It is currently recess in Westminster. That means most MPs are taking a summer holiday and not passing any new laws. Some people would say that’s a good thing!

While other politicians take a break, I have decided to launch a national campaign on crime. A staggering 49% of the British public now say Britain is lawless. My own feeling is that crime is rising, although there are big arguments and disputes about how we measure it. In Clacton, there have been several knife attacks over the past few months.

The only way we can measure crime and find out what is really going on, both as a county and as a country, is if we report it. Many people now just don’t bother to report crime because they think the police will fail to act. I would urge all of my constituents to report every crime. Without that, we will never be able to get an accurate picture of the current situation.

In recent days, I have also crossed swords with Essex Police over the disturbances that took place outside the Bell Hotel in Epping. Escorting masked protesters from groups like ‘Stand Up To Racism’ and Antifa, which then led to violent clashes, was a huge error in judgment. Essex Police and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst was nowhere to be seen, although he did come out of hiding eventually.

In addition to all of this, I am very worried that the Online Safety Act will mean our police spend too much time looking at what people say on social media and too little time fighting real crime. That is why reporting all crime, so that we get true figures, will hopefully encourage our police to prioritise the things that really matter.

To see how much crime is taking place in our county, you can visit BritainIsLawless.com.