September began with my announcement to overhaul the Local Government Pension Schemes. Whilst pension benefits for individuals will remain completely secure, those responsible for mismanagement will no longer be able to flunk off local authorities without consequence. To ensure greater accountability and efficiency, Reform UK will be creating its own Pension Pool to manage these pensions going forward.
A few days later, Reform UK held its biggest ever conference, a two-day event at Birmingham’s NEC arena. Thousands of members and supporters joined us for a wide range of speeches and fringe events. I was proud to speak at several of these, culminating in the penultimate speech on day two, where I set out our vision for Britain’s future, including our pension plans. You can watch my full speech on my X feed.
Back in Lincolnshire, I have been fighting hard for additional funding for Lincolnshire Police. Alongside colleagues from across the county, I met with the Policing Minister to support the efforts of Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones and Chief Constable Paul Gibson, who are working to save our force from drastic measures. I also met with the leaders of Boston Borough, East Lindsey, and South Holland Councils to hear about their proposals for the upcoming Local Government Reorganisation.
It was a pleasure to attend the Autumn Days event at St Botolph’s Church in Boston, meeting local community groups and organisations, as well as catching up with the Worshipful Mayor of Boston, Councillor Barrie Pierpoint. It is encouraging to see Boston Borough Council launch their new Community Safety Officers, who will patrol the town to help reduce anti-social behaviour and street crime. Britain is lawless, and while this is just one step, it is a very welcome move towards making Boston safer, which I hope other towns will quickly follow.
As a member of the Boston Town Board, I was delighted to hear at our September meeting that £1.5 million has been awarded to the town under the new Pride of Place fund. This is a much-needed boost that will help shape a stronger and more vibrant future for Boston.
September closed with a deeply moving trip to Israel, where I had the honour of meeting President Herzog to reaffirm Reform UK’s support for Israel and the importance of a strong relationship between our two nations. My visit included time in Jerusalem, where I paid my respects at the Western Wall and at Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, a powerful reminder of the need to stand against hate and defend freedom.
In Parliament, I have spoken 14 times in just two weeks on a broad range of topics. I continue to oppose Labour’s reckless policy of lowering the voting age to 16 and 17, and I have challenged the Home Secretary on the alarming rise in illegal small boat arrivals. I reiterated our commitment to support Ukraine in their ongoing war, while encouraging international leaders to work towards a ceasefire. I have also raised important issues on Liberty Steel, Palestine Action, Diego Garcia, the Official Secrets Act and Lord Mandelson. All of these speeches, interventions and questions can be viewed on my website, richardtice.com, or on my social media feeds.
I also submitted seven written parliamentary questions to various departments. These included questions to the Department of Health and Social Care on bereavement counselling, the insolvency of NRS Healthcare, blood cancer diagnosis, mental health services and hospital bed availability in Lincolnshire. To the Treasury, I raised concerns about HMRC fees and charges as well as mis-sold car finance agreements, and to DEFRA I highlighted the impact of new alcohol labelling and packaging regulations on breweries.
My hardworking team of caseworkers continue to provide vital support to residents. In September alone, we received over 1,500 emails and successfully closed nearly 500 cases, ensuring that hundreds of constituents received the help they need.
As always, I remain committed to serving the people of Boston and Skegness. If you require assistance, please email richard.tice.mp@parliament.uk. To help us respond quickly, please include your full address and postcode in your message. Please note that I can only assist those who live in or own a business within the constituency.
Thank you for taking the time to read this month’s update.
