Excited to share that my
#TipsBill
is now in force! 🎉 It ensures workers receive 100% tips. It took me years when an MP, but knew it was the right thing to do.
Thx to Virginia Crosbie & all who helped make this happen. Proud of this lasting legacy! 🙌
Earlier this week I had a robust conversation with Treasury Minister Jesse Norman to express concerns regarding both the Loan Charge and IR35. I made sure those affected in Watford are being heard and are represented
#LoanCharge
#IR35
#Treasury
#HMRC
#Watford
It gives me great pleasure to contribute my original painting of Captain Tom to the
@RaiseWestHerts
auction. Link below.
Please take part in the auction and help raise funds for our amazing local NHS front line staff.
#CaptainTom100
Thank you
@MartinSLewis
for your moving evidence at the
@OnlineSafetyCom
to explain the impact of financial scams on people's mental health. Below is the second half of the response bringing to life the awful damage that these online scammers cause.
@mmhpi
@MoneySavingExp
@Channel4News
For the sake of clarity (& as stated at the start of my
@CommonsHealth
section) my questions to
@CMO_England
were purposely asked to help debunk misconceptions around COVID. I.e they are not my views. I am grateful to Prof. Whitty for his clear & robust responses.
#GetBoostedNow
The person I strongly feel can unite our party, the country & win the next election is
@trussliz
.
She has a proven track record of delivery & vast experience across Whitehall & internationally.
With a strong vision for the UK & the ability to deliver, I back Liz for leader.
It was great to catch up with the Chancellor this morning. I let him know about those in
#Watford
affected by the
#LoanCharge
and we discussed the recommendations in the Morse Review
Very pleased that the
#LoanChargeReview
and the Government have recognised what those affected have been facing.
Still more to do but progress has been made, I look forward to joining the APPG to represent those affected in Watford!
⏰There are less than 9 hours left for members to cast their vote before the results are declared on Monday.
🗳I'm proud to have supported and voted
#lizforleader
.
I have joined the
@ExcludedUK
APPG put together by
@Jamie4North
.
I look forward to working with colleagues from all parties to look at how we can support the people who have been unable to access funding through the furlough schemes.
#COVID19
#PeoplebeforePolitics
After
@BorisJohnson
’s decision not to go forward to the membership vote, I have spoken to
@RishiSunak
He assured me of his aims to unite the party, deliver Brexit opportunities and focus on growth.
The UK needs certainty which is why I will vote for Rishi today.
Interesting article comparing
@MattHancock
to Macmillan in the 1950’s. I believe the latter was known as SuperMac . So perhaps we now have our own
#SuperMatt
For the sake of clarity (& as stated at the start of my
@CommonsHealth
section) my questions to
@CMO_England
were purposely asked to help debunk misconceptions around COVID. I.e they are not my views. I am grateful to Prof. Whitty for his clear & robust responses.
#GetBoostedNow
"This is sometimes said by people who have no understanding of health at all... and when they say it, it's usually because they want to make a political point."
Prof. Chris Whitty responds to concerns that the NHS is prioritising Covid other serious health issues such as cancer.
We are supporting over 100 frontline charities to provide 1,500 additional beds for survivors of domestic abuse, helping people to rebuild their lives.
Today my ‘Tips Bill’ has its third reading which will ensure over 2 million workers will have the legal right to keep their tips and gratuities. Thank you again to
@virginiacrosbiemp
for sponsoring the Bill when I became Minister.
Wish us luck!
Today, I shared my personal news that, unexpectedly, I had a heart attack in early August 2023.
I am eternally grateful to everyone who supported me in my recovery including
@EastEnglandAmb
, the teams at
@WestHertsNHS
@RBandH
and the cardiac rehabilitation teams
@NHSEngland
.
I am grateful for
@RishiSunak
’s words of support after I shared my personal story of having a heart attack last August. I reiterated my thanks to the
wonderful
#NHS
staff who cared for me.
Thank you to everyone for all the kind comments from constituents and colleagues.
Tips Bill Success!
Our efforts have paid off and the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill has passed through the
@HouseofCommons
and will be making its way through the Lords.
One step closer to ensuring millions of UK workers will receive their hard-earned tips and gratuities.
I am honoured to be taking on ministerial responsibility for Postal Affairs. My number one priority in this area will be to ensure we deliver compensation fairly and quickly to postmasters impacted by the Horizon scandal. Time to get stuck into the red box (es).
@nickwallis
Pleased to have completed my volunteer training for
@WestHertsNHS
& look forward to getting stuck in! Thanks to
@WatfordFC
for hosting the training sessions & to everyone signing up. Watford General is looking for more volunteers right now to help.
@Observer_Owl
@VIBE1076
Great to see the Leader of Hertfordshire County Council pushing back against Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan's unfair and unjustified ULEZ plans.
I will continue to join colleagues in condemning this cash grab scheme.
@hertscc
Disappointed to see the letter sent to
@pritipatel
.
We need people from BAME backgrounds to speak freely about their experiences of racism. Nobody should feel silenced by those who hold different views to theirs.
Modern politics must be better than this to bring people together
Colleagues and I have written to the
@MayorofLondon
Sadiq Khan urging him to reconsider his intention to begin charging
#drivers
to enter
#London
This
#bordertax
will cost drivers an extra £1000 a year and will have a detrimental impact on our constituents and
#localbusiness
The
@WorldBank
says the UK is the only country to meet the needs of world's poorest during the pandemic.
"With the notable exception of the UK, which has been an absolute leader, the contributions by governments have been much more flat or declining."
I'm proud to have been appointed to be a
@Conservatives
Small Business Ambassador. Small businesses are the backbone of our country and I look forward to working with them to help promote and support businesses.
On
#SmallBusinessSaturday
I’m delighted to announce a team of
@Conservatives
Small Business Ambassadors to promote and support small businesses across the country
Crime should never have a place to hide.
Truly groundbreaking work by the
@NCA_UK
&
@pritipatel
in taking the fight to serious & organised crime in this country.
👉This was the biggest ever law enforcement raid in the UK.
👉746 people have now been arrested.
Today I joined
@NCA_UK
on a dawn raid as part of UK's biggest ever law enforcement op resulting in 746 arrests.
Officers seized:
🔴£54m cash
🔴77 firearms
🔴1,800 rounds of ammunition
🔴4 grenades
🔴55 high value cars
🔴2 tonnes of drugs
Well done
@NCA_LynneOwens
& team
Today I re-introduced my Mental Health First Aiders Bill for a trained staff member to be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to support their colleagues who may be struggling with their mental health.
Thank you again to
@wheresyourhead_
and
@_NatashaDevon
The Government have continually shown their dedication & commitment to our NHS.
👉7,890 more doctors than a year ago
👉13,500 more nurses than a year ago
#NHSheroes
Fantastic news that a third COVID-19 vaccine has been approved 👏
Another scientific breakthrough to aid our fight against this awful virus.
#Moderna
#vaccinations
#VaccinesWork
Fantastic that the
@Moderna_tx
vaccine has been approved for use in the UK 🇬🇧
This is great news & another weapon in our arsenal to tame this awful disease.
Thank you to all involved.
As we saw with the Post Office scandal, we need to ensure we continue to represent the voices of those who have been so unjustly penalised and stand up for what is right.
Thank you
@FrancesHaugen
for the important evidence that you gave to the
@OnlineSafetyCom
today. Below is a short video from when I asked Frances if the effects that Facebook usage has on children and their brains means that it should be regulated differently.
#Facebook
It was great having
@LiamFox
out campaigning with us today in Watford as we work together towards building a country in which everyone can achieve their ambitions!
#KeepingWatfordBlue
#Watford
I am very pleased to be supporting
@LiamFox
's
#DownSyndromeBill
which has its Third Reading on Friday. This is an important Bill which will ensure that those with Down Syndrome will be able to have better access to health, education & employment.
I am humbled to announce a memorial to honour our brave NHS staff & care workers with
@niccareem
&
@RamiRanger
which has the backing of
@MattHancock
. With Sunday Express
@Daily_Express
we want the nation to suggest a fitting name. Share your suggestion at:
It is great news that 20% of people in
#Watford
have received their
#COVID19Vaccine
23,990 residents have been
#vaccinated
and this number continues to rise.
Thank you to all of those helping with the roll-out & when it is your turn I strongly encourage you to
#GetVaccinated
I am proud to support efforts to make vandalising war memorials a criminal offence.
Those who have served our nation deserve nothing but the utmost respect.
Good to see this campaign coordinated by
@bluecollartory_
is getting support from
@RobertBuckland
.
Delighted that I was successful in the ballot to introduce a
#PrivateMembersBill
to Parliament. Private Members Bills are an opportunity for backbench MPs to introduce a new law or amend an existing one. I have chosen the
#TipsBill
to lead on. Details here
After speaking to my friend 9-time world boxing champion
@filipinoflash
about the amazing work of our Filipino community in
@WestHertsNHS
, he kindly recorded a message for ALL our brilliant staff at Watford General Hospital.
