Parliament makes laws. Judges interpret them. It seems simple enough. But we currently have one area in which the courts are misconstruing Parliament’s intentions – the deportation of foreign criminals under the Human Rights Act. The most high profile of these is Abu Qatada, who has foiled the efforts of successive Home Secretaries to return [...]

Julian Brazier, MP for Canterbury, has called on local schools to take part in My Money Week (3 to 9 June), giving pupils the chance to learn more about money and personal finance. Every primary and secondary school in Canterbury is being given the chance to take part for free in My Money Week, which [...]

Canterbury and Whitstable MP Julian Brazier has backed East Kent’s bid for the UK City of Culture 2017. The City of Culture initiative is administered by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, with the winning city serving as host of several high-profile cultural events. The East Kent bid has been launched by local authorities [...]

Julian Brazier, MP for Canterbury and Whitstable, has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, proposing that the Treasury should support projects to improve sewage systems as part of its drive to boost the economy. Text of the letter: “I am writing to you with regard to your efforts to boost expenditure on infrastructure, to [...]

Julian Brazier visited the refurbished YHA hostel in Canterbury on Friday, meeting Caroline White, Chief Executive, and other staff. He commented: “The recent refurbishment has been an enormous success. I was hugely impressed with the way the YHA provides affordable accommodation for young people visiting our city. The YHA movement is very important to our [...]

Canterbury and Whitstable MP Julian Brazier joined Kent Parliamentary colleagues in Westminster today to lobby Transport Minister Stephen Hammond against rail devolution. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, proposes that Transport for London take over some urban rail services, including services which terminate in East Kent. Kent MPs have strongly lobbied the Minister who listened [...]

The Government’s education reforms need to attract the best candidates into teaching roles, says Canterbury MP Julian Brazier. During Questions to the Education Secretary in the Commons yesterday Mr Brazier added his support to the Government’s education reforms, which will also improve literacy and numeracy standards. * Hansard 22 April 2013, Column 626: Mr Julian [...]

Living in Kent, the ‘Garden of England’, we are fortunate. But I am increasingly concerned about our county. England has the highest population density in Europe and the population here is growing 9% faster than the rest of the nation. Anyone using local roads or rail and bus services will be aware of congestion and [...]

Julian raised the issue of littering with the Highways Agency, KCC and CCC, after receiving many complaints from constituents, parish councils and City Councillors about the state of the A2, with its increasing decoration of litter. He commented: “I was delighted to hear from the Highways Agency that a litter pick along the A2 is [...]

Some truly shocking figures became public recently, relating to instances of child-on-child sexual abuse. In Kent and Medway alone, more than a thousand children have been excluded from school for sexual misconduct in the past five years – twenty three of them permanently. The youngest to be expelled was aged just six and there was [...]