Nick Herbert to hold public meetings
Arundel and South Downs MP Nick Herbert is holding open meetings for the public across his constituency over the next three months.
The meetings will be non-party political and open to all local residents. Mr Herbert will be joined by local councillors at each meeting.
14 meetings have so far been arranged. The first was held in Henfield last Saturday (21 January) and the next will be in Yapton on Saturday 28 January.
Mr Herbert said: "I want to give local people the opportunity to come along and raise whatever issues are concerning them, whether local or national. By getting together with local councillors, I hope that we will be able to listen to the views of our communities and take up matters wherever we can. We can also report back on what is going on in Westminster and in our local councils".
Mr Herbert stressed that the meetings would not be party political. "I will be there as the constituency's Member of Parliament. I don't want party politics to get in the way, and I would hate people to feel that they couldn't come along just because they supported another party. The point of these meetings is to support local communities."
The MP said that, as well as local county and district councillors, he would be inviting parish councillors to join him, and hoped that they would do so.
He added that he would continue, separately, to hold surgeries on Fridays for constituents who wanted to raise matters of individual or personal concern. Until now these surgeries have been held in his local office in Steyning, but in future Mr Herbert also hopes to hold them around the constituency, to make them more accessible to local people.
Ends
Notes for Editors
1. Nick would be delighted if local newspapers would like to publish the complete list of meetings and venues, which is as follows:
Date/Time
Venue
Saturday 21 January 2006
11.30am
Henfield Village Hall
Saturday, 28 January 2006
12.00 noon
Yapton Village Hall
Friday, 3 February 2006
7.00 pm
Aldingbourne Centre, Olivers Meadow
Saturday, 4 February 2006
7.00 pm
Rother Hall, Pulborough Village Centre
Saturday, 11 February 2006
11.00
King's Suite, Angmering Village Hall
Saturday, 11 February 2006
3.00 pm
Upper Beeding Village Hall, Upper Beeding
Friday 17 February 2006
8.00 pm
Saxon Room, Steyning Centre, Steyning
Friday 24 February 2006
7.30 pm
Arundel Town Hall
Saturday 25 February 2006
11.30 am
The Drawing Room Studio, Walberton
Saturday 25 February 2006
3.00 pm
Findon Village Hall
Friday 3 March 2006
8.00 pm
West Chiltington Golf Club
Friday 10 March 2006
8.00 pm
White Horse Inn, Hurstpierpoint
Saturday 11 March 2006
11.45 am
Rawson Institute,
Bolney Village Hall
Saturday 18 March 2006
11.00 am
Green Room, Adastra Hall, Hassocks
2. Some meetings have yet to be arranged, including one in Storrington. Nick hopes to hold meetings in all of the towns and larger villages in the Arundel & South Downs constituency.