Dear Resident,
I hope this finds you well.
Since Monday I am back behind the desk at the Department for Business and Trade as Minister of State for Trade, in addition to being appointed Minister for London by the Prime Minister.
I am disappointed to have left the job of Chairman of the Conservatives Party. However, I was able to choose to go back to Trade Minister, which is a job I also love.
It is my fourth time in the role, although the Department is now called the Department for Business and Trade, instead of the Department for International Trade.
To kick off my return as Trade Minister, it was fantastic that on 14 November, the UK signed the 7th and biggest UK-US Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Florida to boost trade and investment. The MoU with Florida is the latest the UK has signed with a US state, bringing the total to seven states with a combined GDP of £3.3 trillion.
I helped set up the MoU programme and I am delighted that the Government is continuing to make it easier for UK businesses to trade in the US. I look forward to adding more states to the list!
It is also great to be back as Minister for London, a role I held in 2017. Having been the Member of Parliament for an inner London constituency for over 18 years now, I know first-hand the priorities of Londoners and the issues that they face. I know that the Mayor of London is not succeeding in his duty to London, and I will scrutinise the Mayor of London very closely.
Best wishes,
Greg Hands
The Rt Hon Greg Hands MP
Member of Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham
