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- Stephen Kinnock, Aberafan Maesteg (lab)
- Kirsty Blackman, Aberdeen North (snp)
- Stephen Flynn, Aberdeen South (snp)
- Seamus Logan, Aberdeenshire North and Moray East (snp)
- Kenneth Stevenson, Airdrie and Shotts (lab)
- Alex Baker, Aldershot (lab)
- Wendy Morton, Aldridge-Brownhills (con)
- Brian Leishman, Alloa and Grangemouth (lab)
- Connor Rand, Altrincham and Sale West (lab)
- Mark Tami, Alyn and Deeside (lab)
- Linsey Farnsworth, Amber Valley (lab)
- Dave Doogan, Angus and Perthshire Glens (snp)
- Stephen Gethins, Arbroath and Broughty Ferry (snp)
- Brendan O'Hara, Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber (snp)
- Andrew Griffith, Arundel and South Downs (con)
- Lee Anderson, Ashfield (ref)
- Sojan Joseph, Ashford (lab)
- Angela Rayner, Ashton-under-Lyne (lab)
- Laura Kyrke-Smith, Aylesbury (lab)
- Elaine Stewart, Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock (lab)
- Sean Woodcock, Banbury (lab)
- Claire Hughes, Bangor Aberconwy (lab)
- Nesil Caliskan, Barking (lab)
- Dan Jarvis, Barnsley North (lab)
- Stephanie Peacock, Barnsley South (lab)
- Michelle Scrogham, Barrow and Furness (lab)
- Richard Holden, Basildon and Billericay (con)
- Luke Murphy, Basingstoke (lab)
- Jo White, Bassetlaw (lab)
- Wera Hobhouse, Bath (ld)
- Kirsteen Sullivan, Bathgate and Linlithgow (lab)
- Marsha De Cordova, Battersea (lab)
- Joy Morrissey, Beaconsfield (con)
- Liam Conlon, Beckenham and Penge (lab)
- Mohammad Yasin, Bedford (lab)
- Gavin Robinson, Belfast East (dup)
- John Finucane, Belfast North (sf)
- Claire Hanna, Belfast South and Mid Down (sdlp)
- Paul Maskey, Belfast West (sf)
- Neil Coyle, Bermondsey and Old Southwark (lab)
- John Lamont, Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (con)
- Rushanara Ali, Bethnal Green and Stepney (lab)
- Graham Stuart, Beverley and Holderness (con)
- Dr Kieran Mullan, Bexhill and Battle (con)
- Daniel Francis, Bexleyheath and Crayford (lab)
- Calum Miller, Bicester and Woodstock (ld)
- Alison McGovern, Birkenhead (lab)
- Preet Kaur Gill, Birmingham Edgbaston (lab)
- Paulette Hamilton, Birmingham Erdington (lab)
- Tahir Ali, Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley (lab)
- Liam Byrne, Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North (lab)
- Shabana Mahmood, Birmingham Ladywood (lab)
- Laurence Turner, Birmingham Northfield (lab)
- Ayoub Khan, Birmingham Perry Barr (ind)
- Al Carns, Birmingham Selly Oak (lab)
- Jess Phillips, Birmingham Yardley (lab)
- Sam Rushworth, Bishop Auckland (lab)
- Adnan Hussain, Blackburn (ind)
- Graham Stringer, Blackley and Middleton South (lab)
- Lorraine Beavers, Blackpool North and Fleetwood (lab)
- Chris Webb, Blackpool South (lab)
- Nick Smith, Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney (lab)
- Liz Twist, Blaydon and Consett (lab)
- Ian Lavery, Blyth and Ashington (lab)
- Alison Griffiths, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (con)
- Natalie Fleet, Bolsover (lab)
- Kirith Entwistle, Bolton North East (lab)
- Yasmin Qureshi, Bolton South and Walkden (lab)
- Phil Brickell, Bolton West (lab)
- Peter Dowd, Bootle (lab)
- Richard Tice, Boston and Skegness (ref)
- Tom Hayes, Bournemouth East (lab)
- Jessica Toale, Bournemouth West (lab)
- Peter Swallow, Bracknell (lab)
- Imran Hussain, Bradford East (lab)
- Judith Cummins, Bradford South (lab)
- Naz Shah, Bradford West (lab)
- James Cleverly, Braintree (con)
- David Chadwick, Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe (ld)
- Dawn Butler, Brent East (lab)
- Barry Gardiner, Brent West (lab)
- Ruth Cadbury, Brentford and Isleworth (lab)
- Alex Burghart, Brentwood and Ongar (con)
- Chris Elmore, Bridgend (lab)
- Sir Ashley Fox, Bridgwater (con)
- Charlie Dewhirst, Bridlington and The Wolds (con)
- Martin Vickers, Brigg and Immingham (con)
- Chris Ward, Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven (lab)
- Siân Berry, Brighton Pavilion (grn)
- Carla Denyer, Bristol Central (grn)
- Kerry McCarthy, Bristol East (lab)
- Damien Egan, Bristol North East (lab)
- Darren Jones, Bristol North West (lab)
- Karin Smyth, Bristol South (lab)
- Jerome Mayhew, Broadland and Fakenham (con)
- Peter Fortune, Bromley and Biggin Hill (con)
- Bradley Thomas, Bromsgrove (con)
- Lewis Cocking, Broxbourne (con)
- Juliet Campbell, Broxtowe (lab)
- Callum Anderson, Buckingham and Bletchley (lab)
- Oliver Ryan, Burnley (ind)
- Jacob Collier, Burton and Uttoxeter (lab)
- James Frith, Bury North (lab)
- Christian Wakeford, Bury South (lab)
- Peter Prinsley, Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket (lab)
- Ann Davies, Caerfyrddin (pc)
- Chris Evans, Caerphilly (lab)
- Jamie Stone, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (ld)
- Josh Fenton-Glynn, Calder Valley (lab)
- Perran Moon, Camborne and Redruth (lab)
- Daniel Zeichner, Cambridge (lab)
- Josh Newbury, Cannock Chase (lab)
- Rosie Duffield, Canterbury (ind)
- Jo Stevens, Cardiff East (lab)
- Anna McMorrin, Cardiff North (lab)
- Stephen Doughty, Cardiff South and Penarth (lab)
- Alex Barros-Curtis, Cardiff West (lab)
- Julie Minns, Carlisle (lab)
- Bobby Dean, Carshalton and Wallington (ld)
- Rebecca Harris, Castle Point (con)
- Alan Gemmell, Central Ayrshire (lab)
- Mel Stride, Central Devon (con)
- Patrick Spencer, Central Suffolk and North Ipswich (con)
- Ben Lake, Ceredigion Preseli (pc)
- Tristan Osborne, Chatham and Aylesford (lab)
- Tom Morrison, Cheadle (ld)
- Marie Goldman, Chelmsford (ld)
- Ben Coleman, Chelsea and Fulham (lab)
- Max Wilkinson, Cheltenham (ld)
- Sarah Green, Chesham and Amersham (ld)
- Samantha Dixon, Chester North and Neston (lab)
