MP Alison Hume column: determined that North York Moors fire heroes 'not forgotten'
Four months ago, when the wildfire on the moors surrounding Whitby was at its peak, the heroic efforts of firefighters, farmers and others to prevent local communities being destroyed by the flames were headline news.
Now, as we approach Christmas, the national media has moved on and is focused on other things.
However, people are still living with the aftermath of this terrible event every single day.
It has not only taken its toll on their livelihoods but, in many cases, their mental health.
I’ve visited the affected area both during and after the wildfire and listened to those who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others.
I’m determined they are not forgotten.
Standing recently on Maybeck Moor, the sheer scale of the damage really hit me, and I know that officials who visited from MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) went away with a clearer idea of the huge area affected.
Despite the news coverage, it’s hard for anyone who wasn’t directly threatened by the wildfire to truly appreciate the dangers these brave men and women faced.
Recently, I met farmers left out of pocket because they weren’t formally contracted by emergency services during the blaze.
I’m pressing for relief schemes, currently available for flood-hit areas, to be extended to cover wildfires.
I did the same when it came to inheritance tax rules relating to family farms.
An important concession was won on spousal transfer but concerns about the impact of anti-foreclosure measures on elderly and terminally ill farmers still worries me.
As a member of the Labour Rural Research Group, I continue to meet with ministerial colleagues to advocate for further changes to the inheritance tax proposals.
Listening to the farming community is important to me.
As well as individual and group meetings and farm visits, I’ve arranged coffee mornings to help me hear directly from my constituents.
I appreciate doing this doesn’t make all the issues go away or definitely solve them.
What it is, though, is another way of striving to serve my constituents to the best of my abilities.
Our communities deserve more than headlines.
They deserve lasting support.
I’ll keep working to try to make sure they get it.