It was deeply moving to listen to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

It has been roughly two weeks now since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started. In those two weeks we have seen unparalleled heroism and strength by those seeking to defend their homeland.

My priority is the refugee support system which clearly isn’t working very well. Although as of Tuesday, 300 people are to be welcomed, the Government is not able to respond quickly enough and with around 18,000 Ukraine Family Scheme applications started already and around 9,000 applications submitted. I will be working closely with the Government and Dorset Council to rehouse and support as many refugees as we can, as soon as we can. If you have a spare room or property where you can help refugees, I’d be pleased to hear from you: hello@chrisloder.co.uk

The overall sum we have provided Ukraine has exceeded £395million. Much of this is being spent on humanitarian aid, with £100m going towards bolstering Ukraine’s economy to reduce their dependence on Russian gas. Humanitarian teams have been deployed in and around Ukraine to provide aid and medical assistance.

Russia’s economy will be taking a further hit through the Government’s Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill. This Bill will clamp down on money laundering, forces anonymous property landlords to disclose their identity and streamlines the Government’s ability to impose further sanctions on those using property in our Capital and across the nation as pawns in their dubious enterprises.

I was pleased to open the Storehouse Church community larder in Dorchester last Thursday. The Storehouse Church a fantastic example of how a church has invigorated and supported the community through times of change and hardship. I’d like to pay tribute to Mark Topp whose hard work has made this happen.