- Aphra Brandreth, Chester South and Eddisbury (con)
- Toby Perkins, Chesterfield (lab)
- Jess Brown-Fuller, Chichester (ld)
- Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Chingford and Woodford Green (con)
- Sarah Gibson, Chippenham (ld)
- Dan Tomlinson, Chipping Barnet (lab)
- Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Chorley (sp)
- Sir Christopher Chope, Christchurch (con)
- Rachel Blake, Cities of London and Westminster (lab)
- Mary Kelly Foy, City of Durham (lab)
- Nigel Farage, Clacton (ref)
- Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Clapham and Brixton Hill (lab)
- Becky Gittins, Clwyd East (lab)
- Gill German, Clwyd North (lab)
- Frank McNally, Coatbridge and Bellshill (lab)
- Pam Cox, Colchester (lab)
- Paul Davies, Colne Valley (lab)
- Sarah Russell, Congleton (lab)
- Lee Barron, Corby and East Northamptonshire (lab)
- Mary Creagh, Coventry East (lab)
- Taiwo Owatemi, Coventry North West (lab)
- Zarah Sultana, Coventry South (ind)
- Melanie Ward, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy (lab)
- Emma Foody, Cramlington and Killingworth (lab)
- Peter Lamb, Crawley (lab)
- Connor Naismith, Crewe and Nantwich (lab)
- Natasha Irons, Croydon East (lab)
- Chris Philp, Croydon South (con)
- Sarah Jones, Croydon West (lab)
- Katrina Murray, Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch (lab)
- Margaret Mullane, Dagenham and Rainham (lab)
- Lola McEvoy, Darlington (lab)
- Jim Dickson, Dartford (lab)
- Stuart Andrew, Daventry (con)
- Catherine Atkinson, Derby North (lab)
- Baggy Shanker, Derby South (lab)
- John Whitby, Derbyshire Dales (lab)
- Iqbal Mohamed, Dewsbury and Batley (ind)
- Olly Glover, Didcot and Wantage (ld)
- Sally Jameson, Doncaster Central (lab)
- Lee Pitcher, Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (lab)
- Ed Miliband, Doncaster North (lab)
- Chris Coghlan, Dorking and Horley (ld)
- Mike Tapp, Dover and Deal (lab)
- Nigel Huddleston, Droitwich and Evesham (con)
- Sonia Kumar, Dudley (lab)
- Helen Hayes, Dulwich and West Norwood (lab)
- John Cooper, Dumfries and Galloway (con)
- David Mundell, Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (con)
- Chris Law, Dundee Central (snp)
- Graeme Downie, Dunfermline and Dollar (lab)
- Alex Mayer, Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard (lab)
- Liz Saville Roberts, Dwyfor Meirionnydd (pc)
- Dr Rupa Huq, Ealing Central and Acton (lab)
- James Murray, Ealing North (lab)
- Deirdre Costigan, Ealing Southall (lab)
- Yuan Yang, Earley and Woodley (lab)
- Grahame Morris, Easington (lab)
- Sammy Wilson, East Antrim (dup)
- Mims Davies, East Grinstead and Uckfield (con)
- Sir Stephen Timms, East Ham (lab)
- Damian Hinds, East Hampshire (con)
- Joani Reid, East Kilbride and Strathaven (lab)
- Gregory Campbell, East Londonderry (dup)
- Blair McDougall, East Renfrewshire (lab)
- Claire Coutinho, East Surrey (con)
- Polly Billington, East Thanet (lab)
- Danny Kruger, East Wiltshire (con)
- Tom Rutland, East Worthing and Shoreham (lab)
- Josh Babarinde, Eastbourne (ld)
- Liz Jarvis, Eastleigh (ld)
- Chris Murray, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (lab)
- Tracy Gilbert, Edinburgh North and Leith (lab)
- Ian Murray, Edinburgh South (lab)
- Dr Scott Arthur, Edinburgh South West (lab)
- Christine Jardine, Edinburgh West (ld)
- Kate Osamor, Edmonton and Winchmore Hill (lab)
- Justin Madders, Ellesmere Port and Bromborough (lab)
- Clive Efford, Eltham and Chislehurst (lab)
- Charlotte Cane, Ely and East Cambridgeshire (ld)
- Feryal Clark, Enfield North (lab)
- Dr Neil Hudson, Epping Forest (con)
- Helen Maguire, Epsom and Ewell (ld)
- Adam Thompson, Erewash (lab)
- Abena Oppong-Asare, Erith and Thamesmead (lab)
- Monica Harding, Esher and Walton (ld)
- Steve Race, Exeter (lab)
- David Reed, Exmouth and Exeter East (con)
- Euan Stainbank, Falkirk (lab)
- Suella Braverman, Fareham and Waterlooville (con)
- Gregory Stafford, Farnham and Bordon (con)
- Helen Whately, Faversham and Mid Kent (con)
- Seema Malhotra, Feltham and Heston (lab)
- Pat Cullen, Fermanagh and South Tyrone (sf)
- Claire Hazelgrove, Filton and Bradley Stoke (lab)
- Sarah Sackman, Finchley and Golders Green (lab)
- Tony Vaughan, Folkestone and Hythe (lab)
- Matt Bishop, Forest of Dean (lab)
- Colum Eastwood, Foyle (sdlp)
- Anna Sabine, Frome and East Somerset (ld)
- Andrew Snowden, Fylde (con)
- Sir Edward Leigh, Gainsborough (con)
- Mark Ferguson, Gateshead Central and Whickham (lab)
- Michael Payne, Gedling (lab)
- Naushabah Khan, Gillingham and Rainham (lab)
- John Grady, Glasgow East (lab)
- Martin Rhodes, Glasgow North (lab)
- Maureen Burke, Glasgow North East (lab)
- Gordon McKee, Glasgow South (lab)
- Dr Zubir Ahmed, Glasgow South West (lab)
- Patricia Ferguson, Glasgow West (lab)
- Sarah Dyke, Glastonbury and Somerton (ld)
- Richard Baker, Glenrothes and Mid Fife (lab)
- Alex McIntyre, Gloucester (lab)
- Jeremy Hunt, Godalming and Ash (con)
- David Davis, Goole and Pocklington (con)
- Harriet Cross, Gordon and Buchan (con)
- Andrew Gwynne, Gorton and Denton (ind)
- Dame Caroline Dinenage, Gosport (con)
- Tonia Antoniazzi, Gower (lab)
- Gareth Davies, Grantham and Bourne (con)
- Dr Lauren Sullivan, Gravesham (lab)
- Melanie Onn, Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes (lab)
- Rupert Lowe, Great Yarmouth (ref)
- Matthew Pennycook, Greenwich and Woolwich (lab)
- Zöe Franklin, Guildford (ld)
- Diane Abbott, Hackney North and Stoke Newington (lab)
- Dame Meg Hillier, Hackney South and Shoreditch (lab)
- Alex Ballinger, Halesowen (lab)
- Kate Dearden, Halifax (lab)
- Paul Holmes, Hamble Valley (con)
- Imogen Walker, Hamilton and Clyde Valley (lab)
- Andy Slaughter, Hammersmith and Chiswick (lab)
- Tulip Siddiq, Hampstead and Highgate (lab)
- Neil O'Brien, Harborough, Oadby and Wigston (con)
- Chris Vince, Harlow (lab)
- Victoria Collins, Harpenden and Berkhamsted (ld)
- Tom Gordon, Harrogate and Knaresborough (ld)
- Bob Blackman, Harrow East (con)
- Gareth Thomas, Harrow West (lab)
- Jonathan Brash, Hartlepool (lab)
- Sir Bernard Jenkin, Harwich and North Essex (con)
- Helena Dollimore, Hastings and Rye (lab)
- Alan Mak, Havant (con)
- John McDonnell, Hayes and Harlington (ind)
- Lisa Smart, Hazel Grove (ld)
- David Taylor, Hemel Hempstead (lab)
- David Pinto-Duschinsky, Hendon (lab)
- Freddie van Mierlo, Henley and Thame (ld)
- Jesse Norman, Hereford and South Herefordshire (con)
- Sir Roger Gale, Herne Bay and Sandwich (con)
- Josh Dean, Hertford and Stortford (lab)
- Sir Oliver Dowden, Hertsmere (con)
- Joe Morris, Hexham (lab)
- Elsie Blundell, Heywood and Middleton North (lab)
- Jon Pearce, High Peak (lab)
- Dr Luke Evans, Hinckley and Bosworth (con)
- Alistair Strathern, Hitchin (lab)
- Sir Keir Starmer, Holborn and St Pancras (lab)
- Richard Foord, Honiton and Sidmouth (ld)
- Julia Lopez, Hornchurch and Upminster (con)
- Catherine West, Hornsey and Friern Barnet (lab)
- John Milne, Horsham (ld)
- Bridget Phillipson, Houghton and Sunderland South (lab)
- Peter Kyle, Hove and Portslade (lab)
- Harpreet Uppal, Huddersfield (lab)
- Ben Obese-Jecty, Huntingdon (con)
- Sarah Smith, Hyndburn (lab)
- Wes Streeting, Ilford North (lab)
- Jas Athwal, Ilford South (lab)
- Martin McCluskey, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West (lab)
- Angus MacDonald, Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire (ld)
- Jack Abbott, Ipswich (lab)
- Joe Robertson, Isle of Wight East (con)
- Richard Quigley, Isle of Wight West (lab)
- Jeremy Corbyn, Islington North (ind)
- Emily Thornberry, Islington South and Finsbury (lab)
- Kate Osborne, Jarrow and Gateshead East (lab)
- Robbie Moore, Keighley and Ilkley (con)
- Sir Jeremy Wright, Kenilworth and Southam (con)
- Joe Powell, Kensington and Bayswater (lab)
- Rosie Wrighting, Kettering (lab)
- Lillian Jones, Kilmarnock and Loudoun (lab)
- Ed Davey, Kingston and Surbiton (ld)
- Karl Turner, Kingston upon Hull East (lab)
- Dame Diana Johnson, Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham (lab)
- Emma Hardy, Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice (lab)
- Mike Wood, Kingswinford and South Staffordshire (con)
- Anneliese Midgley, Knowsley (lab)
- Sorcha Eastwood, Lagan Valley (all)
- Cat Smith, Lancaster and Wyre (lab)
- Alex Sobel, Leeds Central and Headingley (lab)
- Richard Burgon, Leeds East (lab)
- Fabian Hamilton, Leeds North East (lab)
- Katie White, Leeds North West (lab)
- Hilary Benn, Leeds South (lab)
- Mark Sewards, Leeds South West and Morley (lab)
- Rachel Reeves, Leeds West and Pudsey (lab)
- Shivani Raja, Leicester East (con)
- Shockat Adam, Leicester South (ind)
- Liz Kendall, Leicester West (lab)
- Jo Platt, Leigh and Atherton (lab)
- James MacCleary, Lewes (ld)
- Janet Daby, Lewisham East (lab)
- Vicky Foxcroft, Lewisham North (lab)
- Ellie Reeves, Lewisham West and East Dulwich (lab)
- Calvin Bailey, Leyton and Wanstead (lab)
- Dave Robertson, Lichfield (lab)
- Hamish Falconer, Lincoln (lab)
- Maria Eagle, Liverpool Garston (lab)
- Kim Johnson, Liverpool Riverside (lab)
- Dan Carden, Liverpool Walton (lab)
- Paula Barker, Liverpool Wavertree (lab)
- Ian Byrne, Liverpool West Derby (lab)
- Gregor Poynton, Livingston (lab)
- Dame Nia Griffith, Llanelli (lab)
- Douglas Alexander, Lothian East (lab)
- Dr Jeevun Sandher, Loughborough (lab)
- Victoria Atkins, Louth and Horncastle (con)
- Jess Asato, Lowestoft (lab)
- Sarah Owen, Luton North (lab)
- Rachel Hopkins, Luton South and South Bedfordshire (lab)
- Tim Roca, Macclesfield (lab)
- Joshua Reynolds, Maidenhead (ld)
- Helen Grant, Maidstone and Malling (con)
- Josh Simons, Makerfield (lab)
- Sir John Whittingdale, Maldon (con)
- Lucy Powell, Manchester Central (lab)
- Afzal Khan, Manchester Rusholme (lab)
- Jeff Smith, Manchester Withington (lab)
- Steve Yemm, Mansfield (lab)
- Brian Mathew, Melksham and Devizes (ld)
- Edward Argar, Melton and Syston (con)
- Saqib Bhatti, Meriden and Solihull East (con)
- Gerald Jones, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare (lab)
- Blake Stephenson, Mid Bedfordshire (con)
- Greg Smith, Mid Buckinghamshire (con)
- Andrew Cooper, Mid Cheshire (lab)
- Jonathan Davies, Mid Derbyshire (lab)
- Vikki Slade, Mid Dorset and North Poole (ld)
- Susan Murray, Mid Dunbartonshire (ld)
- Peter Bedford, Mid Leicestershire (con)
- George Freeman, Mid Norfolk (con)
- Alison Bennett, Mid Sussex (ld)
- Cathal Mallaghan, Mid Ulster (sf)
- Henry Tufnell, Mid and South Pembrokeshire (lab)
- Luke Myer, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (lab)
- Andy McDonald, Middlesbrough and Thornaby East (lab)
- Kirsty McNeill, Midlothian (lab)
- Emily Darlington, Milton Keynes Central (lab)
- Chris Curtis, Milton Keynes North (lab)
- Dame Siobhain McDonagh, Mitcham and Morden (lab)
- Catherine Fookes, Monmouthshire (lab)
- Steve Witherden, Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr (lab)
- Graham Leadbitter, Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey (snp)
- Lizzi Collinge, Morecambe and Lunesdale (lab)
- Pamela Nash, Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke (lab)
- Torcuil Crichton, Na h-Eileanan an Iar (lab)
- Carolyn Harris, Neath and Swansea East (lab)
- Sir Julian Lewis, New Forest East (con)
- Sir Desmond Swayne, New Forest West (con)