Thank you to all
#NHSheroes
#InternationalNursesDay
"Whilst the NHS has been presented with challenges it had never faced before, the unhealthy obsession with scaremongering poses a threat to NHS employees mental health and the morale of the nation."
More in my article debunking privatisation myths 👇
My colleagues and I will continue to urge the Mayor of London to scrap his unfair and unjustified
#bordertax
of £12.50 a day to the people of
#watford
and Hertfordshire:
Fantastic news that click-and-collect and phone orders of alcohol will be allowed from
#pubs
and
#microbreweries
.
I have received many emails on this from
#watford
residents and this decision will be a huge help for pubs and small local brewers across England 🍻🍻
Delighted to welcome
@RishiSunak
to Watford General yesterday where he met with patients & staff.
The PM was shown the pioneering virtual
#hospital
model & the new build plans in great detail, and I reiterated the needs for the works to start as soon as possible.
@WestHertsNHS
I was pleased to speak to Tom Harwood
@tomhfh
this morning about my successful
#TipsBill
campaign, and the importance of the rights that it will give to workers to keep their tips.
#Tips
#Hospitality
I am proud to have personally supported
@aliciakearns
and colleagues in campaigning to ban conversion therapy in the UK. To have this announced in the
#QueensSpeech
today is great news and hugely welcomed.
@Conservatives
It was a real pleasure to bring
@BorisJohnson
down to the wonderful
@BFS_Watford
.
All the staff at Beechfield School have been inspiring. They've remained open throughout
#COVID19
, supporting children & our wider community.
Thank you for hosting us.
Thank you to Watford for electing me as your MP. It is a privilege & an honour. Well done
@Chris4Watford
&
@ianstotesbury
for your great efforts, I hope to work with you both going forward. I will work tirelessly to represent our great town & deliver on my plan for Watford.
Today I spoke in support of the government's action to ensure free school meals over the summer. A topic I lobbied on. This is alongside other support such as £63m for those unable to afford essentials
I also shared the great local work by One Vision,
@salvationarmyuk
&
@sewaday
Ahead of
@WMHDay
tomorrow, Bishop Auckland MP
@DehennaDavison
spoke to me about how she has previously come close to taking her own life
She had already lost her dad then, when she was 20, her nan was diagnosed with cancer and her mental health went into "a really deep spiral"
An honour to attend this year’s National Peace Symposium, a key event for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, held at Baitul Futuh Mosque, the largest mosque in Western Europe.
Find out more about the event here:
I am very pleased to be supporting
@LiamFox
's
#DownSyndromeBill
. This is an important Bill which will ensure that those with Down Syndrome will be able to have better access to health, education & employment.
Today, during the Joint Committee on the Draft Online Safety Bill
@OnlineSafetyCom
, I asked Rio Ferdinand
@rioferdy5
about how the awful abuse athletes & people in public life receive on social media affects not just the individual themselves but also their friends and family.
My dad was an
#HGV
driver so I have seen first hand how hard they work and how important they are to keeping our country running. They are skilled workers doing a tough job and I hope that they now get the pay and recognition they deserve.
#HGVdrivers
Delighted to have been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in
@beisgovuk
.
It is an honour to be asked to serve in His Majesty’s Government.
I look forward to delivering existing commitments and working on new opportunities to support business across the country.
Congratulations to Dean Russell MP who has been appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Welcome to our department!
#Reshuffle
Great to join the
@BatonOfHopeUK
final stint of their journey through the UK before passing the baton to the Mental Health Minister at No10 to raise awareness about suicide prevention. It has been a privilege to work with inspiring people on such an important issue.
#batonofhope
6 Hours To Go in the auction of my painting of
@captaintommoore
for his 100th birthday!
Please bid for this using the link below. All money raised goes to support the NHS.
I'll always be humbled by the support shown to me by the people of Watford. An MP should listen to their constituents and improve lives. That's my ambition. Please take 2 minutes to watch my maiden speech where I proudly celebrate our great town.
#DoctorWho
#SpiceGirls
@WatfordFC
Today I handed in a petition to John Lewis HQ signed by 11,500+ people against the closure of their
#Watford
store.
Thank you Caroline Sampson for creating this petition.
It is so important that the people of our town are heard loud & clear on this issue.
@jlandpartners
When you get the call, get the jab.
#Vaccines
save lives so when it is your turn, please ensure you take it. Beating
#COVID19
is a national effort and we can all do our bit to protect those around us.
#GetVaccinated
I’m delighted that people aged 36 & 37 can now book a vaccination.
The vaccine is saving lives & helping us on the roadmap, so massive thank you to everyone playing their part in our national effort.
When you get the call, get the jab.
The news of Sir David Amess’ death is heartbreaking & horrific. He was a wonderfully kind man, dedicated Parliamentarian and friend. He was always so generous with his time & advice to myself and colleagues. My thoughts are with his family at this very sad time.
@HMRCThieves
@loanchargeAPPG
Thanks for your message. To reassure you, yes that is correct, I will be attending and intend to join this APPG as previously confirmed.
I was pleased to be invited onto
@LBC
to talk to
@iaindale
about my
#TipsBill
which is being heard in Parliament today.
I feel passionately that hard working staff should retain their tips and this Bill can make it happen.
You can listen to the clip here.
I signed this letter to the Interim Chair of IPSA
asking that they freeze MPs' pay.
A pay rise is not appropriate in the current climate, given the uncertainty faced by so many at this time.
@ipsaUK
@DehennaDavison
Today, we have written to the Interim Chair of
@ipsaUK
asking that they freeze MPs' pay.
In the current circumstances we do not consider a pay rise appropriate or justifiable. Whilst so many of our constituents face uncertainty, it is only right we play our part.
I am delighted that my
#TipsBill
has received Royal Assent today, on the day that King Charles III visits Parliament. What a momentous day for this to happen. I would like to extend thanks to the Government, Virginia Crosbie MP, Opposition Members & businesses for their support.
It's an honour to have been appointed Minister for Enterprise and Markets
@beisgovuk
Businesses are the beating heart of the UK economy - and my focus will be to help them grow.
🧵 (1/7)
I joined colleagues in denouncing the Mayor of London’s expansion of ULEZ to all
#London
Boroughs, despite a public consultation concluding that two-thirds of respondents opposed the proposal.
Learn more here
After participating in a dawn raid with
@WatfordPolice
officers, I asked the Minister for Policing
@CPhilpOfficial
what support was available for officers who encounter dangerous situations everyday👮
I raised my concerns and disappointment of the BBC’s decision to make changes to local radio programming in the
@HouseofCommons
Chamber today.
I hope the BBC will review their decision and secure the future of local radio network.
@BBC3CR
@VIBE1076
@DemonFM
During lockdown, I was fortunate enough to be able to paint
@WatfordFC
legend Luther Blissett. The painting was auctioned, with all proceeds going to local
#Watford
charities.
Yesterday,
@LBliss8
& I signed the painting which will be kept in the fabulous
#WatfordMuseum
.
I signed the Book of Solidarity today along with colleagues to show our support and friendship to the people of Ukraine. Their bravery, patriotism and strength is inspiring 🇺🇦🇬🇧
Thank you to the Prime Minister’s wife Akshata Murty & the new Deputy PM
@OliverDowden
for visiting today to meet
#Watford
residents with local election candidates.
Thanks to everyone we spoke to on the doorstep for such a positive reception.
I regularly get asked why I voted a certain way in Parliament. Please remember that if you have any questions about how I voted in Parliament recently, you can email me at Dean.Russell.MP
@parliament
.uk and I will be happy to reply to you as soon as I can.
Absolutely delighted to see
#Watford
back in the
#PremierLeague
at the first time of trying
A fantastic achievement for everybody involved with the Club. They have been such an asset for
#Watford
throughout the pandemic and this
#promotion
is thoroughly deserved 🐝🐝🐝
I know there are strong views about
@BorisJohnson
but in my experience he was always a good friend to Watford. As PM he supported me with delivering for our town & helped promote important local projects/charities. I will always be grateful for his support to both me and our town
I am grateful to
@grantshapps
for allowing my intervention about how the
#RailStrikes
will impact negatively on children taking their
#gcses2022
and
#alevels2022
. These last two years have been incredibly difficult for our young people and the timing of the strike is not right.
Thank you to
@IainDale
for inviting me to speak on
#CrossQuestions
on
@LBC
this evening. Among many things, I spoke about the importance of ensuring that
#HGV
drivers receive the better pay & conditions that they deserve to ensure that it reflects the important job that they do.
I am delighted that my campaign to get the
#TipsBill
into law has been a success. This will ensure that staff can keep 100% of the tips they receive. Thanks to
@beisgovuk
and
@scullyp
for confirming that this will be included in the
#Employment
Bill.