People need a reason to believe and they need it today

Hastings In Focus offers a platform to those who have held, and those who still hold, elected political office in and around Hastings and St Leonards, to come and have their say. To kick things off our former Conservative MP Sally-Ann Hart looks back at this month’s local election results and explains what she believes […]

Ambitious and optimistic and in receipt of an ‘enormous privilege’

Later this week Hastings In Focus will be recording an interview with the town’s new MP Sally-Ann Hart. In the meantime Mrs Hart has outlined here what she sees as her immediate priorities in her new job. I am writing this as your Member of Parliament, sitting at my kitchen table. The early morning house […]

Rudd rejoins cabinet, says constituents will be her ‘first priority’

Amber Rudd says she is ‘honoured’ to take on the role of Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. It was announced this afternoon that the Hastings MP’s time in the political wilderness was over when Downing Street confirmed that she was returning to the cabinet replacing Esther McVey who stood down from the position […]

More big names join the push to save music in East Sussex schools

Music is central to our cultural life and a driver of economic growth. That’s the simple message the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) is sending to East Sussex County Council as it wades in to the campaign to stop the closure of East Sussex Music Service which provides music lessons in schools across the county. […]

‘Hard work’ pays off as special measures lifted at Conquest

The Conquest Hospital, part of East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, is no longer in special measures news that has been warmly welcomed by local MPs. The trust is made up of the Conquest and Eastbourne District General Hospital. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) this week published a report following their latest inspection of the two hospitals […]

‘Poor choices’ will lead to hardship for those most in need

Protestors were out in force in Lewes on Saturday campaigning against proposed cuts to the East Sussex County Council Adult Social Care budget, cuts that could result in the closure of the Isabel Blackman Centre here in Hastings. The protest was organised by Emily Clarke of Lewes Labour and saw over 40 people meet outside […]

MP deals with mixed bag of local issues

Its been a hectic week for Hastings and Rye MP Amber Rudd who has had a series of high profile meetings in and around her constituency. Among initiatives launched includes a survey of local people to find out just what people really think about plans to put a level crossing over the A21, Ms Rudd […]