- Robert Jenrick, Newark (con)
- Lee Dillon, Newbury (ld)
- Chi Onwurah, Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West (lab)
- Mary Glindon, Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend (lab)
- Catherine McKinnell, Newcastle upon Tyne North (lab)
- Adam Jogee, Newcastle-under-Lyme (lab)
- Jessica Morden, Newport East (lab)
- Ruth Jones, Newport West and Islwyn (lab)
- Dáire Hughes, Newry and Armagh (sf)
- Martin Wrigley, Newton Abbot (ld)
- Alan Strickland, Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor (lab)
- Jon Trickett, Normanton and Hemsworth (lab)
- Jim Allister, North Antrim (tuv)
- Irene Campbell, North Ayrshire and Arran (lab)
- Richard Fuller, North Bedfordshire (con)
- Ben Maguire, North Cornwall (ld)
- Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, North Cotswolds (con)
- Ian Roome, North Devon (ld)
- Simon Hoare, North Dorset (con)
- Alex Easton, North Down (ind)
- Luke Akehurst, North Durham (lab)
- Steve Barclay, North East Cambridgeshire (con)
- Louise Jones, North East Derbyshire (lab)
- Wendy Chamberlain, North East Fife (ld)
- Alex Brewer, North East Hampshire (ld)
- Chris Hinchliff, North East Hertfordshire (lab)
- Dan Norris, North East Somerset and Hanham (lab)
- Ellie Chowns, North Herefordshire (grn)
- Steff Aquarone, North Norfolk (ld)
- David Smith, North Northumberland (lab)
- Helen Morgan, North Shropshire (ld)
- Sadik Al-Hassan, North Somerset (lab)
- Rachel Taylor, North Warwickshire and Bedworth (lab)
- Sam Carling, North West Cambridgeshire (lab)
- Kemi Badenoch, North West Essex (con)
- Kit Malthouse, North West Hampshire (con)
- Amanda Hack, North West Leicestershire (lab)
- James Wild, North West Norfolk (con)
- Lucy Rigby, Northampton North (lab)
- Mike Reader, Northampton South (lab)
- Alice Macdonald, Norwich North (lab)
- Clive Lewis, Norwich South (lab)
- Nadia Whittome, Nottingham East (lab)
- Alex Norris, Nottingham North and Kimberley (lab)
- Lilian Greenwood, Nottingham South (lab)
- Jodie Gosling, Nuneaton (lab)
- Louie French, Old Bexley and Sidcup (con)
- Debbie Abrahams, Oldham East and Saddleworth (lab)
- Jim McMahon, Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton (lab)
- Alistair Carmichael, Orkney and Shetland (ld)
- Gareth Bacon, Orpington (con)
- Jade Botterill, Ossett and Denby Dale (lab)
- Anneliese Dodds, Oxford East (lab)
- Layla Moran, Oxford West and Abingdon (ld)
- Alison Taylor, Paisley and Renfrewshire North (lab)
- Johanna Baxter, Paisley and Renfrewshire South (lab)
- Miatta Fahnbulleh, Peckham (lab)
- Jonathan Hinder, Pendle and Clitheroe (lab)
- Dr Marie Tidball, Penistone and Stocksbridge (lab)
- Markus Campbell-Savours, Penrith and Solway (lab)
- Pete Wishart, Perth and Kinross-shire (snp)
- Andrew Pakes, Peterborough (lab)
- Fred Thomas, Plymouth Moor View (lab)
- Luke Pollard, Plymouth Sutton and Devonport (lab)
- Yvette Cooper, Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley (lab)
- Alex Davies-Jones, Pontypridd (lab)
- Neil Duncan-Jordan, Poole (lab)
- Apsana Begum, Poplar and Limehouse (ind)
- Amanda Martin, Portsmouth North (lab)
- Stephen Morgan, Portsmouth South (lab)
- Sir Mark Hendrick, Preston (lab)
- Fleur Anderson, Putney (lab)
- Georgia Gould, Queen's Park and Maida Vale (lab)
- John Healey, Rawmarsh and Conisbrough (lab)
- Mark Francois, Rayleigh and Wickford (con)
- Matt Rodda, Reading Central (lab)
- Olivia Bailey, Reading West and Mid Berkshire (lab)
- Anna Turley, Redcar (lab)
- Chris Bloore, Redditch (lab)
- Rebecca Paul, Reigate (con)
- Chris Bryant, Rhondda and Ogmore (lab)
- Maya Ellis, Ribble Valley (lab)
- Sarah Olney, Richmond Park (ld)
- Rishi Sunak, Richmond and Northallerton (con)
- Paul Waugh, Rochdale (lab)
- Lauren Edwards, Rochester and Strood (lab)
- Andrew Rosindell, Romford (con)
- Caroline Nokes, Romsey and Southampton North (con)
- Andy MacNae, Rossendale and Darwen (lab)
- Jake Richards, Rother Valley (lab)
- Sarah Champion, Rotherham (lab)
- John Slinger, Rugby (lab)
- David Simmonds, Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (con)
- Mike Amesbury, Runcorn and Helsby (ind)
- Dr Ben Spencer, Runnymede and Weybridge (con)
- James Naish, Rushcliffe (lab)
- Michael Shanks, Rutherglen (lab)
- Alicia Kearns, Rutland and Stamford (con)
- Rebecca Long Bailey, Salford (lab)
- John Glen, Salisbury (con)
- Alison Hume, Scarborough and Whitby (lab)
- Sir Nicholas Dakin, Scunthorpe (lab)
- Bill Esterson, Sefton Central (lab)
- Keir Mather, Selby (lab)
- Laura Trott, Sevenoaks (con)
- Gill Furniss, Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough (lab)
- Abtisam Mohamed, Sheffield Central (lab)
- Olivia Blake, Sheffield Hallam (lab)
- Louise Haigh, Sheffield Heeley (lab)
- Clive Betts, Sheffield South East (lab)
- Michelle Welsh, Sherwood Forest (lab)
- Anna Dixon, Shipley (lab)
- Julia Buckley, Shrewsbury (lab)
- Kevin McKenna, Sittingbourne and Sheppey (lab)
- Sir Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon (con)
- Dr Caroline Johnson, Sleaford and North Hykeham (con)
- Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Slough (lab)
- Gurinder Singh Josan, Smethwick (lab)
- Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst, Solihull West and Shirley (con)
- Robin Swann, South Antrim (uup)
- James McMurdock, South Basildon and East Thurrock (ref)
- Pippa Heylings, South Cambridgeshire (ld)
- Dr Roz Savage, South Cotswolds (ld)
- Samantha Niblett, South Derbyshire (lab)
- Caroline Voaden, South Devon (ld)
- Lloyd Hatton, South Dorset (lab)
- Chris Hazzard, South Down (sf)
- Anna Gelderd, South East Cornwall (lab)
- Sir John Hayes, South Holland and The Deepings (con)
