last until 21st April. The Parliamentary digital, broadcasting and procedural staff have been working hard to develop a virtual House of Commons in case we need it when Parliament sits again at the end of the Easter recess. These plans will enable MPs to use videoconferencing tools to facilitate remote working and still have access to Parliamentary proceedings such as Prime Minister’s Questions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is in Intensive Care, as well as his family and partner Carrie Symonds. This is just one of the families affected by COVID-19, and our good wishes extend to every single person and family suffering because of this virus. I know that this is a difficult time, but we will get through this together as a country. As long as we are all staying at home and making sure we socially distance when we do need to go out and self-isolate when necessary, we will be back to normal in due course. I know that you, the people of Broxtowe, are already joining together in our fight to beat coronavirus and I would like to thank you once again.
Please take good care of yourself and your families.
Darren