Achievements

Since being elected, Greg has helped sort out thousands of issues for local people. He uses his training as a solicitor to successfully sort out people’s problems. He deals with hundreds of issues each and every week through his constituency postbag.

Some of Greg’s Local Achievements

• Successfully called for help for areas affected by coastal erosion. In 2022, as part of the Government’s £200 million flood and coast innovation programme, he backed the Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme. 

Sir Greg, who has long campaigned for extra help for areas suffering coastal erosion, says: “This programme will support innovative solutions to help areas vulnerable to coastal erosion to prepare and adapt and is most welcome.”

The programme will run to March 2027 and is in addition to the £5.2 billion already being invested in flood and coastal defences between 2021 and 2027.

•  In 2022, Supported improvements at the Market Weighton Lawn Tennis Club and, with local councillors, attended the official  opening of their new purpose-built clubhouse built with support from .  

• In 2020/2021 with others, he successfully campaigned for a government review into abolishing or reforming business rates, which are harming small businesses.

• Between 2009-2021 he campaigned for the Yorkshire Wolds to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Success moved a step nearer in June 2021 when the Government announced that the Yorkshire Wolds were now being sort-listed for such status.

• Successfully helped obtain over £3 million of Government investment under the The Flood and Coastal Erosion Investment Plan to help protect East Yorkshire against flooding and coastal erosion.

• Campaigning for further improvements to the A1079 and a dual carriageway at Wilberfoss.

• In 2020, he became a founding member of a new all-party parliamentary group, ExcludedUK, now re-named Gaps in Support Group, to help those who have been excluded from UK government Covid-19 support schemes. The group works to assist those, locally and nationally, who are entirely or partly excluded from the Government’s Covid-19 financial support measures, playing a crucial role in assisting on multiple levels, aiming to lobby for support, raise funds for legal challenges and help to enable the changes that are needed. 

• Chaired a meeting of interested parties from across the region to examine and discuss how to locally minimise the risk of flooding.

• In 2020, successfully assisted in the Pocklington Arts Centre obtaining a grant of £130,000 from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund Grants programme.

• In 2020, successfully argued for a cut in VAT from 20% to 5% as a temporary measure to help local businesses, particularly restaurants, pubs, local guest houses and tourism generally in Driffield, Pocklington, Market Weighton, Bridlington and the wider East Riding.

• Greg was the first MP to raise in the House of Commons the need for more investment to prevent future flooding. Since 2016 he has chaired the River Hull Advisory Board which is working to improve flood prevention across the East Riding.

• As Chair of the River Hull Advisory Board Greg led successful efforts to remove thirteen sunken vessels from the River Hull to improve the flow of the river and reduce the risk of flooding.

• Obtained funding grants of £10,000 to help boost retail trade in Market Weighton and Bridlington.

• Together with 80 other politicians from across the political spectrum, he is campaigning for increased transport investment in Yorkshire and the North.

• Nominated for ‘MP of the month’ by road Safety Charity BRAKE for campaigning for improvements on A1079.

• Successfully lobbied for funding for the new A1079 Holme Road roundabout.

• Obtained flood defences for Stamford Bridge.

• Helped to obtain £1.2 million from the government for areas affected by coastal erosion in the East Riding.

• Obtained additional £8 million funding for dualling a section of the A1079 awarded in January 2015.

• Opened a newly refurbished operating theatre at Bridlington Hospital made possible with £500,000 additional investment.

• With other MPs, successfully secured a fairer school funding formula.

• With other MPs, successfully secured a Toll reduction on the Humber Bridge.

• Is campaigning for the retention of services at Driffield and Bridlington hospitals against the plans of local NHS managers.

• Successfully campaigned against the unwanted and unpopular Thornholme Fields wind farm application and secured a change in policy to remove the on-shore windfarm subsidy.

• Obtained ‘Access for All’ funding to improve disabled access at Bridlington Railway Station in 2019.