- Alberto Costa, South Leicestershire (con)
- Ben Goldsborough, South Norfolk (lab)
- Sarah Bool, South Northamptonshire (con)
- Paul Foster, South Ribble (lab)
- Emma Lewell-Buck, South Shields (lab)
- Stuart Anderson, South Shropshire (con)
- James Cartlidge, South Suffolk (con)
- Rebecca Smith, South West Devon (con)
- Gagan Mohindra, South West Hertfordshire (con)
- Terry Jermy, South West Norfolk (lab)
- Dr Andrew Murrison, South West Wiltshire (con)
- Darren Paffey, Southampton Itchen (lab)
- Satvir Kaur, Southampton Test (lab)
- Bayo Alaba, Southend East and Rochford (lab)
- David Burton-Sampson, Southend West and Leigh (lab)
- Bambos Charalambous, Southgate and Wood Green (lab)
- Patrick Hurley, Southport (lab)
- Lincoln Jopp, Spelthorne (con)
- Kim Leadbeater, Spen Valley (lab)
- Daisy Cooper, St Albans (ld)
- Noah Law, St Austell and Newquay (lab)
- David Baines, St Helens North (lab)
- Marie Rimmer, St Helens South and Whiston (lab)
- Andrew George, St Ives (ld)
- Ian Sollom, St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire (ld)
- Leigh Ingham, Stafford (lab)
- Dame Karen Bradley, Staffordshire Moorlands (con)
- Jonathan Reynolds, Stalybridge and Hyde (lab)
- Kevin Bonavia, Stevenage (lab)
- Chris Kane, Stirling and Strathallan (lab)
- Navendu Mishra, Stockport (lab)
- Chris McDonald, Stockton North (lab)
- Matt Vickers, Stockton West (con)
- Gareth Snell, Stoke-on-Trent Central (lab)
- David Williams, Stoke-on-Trent North (lab)
- Dr Allison Gardner, Stoke-on-Trent South (lab)
- Sir Gavin Williamson, Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge (con)
- Cat Eccles, Stourbridge (lab)
- Jim Shannon, Strangford (dup)
- Uma Kumaran, Stratford and Bow (lab)
- Manuela Perteghella, Stratford-on-Avon (ld)
- Steve Reed, Streatham and Croydon North (lab)
- Andrew Western, Stretford and Urmston (lab)
- Dr Simon Opher, Stroud (lab)
- Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, Suffolk Coastal (lab)
- Lewis Atkinson, Sunderland Central (lab)
- Dr Al Pinkerton, Surrey Heath (ld)
- Nusrat Ghani, Sussex Weald (con)
- Andrew Mitchell, Sutton Coldfield (con)
- Luke Taylor, Sutton and Cheam (ld)
- Torsten Bell, Swansea West (lab)
- Will Stone, Swindon North (lab)
- Heidi Alexander, Swindon South (lab)
- Sarah Edwards, Tamworth (lab)
- Esther McVey, Tatton (con)
- Gideon Amos, Taunton and Wellington (ld)
- Shaun Davies, Telford (lab)
- Cameron Thomas, Tewkesbury (ld)
- Mark Pritchard, The Wrekin (con)
- Kevin Hollinrake, Thirsk and Malton (con)
- Claire Young, Thornbury and Yate (ld)
- Jen Craft, Thurrock (lab)
- Antonia Bance, Tipton and Wednesbury (lab)
- Rachel Gilmour, Tiverton and Minehead (ld)
- Tom Tugendhat, Tonbridge (con)
- Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, Tooting (lab)
- Steve Darling, Torbay (ld)
- Nick Thomas-Symonds, Torfaen (lab)
- Sir Geoffrey Cox, Torridge and Tavistock (con)
- David Lammy, Tottenham (lab)
- Jayne Kirkham, Truro and Falmouth (lab)
- Mike Martin, Tunbridge Wells (ld)
- Munira Wilson, Twickenham (ld)
- Sir Alan Campbell, Tynemouth (lab)
- Carla Lockhart, Upper Bann (dup)
- Danny Beales, Uxbridge and South Ruislip (lab)
- Kanishka Narayan, Vale of Glamorgan (lab)
- Florence Eshalomi, Vauxhall and Camberwell Green (lab)
- Simon Lightwood, Wakefield and Rothwell (lab)
- Dame Angela Eagle, Wallasey (lab)
- Valerie Vaz, Walsall and Bloxwich (lab)
- Stella Creasy, Walthamstow (lab)
- Charlotte Nichols, Warrington North (lab)
- Sarah Hall, Warrington South (lab)
- Matt Western, Warwick and Leamington (lab)
- Sharon Hodgson, Washington and Gateshead South (lab)
- Matt Turmaine, Watford (lab)
- Adrian Ramsay, Waveney Valley (grn)
- Katie Lam, Weald of Kent (con)
- Gen Kitchen, Wellingborough and Rushden (lab)
- Tessa Munt, Wells and Mendip Hills (ld)
- Andrew Lewin, Welwyn Hatfield (lab)
- Andrew Bowie, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (con)
- Sarah Coombes, West Bromwich (lab)
- Edward Morello, West Dorset (ld)
- Douglas McAllister, West Dunbartonshire (lab)
- James Asser, West Ham and Beckton (lab)
- Ashley Dalton, West Lancashire (lab)
- Nick Timothy, West Suffolk (con)
- Órfhlaith Begley, West Tyrone (sf)
- Dame Harriett Baldwin, West Worcestershire (con)
- Tim Farron, Westmorland and Lonsdale (ld)
- Dan Aldridge, Weston-super-Mare (lab)
- Sir Alec Shelbrooke, Wetherby and Easingwold (con)
- Josh MacAlister, Whitehaven and Workington (lab)
- Derek Twigg, Widnes and Halewood (lab)
- Lisa Nandy, Wigan (lab)
- Paul Kohler, Wimbledon (ld)
- Dr Danny Chambers, Winchester (ld)
- Jack Rankin, Windsor (con)
- Matthew Patrick, Wirral West (lab)
- Priti Patel, Witham (con)
- Charlie Maynard, Witney (ld)
- Will Forster, Woking (ld)
- Clive Jones, Wokingham (ld)
- Sureena Brackenridge, Wolverhampton North East (lab)
- Pat McFadden, Wolverhampton South East (lab)
- Warinder Juss, Wolverhampton West (lab)
- Tom Collins, Worcester (lab)
- Michael Wheeler, Worsley and Eccles (lab)
- Dr Beccy Cooper, Worthing West (lab)
- Andrew Ranger, Wrexham (lab)
- Emma Reynolds, Wycombe (lab)
- Mark Garnier, Wyre Forest (con)
- Mike Kane, Wythenshawe and Sale East (lab)
- Adam Dance, Yeovil (ld)
- Llinos Medi, Ynys Môn (pc)
- Rachael Maskell, York Central (lab)
- Luke Charters, York Outer (lab)
Amanda Martin MP Joins Neighbourhood Police Officers Across Portsmouth North
Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North)
Amanda Martin MP has spent recent weeks joining each neighbourhood police officer on patrols across Portsmouth North, seeing first-hand the work being done to tackle antisocial behaviour, shoplifting and local crime in communities across the constituency.
