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Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans meets Chancellor Rishi Sunak to discuss the UK’s business recovery plan and celebrates the news that he is to be appointed to Her Majesty’s Privy Council
I was thrilled to receive confirmation from Her Majesty the Queen that I am to be appointed to her most honourable Privy Council. It’s a hugely historic and prestigious appointment and I am thrilled! Along with the simple honour comes the opportunity to attend a small ceremony where I get onto one knee and swear the Privy Council oath. At my age I just hope I can get up easily after getting on one knee!
I met the Chancellor of the Exchequer to talk about the recovery plan for the UK post Covid. We are all thrilled at the incredible rollout of the vaccine and applaud all involved. I’m looking forward to the easing of restrictions following the huge drop in hospitalisations and deaths from Covid. At last the vaccine rollout is delivering a cautious reopening of retail, gyms, hairdressing and beauty salons along with life getting back to something more like normal. I explained to Rishi Sunak how vital the wedding industry is to the Ribble Valley and its hotels and dedicated venues and told him they need more support and greater certainty with regards to larger weddings being allowed.
On one of my walks around London I saw businesses getting ready for outdoor dining. Sadly, for us the weather has taken an unseasonal turn for the worst and quite frankly seeing snow in Clitheroe in April was the last thing I expected. I am ready to brave whatever the weather brings as long as I get that much-awaited pint! Please support your local businesses as they re-open. They are the very heartbeat of our community and deserve our custom – good luck to all of them.
At the beginning of the month I attended a ceremony to dedicate three new flag poles located on a raised garden outside Westminster Hall. The first three flags to be flown celebrated International Women’s Day, Commonwealth Day and the third flag is the Union Jack.
However, as I entered the Commons just after Easter I noticed all three flags were at half-mast. This was to mark the death of a dear friend of mine, Dame Cheryl Gillan MP. Cheryl entered the Commons with me in 1992 and she was a champion of raising awareness of autism and a campaigner against HS2. I will miss her and our chats.
I received another blow with the news that a former MP and an amazingly wonderful chum Peter Ainsworth had died. Peter entered the House in 1992 and left in 2010. He and I both sat on the Shadow Cabinet and Peter had charm, wit, style, class and humour. He once chatted to me outside the Groucho Club where we both celebrated the birthday of music genius Mitch Murray. He puffed on a cigarette and with a glint in his eye, he would refer to certain colleagues as ‘ghastly’, but on the majority he would heap praise.
Finally, I would like to pay tribute to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whom I met on several occasions. It is a great loss and such sad news and once again the flags will be flying at half mast.
