Please see below my recent interview with Julia Hartley Brewer, Talk TV:

Please see below my recent interview with Julia Hartley Brewer, Talk TV:

It is hard work persuading government to cut out waste and remove marginal or undesirable programmes.

There is a vocal group of MPs who want the rest of HS2 cancelled. The business case was always poor, relying on diverting a lot of passengers from the existing network. The sharp fall in commuting and business travel thanks to lockdowns followed by more home  working further undermines the case. The government does not seem to want to save £100 bn.

This week saw the foolish decision to bankroll the Bank of England to lose £11 bn this year to let them take losses on bonds they do not need to sell.I was  the only MP to say this  was wrong.

There is substantial agreement we should not be adding perhaps £3bn more this year to bills for hotel accommodation for illegal migrants, but still the system resists any Minister and proposals to end the dangerous trade in people.

We continue to spend more than £1 bn a year on free smart meters and their promotion when anyone who wants one now presumably has one.

We spend large sums on maintaining, heating and lighting huge office blocks in expensive city centres when many civil servants now work from home. The estate should be streamlined.

Councils build large commercial property portfolios in their areas on borrowed money in time to lose a lot in a falling property market. Why let them borrow this money?

We spend large sums on benefits for people born and legally settled here whilst inviting in hundreds of thousands of migrants to take the jobs. The state incurs large bills to provide the new arrivals with homes, school places, health facilities etc Let’s get people already here into work.

We still send overseas aid to thug states and countries with expensive weapons programmes.We should confine aid to humanitarian relief in crises and the very poor countries. Trade is often better than aid.

We are now subsidising well off people to burn more energy by price capping power for their heated swimming pools, garden lighting, saunas and the rest instead of limiting the amount of  price capped power each can have to the needs of an average family. Let’s rejig the energy scheme.

On Friday 21 October I visited Bracknell and Wokingham College.  I was pleased to visit as the College does important work in equipping young people with the skills they need to find interesting and worthwhile jobs in our community.

I was shown the new care suite and facilities to train people for jobs in health and personal social services, looking after people and treating them when they face medical traumas.

I talked to a group of students about the role of an MP and what was happening with the change of Prime Ministers. The students asked a range of questions about national politics, social care and matters relating to mental health.

I am grateful to the College for the invitation and opportunity to see what they do. I wish them every success in helping more young people realise their dreams for the future.

Please see below my letter to Clive Jones, Leader of Wokingham Borough Council:

Dear Clive

I was most disappointed to read the Council’s Consultation document on refuse disposal. There are only two services which all householders and Council taxpayers use and rely on from the Council, the provision of roads and the weekly waste collection. One of the popular things about the services provided by Wokingham in recent years has been the continued provision of a weekly refuse service, combined with substantial recycling of many parts of domestic refuse. I think you would be wise to continue with a weekly waste collection.

What is the cost of providing wheelie bins for all and who pays? If these bins are made of plastic what is the environmental impact of their production?

It may be possible to provide additional recycling facilities, as we all agree the less we put to landfill the better. It is important  not to let large quantities of waste  build up by the side of people’s houses, given the way these can be disrupted by local animals or affected by wind and weather. I would urge you to think again, whilst seeing what more can be done to reuse, recycle or use for energy conversion more of the waste streams coming from our homes.

Will the Council act in accordance with public wishes on weekly collections in response to the consultation?

Yours sincerely

Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP, DPhil FCSI