Supporting local businesses to help them flourish, and create apprenticeships and jobs for local people.

A few weeks ago I wrote in this column about a special fund being set up by South East Water (SEW) for charities in Maidstone & The Weald.

There’s a real torsion in the expression ‘A Perfect Storm’ – I think it is in the uncomfortable link between an ‘aspirational adjective’ and a ‘noun to avoid’.  But a perfect storm is precisely what our farmers in Maidstone & The Weald are experiencing at the moment, as disparate forces con

One of the most rewarding elements of my role as Member of Parliament for Maidstone & The Weald is helping to give some public recognition to certain constituents for their contribution to community life. There are special people out there, many of whom who hide their lights under a bushel, and

As readers might expect, much of my casework in-tray is currently all about the rising costs of living.  Far from being an isolated issue for us here in the UK, this is a global phenomenon arising largely because of Vladimir Putin's heinous hostility to Ukraine.  That has sent energy price

As part of her ongoing pledge to support businesses across Maidstone and the Weald, Helen Grant organised and hosted an ‘Export Showcase’ roundtable in Maidstone’s town hall last week. Supported by senior officials from the Department for International Trade (DIT), Helen’s aim was to help local bus

A Kent MP vowed to back the county’s wine producers as she was appointed to a new position in Parliament this week. Helen Grant, Member of Parliament for Maidstone and The Weald, became the new Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Wine and Spirit Group at an event to celebrate the booming Englis

Last week’s record-breaking warm weather heralded the start of the school summer holidays and with it, the zenith of Kent’s tourism season. I know from my time as a former tourism minister that Kent is one of the most flourishing holiday destinations in the UK, welcoming 65 million visitors in 2017

Building a successful business was in my wish list from quite a young age.  I tried a couple of start-ups and enjoyed some success before becoming a solicitor.  Then I set up my own legal practice and I knew that location was vital – to be near other critical support services, amidst a str

Staplehurst winery Hush Heath received a special visit last week as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss MP dropped by as part of her tour of the South East’s finest food and drink producers. The Cabinet Minister was joined by Maidstone and the Weald MP Helen Grant MP and local borough counci