The visits come as the Government delivers its Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee ahead of schedule, backed by a £200 million investment to recruit thousands of additional neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs across the country, including up to 65 new neighbourhood policing roles in Hampshire.
Amanda joined officers in Baffins, Stamshaw, Cosham, Paulsgrove, Drayton, Copnor and Hilsea, speaking directly with police teams, local businesses and residents about the issues affecting their communities.
In Baffins, Amanda accompanied officers through Great Salterns Recreation Ground, around the pond and along Tangier Road, discussing concerns raised by residents about antisocial behaviour. During the patrol, officers also investigated reports from constituents in Whitecliffe Avenue, locating nitrous oxide canisters that had been abandoned in the area. Amanda also spoke with local shopkeepers about the impact antisocial behaviour can have on businesses and the importance of visible neighbourhood policing.
In Stamshaw, the Portsmouth MP joined officers responding to reports of youth-related antisocial behaviour. During the patrol, officers successfully recovered a suspected stolen bike after locating a group of young people attempting to remove identifying features from it.
In Cosham and Paulsgrove, they walked through the High Street and surrounding areas, discussing local concerns ranging from environmental issues to retail crime. She accompanied officers responding to a reported shop theft and spoke with local businesses about the challenges they face.
Meanwhile, in Drayton, Copnor and Hilsea, Amanda visited local parks and community hotspots where residents have reported youth antisocial behaviour. She also joined officers visiting local businesses, including the Co-op on Tregaron Avenue, following concerns raised by staff and constituents about repeated incidents affecting the area.
Amanda Martin MP said: “One of the issues I hear about most from residents is the need for visible policing in our communities. That’s why it has been so valuable to spend time with neighbourhood officers across Portsmouth North and see the work they do every day to keep our communities safe.
“Whether it is tackling antisocial behaviour in our parks, responding to concerns from local businesses, recovering suspected stolen property or addressing issues raised directly by residents, neighbourhood police officers play a vital role in our communities.
“For too long, neighbourhood policing was hollowed out, leaving many residents feeling that the police were simply not visible enough in the places where problems occur. That’s why I welcome this Government’s commitment to putting more officers back on the beat and strengthening the connection between police and the communities they serve.
“Throughout these visits I have heard directly from officers about the difference visible policing can make. I’ve also heard from residents and business owners who want to see a stronger police presence in their neighbourhoods.
“I will continue working closely with Hampshire Police and residents to ensure the concerns people raise with me are heard and acted upon.”
Under the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, every community will have dedicated neighbourhood policing teams, with increased patrols in town centres and local hotspots. The Government is also introducing new measures through the Crime and Policing Bill aimed at tackling persistent antisocial behaviour, protecting retail workers and giving police stronger powers to deal with nuisance vehicles and repeat offenders.
The MP for Portsmouth North added: “Everyone deserves to feel safe where they live, work and shop. These visits have shown the value of neighbourhood policing and why investing in local officers is so important for communities across Portsmouth North.”
Here is the list of officers covering Portsmouth North, useful to know who’s out and about in your community or if you want to raise something directly with one of them:
- Cosham & Paulsgrove – PC Ben Treend
- Hilsea, Drayton, Farlington & Copnor – PC Owen Goldfinch
- Hilsea, Drayton, Farlington & Copnor – PC Sue Smith
- Baffins – PC Jamie Christian
- Fratton – PC Chris Middleton
- Nelson – PC Nicholas Joyce
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“New dental school training places will help end city’s dental desert” says Portsmouth MP
Stephen Morgan (Portsmouth South)
- Government confirms allocation of new dental school places
- Part of first sustained expansion in nearly 20 years
- Expansion targeted at areas where patients have struggled to access NHS dental care
- University of Portsmouth to be allocated half of new dental training places
Stephen Morgan MP has welcomed the Government’s announcement that the University of Portsmouth’s new dental school has secured half of the national additional training places allocated as part of the first sustained expansion of dental school places in nearly two decades.
This expansion is backed by £11 million in Government funding and will see additional dentists being trained across England from 2027 onwards. The Office for Students was asked to allocate new training places, prioritising areas that do not currently train dentists, including coastal communities like Portsmouth where accessing an NHS dental appointment has long been reported to be difficult.
The University of Portsmouth was chosen to be one of two institutions to deliver this expansion and will be allocated half of all new training places, bringing dental training to one of the cities that needs it most and helping to ensure that NHS dentists available to Portsmouth reflect the community they will serve.
Allocated dental places are part of the Government’s drive to train more home-grown dentists and boost the workforce in regions where there are currently too few and patients are left in pain for months on end. The allocation of these places will mean that all NHS England regions will now have a dental school.
This announcement follows the city MP’s visit to the University of Portsmouth with Health Minister Stephen Kinnock MP ahead of the dental school’s official launch to discuss the difference that local dentist training will make to local people.
Mr Morgan has been a tireless campaigner on improving access to NHS Dentistry, including securing additional urgent appointments in Portsmouth, resulting in 23,000 extra appointments for local people over the course of a year, and working with the University of Portsmouth to secure Dental Authority Status.
Examples of this can be read about in further detail here, here and here.
Commenting, Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“Under the last government, NHS dentistry had been left broken after years of neglect, with patients left in pain without appointments, or queueing around the block just to be seen.
“Under Labour, and thanks to my campaigning – this is changing. This Government is rebuilding dentistry – focusing on prevention, retention of NHS dentists and reforming the NHS contract to make NHS work more appealing to dentists and increase capacity for more patients.
“This will take time, but today marks an important step towards getting NHS dentistry back on its feet and helping to end the dental desert that Portsmouth became.
“As Member of Parliament, I am committed to making sure we have a local NHS fit for the future.
“Today’s news that the University of Portsmouth has been allocated half of the national additional training places for dentists – the first sustained expansion of dental school places in nearly two decades – is fantastic news for Portsmouth and for our city’s patients”.
Announcing the allocation, Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said:
“No one in the 21st century should struggle to access basic dental care or, even worse, be forced to take matters into their own hands.
“By bringing dental school places the University of Portsmouth for the first time, trainee dentists will put down roots in parts of the country that have for too long been left behind.
“These new places will help train NHS-ready dentists in the communities that need them most, meaning patients can get the care they need faster and closer to home.”
The new places are part of a wider package of measures to rebuild NHS dentistry. The Government has also invested in significantly expanding the number of places on professional registration exams for overseas-trained dentists, with up to 2,400 more dentists expected to be able to join the register annually by 2028 to 2029.
The Government is also reforming the NHS dental contract itself, to reward dentists more fairly, prioritise the highest-need patients, and strengthen preventive healthcare.
Recent reforms to the contract will create new long-term treatment pathways for patients with significant dental decay or gum disease with improved payments for dentists, alongside requiring practices to deliver a set amount of urgent care and pay dentists more fairly for this work.
Through the 10-Year Health Plan, the government is investing in prevention, improving access to dental care, and making it fairer for clinicians and patients.
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Newcastle College Final Degree Art Show in the Contemporary Art Gallery situated on High Bridge
Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Fantastic to visit the Newcastle College Final Degree Art Show in the Contemporary Art Gallery situated on High Bridge.
