IN this week’s column, Tory Warrington South MP Andy Carter discusses Team GB’s achievements in Tokyo and the coronavirus vaccination programme.

Over the last couple of weeks my first click of the morning on social media has been to check Team GB’s outstanding achievements in Tokyo and our athletes haven’t failed to impress.  Even better still, two former Warrington High School students have been part of a team breaking world records and taking gold in the pool.  Looking back in the annals of history, by all accounts the town has waited 125 years for an Olympics gold medal, and thanks to the incredible personal efforts of former Great Sankey High student Kathleen Dawson and former Cardinal Newman High School student James Guy, we now have two Warringtonian gold medallists! 

Kathleen trained at Warrington Warriors Swimming Club and the same weekend she was winning medals in Tokyo, the next generation of Warrington Olympians were in the pool at Manchester Aquatics competing in the festival of swimming for their club, winning medals and achieving personal best.  If you’re inspired to get active and want to find out more about your local swimming club by using Swim England’s club website at: discover.swimming.org.

Since my last column the country has now moved out of almost all coronavirus restrictions and much has been written about the ‘pingdemic’.  

My first week of freedom after the restrictions were lifted was in self isolation after being contacted by test and trace.  With all other mandatory Covid controls lifted, asking close contacts to stay at home when someone has tested positive is our last line of defence to reduce the spread.  

As more and more of us are double vaccinated the rules for test and trace will also change mid-August. 

My mailbox has had a variety of correspondence, some concerned we’ve moved too fast, others wanting us to change restrictions more quickly.  

Whatever your views on restrictions there is clear evidence that the vaccination programme is working and we’ve made great strides on breaking the link between infections, hospitalisation and death – if you haven’t yet had a jab think about the protection it offers both you and those around you – there are frequent walk in clinics still operating in Warrington so it’s not too late to protect yourself, your family and friends.

While Parliament isn’t sitting it gives me an opportunity to spend more time meeting businesses, taking to residents and getting involved in local groups.  

Peel’s plans to spend £6.5m repairing the Warburton Toll Bridge and increasing the toll from 12p to £1 per journey has caused quite a bit of anger.  

This move would add almost £500 extra per year in tolls to someone who travelled over the bridge and back for work each day. It’s time for the company to carry out all of the overdue repairs and for the road to revert to the council. I’ve written to the transport secretary asking him to look at the options for supporting Warrington and Trafford Councils to adopt the highway and remove the archaic toll. This increase in costs is the last thing families and businesses need as we are recovering from Covid.

Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng visited Warrington last week to talk to local businesses about operating during the pandemic. Warrington’s backbone is small business so I was really pleased to take him to 3 Pugs Gin, a company that started four years ago in the spare room of a house in Latchford, which has grown and now occupies a unit in Penketh.  

The minister was fascinated to hear about the production process and how Christine and Stephen Ditchfield adapted their business to support the fight against Covid-19, producing thousands of bottles of hand sanitiser and raising money for NHS charities through their sales.

They’ve taken their two loves - gin and pugs and combined them to make a fantastic local business. They’ve learnt lots and have big plans for the next 12 months, this is the kind of business I want us to support, so they can employ more people and provide an even better service to their customers across the country.  

Do take a look at their range of products, I recommend the black currant infused gin which you can find at www.3pugsgin.co.uk. 

I’ve got a staycation planned this year, a few days by the coast and then making the most of our lovely Cheshire countryside for days out.  If you’re looking for something to do a little further afield you can now book a tour of the House of Parliament which has reopened – you can see both the Lords and Commons where laws are made - an incredible building that’s full of history and it’s not too busy right now!