THE uncertainty of Brexit and lack of support for Theresa May means that the Government is currently in a weak and unstable position.

However, for the moment we are led by a Conservative government and so Conservative MPs are in a strong position to influence policies and decisions.

This should be good news for Sussex residents bearing in mind that 12 out of the 16 MPs are Conservative and two are Government Ministers. This should lead to the needs and requirements of Sussex residents being understood, and to influence suitable national and regional policies.

Along with the two current ministers, until the end of April a Sussex MP was the Home Secretary. Add to this that two out of the three upper tier local authorities are Tory led, and our Police and Crime Commissioner is a Tory along with most of the Borough and District Councils and in many senses Sussex should be well understood by this Government.

Sadly this theory comes crashing to the ground when one looks at what is happening such as the funds for Sussex councils and a number of other matters.

It seems perfectly reasonable in the light of this to ask all 12 of the Sussex Conservative MPs to stick their necks out and join in with the four non-Conservatives who are understandably willing to challenge the Government on matters of local need.

Of course, the tactics used by MPs from the same party as the Government may be a bit more subtle than those who sit on the opposition benches, but bearing in mind the next General Election may be around the corner, it seems reasonable to call on them to begin to explain how they make a case for Sussex to be supported by their Government.

Clearly a major issue for people who travel to work or other places by train is how long will it take for the Government to resolve the issues caused by Govia Thameslink Railway in the Southern area.

Towards the end of the 2017/18 Parliament ten out of those 12 MPs voted for GTR to retain its franchise and yet over the summer the number of complaints continued to grow, indeed some of the people who voted to retain GTR have been the most vocal about the problems their constituents have experienced.

It may seem acceptable for a refund policy sticking plaster to be provided in the very short term, but this is now at breaking point.

What will these 12 MPs do now to reverse the decisions they took back in June?

The fact that one of the Sussex Tory ministers is in the Department of Transport would suggest that the voices of her 11 colleagues will be heard well.

We as residents simply need to know what is being proposed and when it will be voted on.

According to a recent report by the Local Government Association a significant number of areas will be impact by a shortage of Secondary Schools by 2025.

The issue is critical because the Government has removed the power from local authorities to build any new schools and so there is a risk that as we approach the 2020s that no plans will be made to meet the needs of the children concerned.

One of the councils referred to in one of the documents is West Sussex, but the problem may also impact on East Sussex and Brighton and Hove.

Asking the 12 MPs to work together, taking advantage that one of their number is the Schools Minister seems to make a great deal of sense, perhaps they could let us all know what they are doing?

Even if this only affects one county area, the value of asking the Schools Minister to reverse the policy will be of benefit to other areas of the UK.

The final area relates to the role of the Home Secretary which was held up until April by Amber Rudd.

The decision of the two Sussex Fire and Rescue Services to break up the combined control centre seems rather concerning as does the various social media messages including one from Amber applauding Katy Bourne for increasing the number of new police recruits as a result of the increased police precept.

In reality it is Sussex residents who have funded these new posts, but more concerning is the extent to which many years of Conservative cuts have led to a major gap in the number of police officers. It would be helpful to hear how the 12 MPs including Amber will argue for increased funding for Sussex Police in the future and how they will attempt to resolve the breakdown between the two fire and rescue Services affecting their constituencies.