A brilliant array of fine art, ceramics and digital work on display, looking ahead to a bright future for Newcastle’s vibrant creative industries.
Whitbread must listen to Sandpiper pub campaigners
Dame Nia Griffith (Llanelli)
Bitterly disappointed Whitbread’s Chief Executive has refused to meet to discuss the future of the Sandpiper.
Along with the local County Councillors for that area, Councillor Martyn Palfreman and Councillor Edward Skinner, I will continue to make the case for retaining this much loved and well used pub for the people of Llanelli and for the interests of staff and those who value the Sandpiper to be taken fully into account as Whitbread continues to consider its future.
The Installation of Rev. Jennifer Elizabeth Mayo
Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills)
It was a wonderful afternoon on Saturday as we celebrated the Licensing and installation of Reverend Jennifer Elizabeth Mayo as the new Priest-in-Charge at the Parish Church of St. Mark, Shelfield & High Heath.
I know just how long the local church and our wider community have been waiting for this moment, and the sheer joy and warmth in the room on Saturday showed exactly how much this means to everyone.
A massive, warm welcome to Reverend Jenny! We are absolutely thrilled to have you here, and I know our community is looking forward to supporting you and working alongside you in this exciting new chapter for St. Mark’s.
Labour's achievements: children, families and young people
Dame Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Preet Kaur Gill MP - My Weekly Update - 29th May 2026
Preet Kaur Gill (Birmingham Edgbaston)
State Opening of Parliament: what does the King’s Speech mean for Barking & Dagenham
Nesil Caliskan (Barking)
Wednesday last week marked the State Opening of Parliament for the new Parliamentary Session with the King’s Speech setting out the government’s agenda. The Labour government has already achieved so much in the last Parliamentary session. We’ve introduced new breakfast clubs for children to help families with the cost of living, including in Barking at Monteagle Primary School and Richard Alibon School. We have banned no fault evictions to give better protections for people in their homes and prevent homelessness. And we’ve given millions of people better rights in the workplace by passing the Employment Rights Act.
In the King’s Speech the government set out new legislation that will continue to deliver the Labour Plan for Change. We will go further with improving the NHS, with a particular focus on making sure people have good and accessible care in the community, and I continue to campaign for more GPs, and finally see a GP surgery open in Barking Riverside.
I will also continue to campaign against the unfair service charges on leaseholders that is impacting tens of thousands of people in Barking. I am pleased that the government has announced the Commonhold & Leaseholders’ Rights Bill, that will tackle unfair contracts with freeholders and sky-high service charges and ground rents. The Labour government is also keeping our promise to cap ground rents and introduce a fairer system for leaseholders to be able to switch to a new commonhold system.
I know safer streets is a top priority for everyone living in Barking & Dagenham. The Labour government will introduce the Police Reform Bill and Courts Modernisation Bill, including plans for larger police forces and a new national force to tackle the most serious crime. We need a police force that is able to respond to crime, and when criminals are caught, we need a justice system that works.
As Barking’s Member of Parliament, I will continue to speak up for better services and opportunities for our local area, whether that is more investment in our schools for Special Educational Needs, and investment in our parks and town centres.
After 14 years of the Conservatives destroying our country and starving our public services of any investment, there is a lot to fix. We’ve started, but I know there is more to do, and I look forward to working hard as the MP for Barking to deliver for residents.
The King’s Speech set out Labour’s plan to deliver change faster and give security, fairness and opportunity to people across Britain
Jeff Smith (Manchester Withington)
This Labour government is seizing the moment to forge a new path for Britain. Our immediate challenge is to remove the barriers to growth. That means adopting an industrial strategy to create more high paid jobs, with an apprenticeships plan to match, and an economic plan that is driving down inflation and interest rates.
We are introducing bills covering European Partnership, Nuclear Regulation, Competition Reform, Highways Financing, Commonhold and Leaseholders’ Rights, Steel and Clean Water to address these challenges.
Rather than the laissez faire approach of the Tories, Labour will protect critical industries vital to the UK’s resilience, and act to alleviate the cost-of- living crisis for families.
We want to empower people, so that they are ready to seize opportunities to enjoy and improve their lives. We will fight for every child to have the chance to go as far as their talent and effort will take them. Bills on Education for All, Commonhold and Leaseholders’ Rights, and Social Housing Renewal will build on measures from the first session.
To help families with the cost of bills and make us more resilient to energy price shocks, we need to double down on our plan to get off the oil price rollercoaster. Both the Energy Independence Bill and Nuclear Regulation Bill will strengthen us against energy price shocks for the long-term. Labour is taking action to protect households and industry from global instability, with clean, homegrown energy independence.
We know that only countries with strong communities and a shared sense of purpose will thrive in the years ahead. That’s why we’re taking on extremism wherever it appears, including where it is sponsored by hostile states such as Iran. We will introduce bills strengthening National Security, Cyber Security and Resilience and the Armed Forces, as well as our Immigration and Asylum systems, and Tackling State Threats.
The Tories hollowed out the state with fourteen years of austerity, so that it no longer served the interests of British people, and left local communities feeling underserved and unprotected. This Labour government is rebuilding stronger public services, which actively support working people and address their needs, to build a more resilient country for all.
We will achieve this through an NHS Modernisation Bill, Digital Access to Services Bill, Public Office (Accountability) Bill, and Police Reform Bill. We make these decisions with a clear aim: a fairer society that lifts living standards and widens opportunity for everyone. We won’t promise quick fixes. We’ll level with the public about trade-offs and investments we need to make. Our opponents exploit decline. We want to reverse it. There are no silver bullets, but decline is being reversed, opportunity and pride can be restored, the future can be better for your family, and politics can be a force for good.
Vacancy: Constituency Support Officer
Dave Doogan (Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Healthy Start Scheme Bill
Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields)
Healthy Start value was increased by 10% in April. It’s been a long campaign. I am continuing to work with Sustain: The Alliance For Better Food And Farming, The Food Foundation, Feeding Britain and the Department of Health and Social Care as we push for maximum take up.
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George Freeman speaks in the debate on the King’s Speech
George Freeman (Mid Norfolk)
George Freeman highlights that the UK’s most pressing national challenge is its persistently low economic growth and the structural barriers holding back productivity, enterprise, innovation, and investment. He calls on the Government to make a radical shift towards a “renaissance of enterprise and innovation,” including major reforms to regain control and unlock growth.
George Freeman (Mid Norfolk) (Con)
There is no more important issue for the country than the stubbornly low growth rate and the structural barriers to the growth, productivity, enterprise, innovation and investment that this country so desperately needs, solutions to which have defied successive Governments since the coalition and the political crisis that Brexit unleashed in 2016. It gives me no pleasure to highlight that, for my constituents in Mid Norfolk, the King’s Speech is irrelevant without real delivery on the ground. In Mid Norfolk, the small businesses on which we rely are shedding jobs; disposable incomes are falling; high streets in market towns such as Dereham, Watton and Attleborough are struggling; pubs are closing; farmers are moving away from farming food to take the Government incentives for solar panels and commuter housing estates; and public services are being overwhelmed by rising demand from new housing and an ageing population.
