Firstly, I want to begin this week's column by paying tribute to Jo Cox who, 10 years ago this week, was assassinated in her constituency doing her duties as an MP. That dreadful day when Jo was taken is stuck in so many of our minds.

She was elected before me, in 2015, and I never had the chance to sit alongside her in Parliament but speaking to my many colleagues who knew and worked alongside her, the common theme which comes out is what a good person Jo was and how much good she sought to do and did do. She served just one year in Parliament.

I share the below line from Jo's maiden speech in the House of Commons, and it remains as vital now as it did 10 years ago. This week I am thinking of Jo's family and especially her children, who all lost someone so special that awful day.

"We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us."

Last weekend saw the full return of the Leamington Peace Festival since the pandemic. A real staple of the community since it was originally founded in 1978, almost 50 years ago.

We saw the Pump Room Gardens filled with stalls and stages and the public returned in great numbers, and we had good weather! I was honoured to briefly share the stage with our famous adopted son, actor David Bradley, to say a few words. We both spoke about the need to come together as some would seek to divide us.

A huge thanks to the organisers who I know worked tirelessly to deliver such a great event and of course the huge many who turned out and enjoyed the festival and all it has to offer.

Finally, in the early hours of Sunday 14th June, our Royal Marine Commandos boarded a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker which had arrived into the English Channel having set sail earlier this month from an oil terminal outside St Petersburg.

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Since sanctions were imposed on Russia and its oil exports, they have been operating a shadow fleet to try and evade these sanctions. The fleet is responsible for carrying 75 percent of Russia's sanctioned oil, with more than 700 vessels.

In an impressive effort, Royal Marine Commandos, supported by National Crime Agency officers and the RAF, boarded the vessel and within a matter of minutes seize control of it without resistance. It was a highly complex operation and was the first of its kind for UK forces.

Since the seizure, the i Paper reported that at least six sanctions Russian ships aborted their attempts to pass through the English Channel.

An individual has been arrested on suspicion of sanction offences following the seizure on Sunday.

Huge credit is due to our brave military and law enforcement personnel for their remarkable efforts over the weekend.

As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any issues or concerns you would like to raise with me. I can be reached at [email protected] or on 01926 882006.