Some of Greg’s National Achievements

 • In 2023 Greg backed the Trophy Hunting (Import Prohibition) Bill preventing trophy hunters bringing animals they have shot overseas into the UK. The measure had cross-party support and is being championed by explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and actors Sir Michael Palin and Dame Joanna Lumley. Sir Greg says: “This measure will assist wildlife conservation efforts”.

 • In 2022 he was named by the British Beer & Pub Association and the Long Live the Local campaign as one of this year’s Parliamentary Champions for the work he has done to support the pub and hospitality sector over the past 12 months.

 • In 2022, with others he successfully argued for a reinstatement of the national moratorium on fracking, due to on-going safety concerns 

 • In 2023, along with other MPs, he successfully argued for a fuel duty freeze to help struggling motorists.

 • In 2021, with other MPs,  he successfully argued for the setting up of a government task force to investigate the dramatic rise in pet thefts which had surged during the Covid19 pandemic.  The government has subsequently announced a new task force will be mandated to investigate and draw up an action plan to tackle these concerns.

• In 2022, successfully argued for charity tractor runs, ploughing matches and agriculture shows to be able to continue to use red diesel fuel, without which many would have ceased to be held in future.

• In 2021 he was one of the sponsors of the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill which was passed by the House of Commons and which introduces tougher punishment for animal cruelty offences

• Was one of a small number of MPs who in 2020 successfully argued that VAT should be cut from 20% to 5% across the UK to support the hospitality sector, boost tourism and help struggling seaside towns.

• In 2020/2021 with others, he successfully campaigned for a government review into abolishing or reforming business rates, which are harming small businesses.

• In 2020 he became one of the Parliamentary sponsors of proposals to crack down on those who abuse animals, by backing plans to introduce tougher prison sentences for animal cruelty.

• In 2020, he became a founding member of a new all-party parliamentary group, ExcludedUK, now re-named Gaps in Support Group, to help those who have been excluded from UK government Covid-19 support schemes. The group works to assist those who are entirely or partly excluded from the Government’s Covid-19 financial support measures.

• In 2019 he received a special award, in recognition of his support for the ‘Long Live the Local’ campaign. The award recognises the role that Sir Greg has played in supporting British pubs over the past two years and especially his support for successive freezes in beer duty which has secured thousands of jobs and millions of pounds worth of investment in the brewing and pub sector. He was presented with a unique tap handled trophy created for the occasion by the British Beer and Pub Association in London.

• Campaigned for new legislation to ban wheel clamping.

• Successfully lobbied Government to introduce new ‘consumer friendly’ credit card regulations.

• With three other politicians, in 2014 he was presented with an award for helping to raise £1 million for charity since 2004.

• Successfully proposed an amendment to the Licensing Act so that all pubs were given a ‘Drinking Up Time’ of 20 minutes in place of just 10 minutes (this has since been further amended).

• Campaigned for the introduction of a Foreign Lorry user charge to make foreign hauliers contribute towards the upkeep of our roads.

• Helped force the Payments Council to reverse its decision on abolishing cheques.

• Campaigned successfully for cuts to fuel duty and beer duty. Greg has been thanked by the British Beer and Pub Association for the part he played in securing beer duty reductions in two Budgets.

• Successfully fought for a cut in Bingo Duty.

• Successfully campaigned against excessive hospital car parking charges

• Successfully lobbied the government for increased road investment and improved flood defences.

• Has campaigned successfully for a commitment from Government to install CCTV cameras in slaughterhouses across the UK.

• Has called in Parliament for an end to Japanese whale and dolphin slaughter.

• He has twice joined the elite 1% of MPs who have changed the law by the Private Members Bill procedure. In July 2011 he successfully introduced his first Private Member’s Bill, the Estates of Deceased Persons (Forfeiture Rule and Law of Succession) Act. This amends the law of succession where a person disclaims an inheritance or is disqualified from receiving an inheritance by reason of the forfeiture rule and makes our law of succession fairer.

His second Private members Bill, the Parking (Code of Practice) Act, makes parking on private property fairer for motorists and introduces a statutory code of conduct for private car park operators. It became law in March 2019 and is due to be implemented in 2022.