To contact John and to book a surgery appointment:
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0207 219 6676 Email: howelljm@parliament.uk |
01491 613072 PO Box 84 |
Surgery hotline: 01491 613072
25 JAN 2012
Fears for local oak trees
Fears have been raised that oak woodland in the Henley constituency could soon be attacked by the Oak Processionary Moth. Its caterpillar attacks the leaves of oak trees and is a major source of leaf loss. The pest has spread widely in London, where it was only recently first discovered in the UK, and has proved difficult to control. The moth is native to central and souhthern Europe but has...
24 JAN 2012
SODC and the planning inspectorate
A number of constituents who live in my constituency but near Wallingford have written to me to question the powers of the planning inspector appointed to examine SODC's Core Strategy simply to change the plan. Under the existing law introduced by the last Government that is exactly the power planning inspectors have and it is yet another good example of why the previous planning system was ...
24 JAN 2012
Capping benefits
The New Year has started with a row in the House of Lords over the Government's Welfare Reform Bill and changes to the benefits system. This is a subject on which I get a steady flow of e mails from local residents. There is a genuine sense of unfairness that the welfare system has been left in such a mess by Labour, with too many people better off out of work and on benefits than if the...
13 JAN 2012
New Year Message
This message first appeared in the Oxfordshire Guardian in January 2012 Let me start by wishing everyone a peaceful and prosperous 2012. I also want especially to thank all those who have worked so hard for the many charities and voluntary organisations which make Oxfordshire such a good place to live and work. It has been a great pleasure to meet so many of you and to share a little in the work ...
23 NOV 2011
Local unemployment figures
The number of unemployed in the Henley constituency has fallen. Figures released this month for October 2011 show that the number of unemployed claimants has fallen by 55 and now stands at 660. That is 55 lower than September 2011 and 68 lower than this time last year.There are only three other constituencies in the country which have performed better. Throughout the year, there has been a ...
To read about some of the local campaigns with which I am involved please see my local campaigns section.
There is not a day which goes past without my being conscious of the enormous privilege it is to be an MP. In the Westminster section of my site you can find out more about my work there including speeches, select committess, Parliamentary inquiries, and other roles.
The Henley constituency runs from near the edge of Bicester in the north to the edge of Reading in the south skirting Oxford to the east. It covers some 260 square miles and has around 74,000 voters - 6,000 more than the UK average of 68,000. It includes a large part of the area covered by South Oxfordshire District Council and some of the area covered by Cherwell District Council. It is a largely rural constituency with only two major towns - Henley on Thames and Thame. The River Thames defines a large part of the boundary of the constituency.
One of the joys of this constituency is the range of different events and activities with which I am able to be involved. You can access these by clicking on the map on this page and then clicking on your own town or village.
Many of these events demonstrate the enormous public spirited nature of the people of this area and the generosity in time and money they show to the charity and voluntary sectors. I am pleased to have been able to support many of these activities.
Welcome to
my web-site
Thank you for logging on to my web-site. I’ve set out on the pages which follow some of the things I’ve been championing here in the constituency and some of the things I’ve been involved with at Westminster.
I look forward to hearing from you.
John Howell In Touch
MY NEWSLETTERS
E- Newsletter
Every other month I publish an e newsletter by e mail to keep members of the constituency who have given me their e mail addresses informed of my activities here and in Westminster. If you would like to subscribe for this please send an e mail to subscribe@johnhowellmp.com with the word Subscribe in the headline. You may download the latest versions below.
Parish news
Each month parish magazines and parish councils receive a newsletter with news highlights of what has been happening in Westminster. The latest example is below.
House meetings
There is a real need to bring politicians to the people rather than expecting people to have to come to the politicians. That's why I began a programme of meetings with people where they are - for example in their houses, in pubs, in restaurants and cafes. These more intimate meetings allow everyone the chance to raise points and ask questions in an informal setting and in a more detailed way.
This type of meeting not only benefits constituents it also benefits me. Politicians can too easily become cut off from the public without ever taking the time to dig deeper. House meetings, for example, are a simple concept. A local resident acts as host and invites a group of neighbours to their house for an open, no holds barred meeting with me to discuss - well; whatever is uppermost on their minds. It's a direct and personal way of discussing local and national issues.
For more information, and if you would like to host a house meeting, please ring my constituency office (see contact list)
