Michelle and John Pollington tragically lost their grandson to group B strep. Next month, they'll be walking the Two Moors Way to raise money and awareness. You can also follow them on Instagram: @grandparents_against_strepb
www.justgiving.com/page/michell...
A photo of two people sat at a large round table facing each other in a room. Richard Foord is sat facing toward the camera, and the photo is taken from behind the person he is speaking to. There is a laptop open on the table in front of Richard.
At the end of last week, I held a surgery at Kennaway House, Sidmouth.
My top team heard from residents about local health facilities, special educational needs, and property management companies. Again!
I see Farage is off to Mar-a-Lago to talk down Britain and suck up to Trump.
There's nothing patriotic about cheering on a foreign leader whose illegal war is sending British families’ energy bills through the roof.
A photo of two men standing on the pavement on the left-hand side of a road. The man on the left is wearing a green hi-vis coat. There are trees and houses behind them. Both are looking towards the camera.
The Environment Agency's Area Director for Devon & Cornwall joined me yesterday in Ottery. Mark and I met with some of the residents who had been affected by Storm Chandra to discuss how some of the flooding might be avoided in future.
The Iraq Inquiry found that the British government failed to achieve its stated war aims in Iraq. In Iran, the US isn't even stating consistently what it is trying to achieve.
Fly tipping is an issue here in the South West. Most of it is small scale, but in some cases it is organised crime. The perpetrators need to be caught.
New housing without the infrastructure puts pressure on existing communities. Local people know their areas best, and should have a say.
An artistic wall with "The Community Waffle House Axminster" written on it. The art includes a church, machinery, bridges, buildings, people, trees, and various bits of writing and other icons
A US president has decided to ‘light the blue touch paper’ once again.
We need a British government that will shield us from the consequences.
#Iran #MiddleEast #USstrikes
www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/2590201...
Storm Chandra made plain the need to bolster flood protections. Yet the Government is proposing to weaken them. That's why I've started a petition calling for flood defences to be strengthened, before more communities are submerged.
www.richardfoord.org.uk/new/campaign...
The UK must not be dragged into the conflict with Iran.
We have a duty to defend British citizens in the region. Yet we cannot risk the US pulling the UK into supporting it's attacks - and everything that might unfold.
Minor Injuries Units are crucial to supporting rural areas like Devon. I look forward to working with the new Acting Chief Exec of NHS Devon, on the assumption that she too will see the value in protecting the care that is offered at these facilities. www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/2588980...
The line connecting Feniton, Honiton and Axminster is the "Cinderella" of railway lines. We need investment in this rail route; the Government can't simply use the stations as the basis for building ever more houses in these communities.
I hosted the event this afternoon in Parliament, as Chair of the Great South West all-party parliamentary group. greatsouthwest.co.uk 2/2
A photo of three people; Minette Batters, Sue Hayman, and Richard Foord, standing in a room in front of a banner for the Great South West. They are all looking toward the camera and holding paper copies of a report with a blue cover page.
Two Baronesses who have huge influence on farming policy - Minette Batters and Sue Hayman. Minette led the Farming Profitability Review. Sue is a Minister in DEFRA. Together, we launched the Agrifood Industries Growth Plan for the south west. 1/2
A selfie taken by Richard Foord with Cllr Alex Rowe outside the Palace of Westminster with the River Thames behind them. Alex is holding a framed certificate showing him as a finalist of the Star Council Awards 2025/26
Huge congratulations to Cllr Alex Rowe from Gittisham, on being shortlisted for the Young Councillor of the Year award. He is a brilliant example to us all. He is recognised today as being among the top five young councillors in the whole country. www.nalc.gov.uk/support/star...
We will always stand strong with Ukraine. 🇺🇦🇬🇧
The area I represent includes such protected areas as Beer Quarry Caves, the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths, Lyme Bay, and the River Axe catchment. Long may they be protected.
I have written to Ed Miliband asking that these protections are safeguarded. 2/2
www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/2586646...
Since taking power ministers' rhetoric has been dismissive of the natural world, even going as far as to blame nature for being a blocker to economic growth. 1/2
Photo of group of five students walking through a sunny university campus. Overlayed across the top of the image is the text; "Lib Dems announce plan to urgently cut student loan repayments amid cost of living crisis." Liberal Democrat logo in left bottom corner.
The student finance system isn't working.
Graduates are paying more, for longer, on terms that keep changing. That’s not fair and we have the plan to fix it.
I was delighted to see that an Uplyme-based environmental education business has reached the UK's Green Growth 100.
I have really enjoyed working with Little Green Change to help develop the next generation of young environmental business people!
www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/2585129...
Ministers are proposing to cut the number of police forces - possibly from 43 to 12. This carries a real risk to rural policing. Rural areas must not lose out to urban areas in these proposed reforms. Bigger is not better if villages and small towns miss out.
Having well-designed, properly maintained flood defence systems is key to preventing the sort of scenes we have seen in the wake of Storm Chandra.
Graphic with an orange background and blue bands going across it. On the top-left is a circular image of Richard Foord standing in Parliament. On the top-right is text reading “Richard Foord MP Demanding better for Honiton & Sidmouth”. Below the text is an outline of Devon filled with the Devon flag, and a Liberal Democrat logo. Underneath these are two images of Richard with other people On the left of the graphic is a translucent box underneath "9th - 13th February 2026" and five chevrons acting as bullet points. Each point reads: - Urged the Government to rethink removal of funding for rural councils - Spoke to the Mayor of Kyiv about his experience of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 - Held a surgery in Honiton to listen to the concerns of residents - Wrote in the Midweek Herald about the need to strengthen flood risk guidance - Called for better mobile connectivity across the South West
Here’s some of what I’ve been up to this week:
I also asked about pushing back Russian forces from Kyiv. Mayor Klitschko told me about that time, and said that Putin will go: "as far as we allow him to go." 2/2
On Monday, I had the privilege of speaking to the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, during a session of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. I asked him what it was like on that night four years ago when the Russians began their full-scale invasion. 1/2
The Intelligence & Security Committee has its work cut-out, in relation to the Mandelson files.
The UK and our neighbours would do well to remind the US of obligations under international law, even if this US administration doesn't feel obliged.
