I met with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the right honourable Sajid Javid to thank him and the Government for their continued support of Southend and the £15 million investment which will help build approximately 1,300 homes, crucially including a minimum of 441 affordable housing units.
Whilst we are in the subject of regeneration and boosting our local economy, I was able to finally visit the new hotel Seven that has recently opened along Clifton Terrace. The hotel has 37 stunning bedrooms, including five luxury suites, a 70-seater modern British restaurant, Gin-centric cocktail bar and outdoor sun terrace.
The views are outstanding and I would encourage you to visit. I haven’t had dinner there myself yet but am looking forward to the opportunity.
As some of you might recall, I was one of the first parliamentarians to bring the coup in Zimbabwe to the Government’s attention. Subsequently I have continued to work alongside my colleagues to find out what support the Government is willing to provide Zimbabweans to help their country’s recovery, both economically and in terms of their democratic systems of government.
Since then, I have met with Harriett Baldwin, Minister of State for Africa, who had recently returned from Zimbabwe. I am pleased to report that she came back feeling very optimistic and informed us that the interim President of Zimbabwe, Mr Mnangagwa is committed to holding free and fair elections later this year.
In response to this news, our Government will be contributing £5 million to a range of civil society groups in Zimbabwe who can ensure that the voice of all Zimbabweans is heard in the upcoming elections. This will come as welcome news for all, and not just the Zimbabweans who reside in my constituency.