Blog - Chris Matheson MP

Turning the Tide on Climate Change

Recently, transport was disrupted in our big cities by climate change protestors. Meanwhile, outside Chester Town Hall on recent Fridays, school children have gathered away from school to make similar protests. These are both part of wider global activities to protest against the lack of action to address the growing…

The Scandal of Homelessness

Recently I have received numerous emails complaining about the increase in homelessness in Chester. Sadly, too many of these have complained not about the plight of the homeless, but the sight of the homeless. The mess of scattered personal belongings in shop fronts. The makeshift shelters to protect from the…

Cuts have Consequences

Surely nobody can have failed to be horrified by the wave of knife crime currently sweeping across our country. Part of the problem is undoubtedly increased criminality and I have no problem with tougher sentences for anyone caught in possession of a knife. But the causes run deeper. And although…

The Disaster of No Deal

Deal or No Deal: that is the question. Outside Parliament these last few months there have been numerous protestors from both sides of the Brexit debate and by and large, they seem to co-exist amicably. There have been occasions of course when some extremist brexiteers have threatened MPs and one…

Hunting concerns

Not all debates in the House of Commons take place in the main chamber. There is also a smaller side chamber, named the Grand Committee Room, but more commonly known as Westminster Hall, because it sits next to the historic Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster.…

Fake News and Disinformation

Amidst the continuing chaos over Brexit, and news about splits from both main parties, one major piece of news was lost last week. The Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport published its report into Fake News and Disinformation. I had been a member on that committee for much…

A Heated Debate

This week I got a telling off from Mr Speaker. And to be fair, I was probably bang to rights. The Prime Minister had been giving yet another statement on Brexit, updating the Commons although nothing had really changed. Responding as Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn had accused her…

Driving in Chester

Ours is the most beautiful city in the UK but driving around it can be frustrating at times. We only have one and half bridges across the Dee, so all roads tend to focus on the Grosvenor and Overleigh roundabouts. Ideally there would be better bus services and cycling facilities…

The Chaos before Christmas

With Parliament in such a chaotic state, and while we await the chance to vote on the Prime Minister’s deal with the EU, it was a pleasure to come home to Chester at the end of the week, for a dose of stability. But things got even worse when I…

Thanks to the headteachers

The end of the school term in a couple of weeks’ time will mark an important point in the countdown to Christmas. The level of excitement amongst our city’s children will rise a few more notches, and we will all begin to feel just a little more, well, Christmassy. But…

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