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Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans discusses Brexit with the Prime Minister, visits a snail rearing company in his constituency and reports on his efforts to get fit and lose weight
My New Year’s resolution is to get fitter, and as you can see from my Fitbit, things are going to plan. It can be a little tedious but during the past six months I’ve lost almost three stone in weight. I tried to pick up that weight in a gym last week and I was surprised how heavy it was!
I have been on television and radio quite a bit recently discussing the ‘B’ word. I have received a lot of e-mails from constituents relating to this subject and I do hope that we politicians can come together to find a solution to delivering what you voted for over two years ago! It’s going to take a bit of give on all sides but I do hope we can focus on the bigger picture.
I travelled to number 10 with fellow officers of the 1922 Backbench Committee to discuss Brexit personally with Theresa May. Her resilience is quite astonishing and I marvel at how she is able to keep going with such amazing energy.
I signed the Holocaust Educational Trust memorial book in the Commons this month. The trust does a tremendous amount of work in educating youngsters as to the enormous price millions of Jews paid during the war. The trust has taken many Ribble Valley youngsters to the sites of former concentration camps to witness the inhumanity that millions suffered.
Closer to home, I visited a company near Waddington that specialises in rearing snails. I discovered that L’Esgargotiere is one of only two mass producers of this delicacy in the UK and its product appears on menus in some of the best restaurants around the country. It is also a super food – low in carbohydrate, which is spot on for my diet. They produce two-and-a-half tonnes a year and I can vouch for their amazing quality.
I visited Tastebuds in Whalley to meet with parish councillors and others to discuss matters relating to the village. Whalley has grown in size over the past decade and its centre is thriving with all sorts of local independent businesses. I visited the well-stocked wine shop there and discovered that there are exciting times ahead for the owners who have some interesting plans.
Locally, I hold regular surgeries to discuss any issues with my constituents. People come along on their own, or in groups, depending on what is worrying them. If you want to come along call my office in London on 0207 2196939 and book yourself into the next one. You can also e-mail me at evansn@parliament.uk if you wish to express any opinions or feelings that you wish me to know about.