This is fuelling a surge in political anger, which explains a lot of the election results last week. Across Suffolk, Norfolk and the fens of Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, rural deprivation, rural poverty and the disproportionate impact of high energy prices on the rural economy—where, according to Treasury figures, every cup of coffee, schoolbook, pencil, lesson and journey costs 20% more than in cities, yet rural areas are underfunded—are driving real anger, based on real grievances. People are now paying European levels of tax for American levels of public services, and they are fed up. Unless we—this Government, this Parliament, this media, this Whitehall—respect and understand the grievance and set out a truly bold plan to deal with it, I fear that the rich will continue to leave this country, that the middle classes, the engine of growth, will conclude that it is no longer worth putting the work in, and that the poor will turn to the black market and crime.
Sir John Hayes
For that to happen, Governments and Parliament must take back control, and successive Governments have divested themselves of that control by, as Simon Case said when he left office, giving more power to unelected and unaccountable bodies of all kinds and types. For the Government to act, they need levers to pull to make the kind of difference that my hon. Friend described, and Governments have less and less ability to do that, yet the King’s Speech does not address that fundamental need for a change of direction.
George Freeman
My right hon. Friend makes an important point. The King’s speech that my constituents loved was the King’s speech in Washington, in which he spoke for the very best of this country. My point is that it is in all our interests—I say this as a friend of mainstream politics and democracy—that we tackle this challenge more boldly.
I welcome the speed with which newly elected Labour MPs have realised the scale and urgency of the problem of public and voter anger, stubbornly slow growth, rising unemployment and demand for public services exceeding capacity, but they are in danger of going for the wrong prescription. What we need is a renaissance of enterprise and innovation across the public and private sectors. Convenient though it may be for my party politically, the idea that the answer is a regicidal political infighting crisis and a leadership contest in office is for the birds. Take it from me: my party has tested that idea to destruction, and we have all paid the price. We do not need a Labour party beauty contest. We need a Parliament and a Government that get more urgent about the many laudable things they have set out to do, but we do not have 10 years to deliver it—we have a couple of years.
If the Labour party knifes this Prime Minister, he will be the seventh who will have been got rid of because of the structural deficit. I remember, when I first arrived here in 2010, the brilliant Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies explaining what the structural deficit is, and it is worth repeating. The normal deficit is when a Government do not earn as much as they are spending; because the economy has taken a downturn, they borrow a bit to keep spending and then pay it back. The structural deficit is that bit of the deficit that goes up every year even when the economy is growing, and it is driven by four things. In 2010, it was being driven by welfare, public sector pensions, and—the big one—health, and debt interest was remarkably low. After the coalition, we had capped off the rise in public sector pensions, incredibly painfully, and we had capped off the rise in welfare, incredibly painfully. Health has continued to defy reform, and it is bankrupting the public sector. We are now spending more than 50% on health, welfare and social support. That is simply not affordable.
We cannot cut, borrow or tax our way out of this. The only way out is to grow, not through dumping cheap housing across the countryside, but by backing the industries of tomorrow.
Sir John Hayes
I might press my hon. Friend a little further. The other way of dealing with that is to improve productivity, as I said earlier. He is right, of course, that the cost burden is fundamentally important, but it can be made better through greater efficiency. Indeed, the Government themselves have said that, as successive Governments have, but we must put in place measures—very often, tough measures—to deliver that kind of productivity.
George Freeman
My right hon. Friend makes an important point. I will make a slightly different point, which is that there are huge opportunities for good growth in this country. Speaking as someone who has had a 16-year career backing the industries of tomorrow, whether it is in fusion, SMR nuclear technologies, agritech, bioscience, the bioeconomy on Teesside, or the satellite economy in Glasgow, we have an opportunity to turn these into the industries of tomorrow. I welcome the Government’s industrial strategy commitment to do it, but it is at 50,000 feet; we need to drop down to some more tangible and bolder policies to back those industries.
I know the Secretary of State gave a tub-thumping speech about the 1980s, but the truth is we have made a lot of progress over the last 20 years. I was doing my work as the Minister for Life Sciences, for agritech and for Science and Technology following in the footsteps of Paul Drayson and David Sainsbury. In life science, fusion, AI and quantum, we have built an unbelievably competitive economy, but other countries are moving fast. Our competitors are more agile. We are terrible at adopting technology in the public services. Our scale-ups are not getting the finance they need in the city. Kate Bingham in The Times today is right.
How do we unlock this? I want to suggest a ten-point plan for renewal. I support the Government’s ambition. I say this because if all of us fail, the Benches to my left of pub populists who are promising everything will win, and we will see even deeper disillusionment. I am calling in this speech for, first, real honesty of a 1979 scale about the extent of the emergency; secondly, bold devolution to the people, cities and mayors who know how to do it better—frankly, they could not do worse than Whitehall—thirdly, serious Whitehall reforms, so that we end the juvenile process of His Majesty’s Treasury playing Departments off against each other for funding, which in the end comes very late and is taken back; and fourthly, a serious backing for the innovation economy.
I welcome the £20 billion of R&D, but how we allocate it is key. We need to allocate it in a way that attracts private investment. Fifthly, we need a bold revolution of tax incentives for enterprises—a new deal for new business. There should be no national insurance or VAT for a couple of years for someone starting a company and growing it. Sixthly, we need regulation for innovation. That is not just cutting regulations, but leading in setting the regulation. I welcome the Government’s work in setting up the Regulatory Innovation Office. We then have skills and patriotic capitalism. I do not think it is communism to get the city investing in British business. Boldness—
In Detail, In Brief: Ending the Feudal Leasehold System
Karin Smyth (Bristol South)
Judith calls "times up" for criminal fly tipping in Bradford South
Judith Cummins (Bradford South)
Renters Rights Act Comes into Force
Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Clapham and Brixton Hill)
On 1 May 2026, the Renters’ Rights Act officially entered into force, giving 11 million renters across Britain stronger rights, better protections and more security in their homes.
14,647 renters in Clapham & Brixton Hill will benefit from these new laws, which include a long-overdue ban on ‘No Fault’ evictions, ending the practice of tenants being evicted without a reason.
These reforms are designed to give renters greater security, stability and fairness – helping people to put down roots and feel more secure in their homes.
How have renters’ rights improved?
- No more Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions – private landlords can no longer evict tenants without a valid reason.
- Goodbye to fixed contracts – all tenancies in the private rented sector will roll on from month to month or week to week (depending on your arrangement) with no end date, giving renters more flexibility. Tenants can end them with two months’ notice.
- Fairer rent rules – landlords can only raise rent once a year and renters can challenge unfair hikes.
- No more bidding wars – landlords must stick to no more than the advertised rent price.
- One month’s rent upfront, max – landlords can’t ask for more.
- No discrimination – it’s now illegal to refuse tenants just because they receive benefits or have kids.
- Pets welcome – renters can now ask to live with a pet and landlords cannot unreasonably refuse permission.
These changes are designed to make renting fairer and more secure, while also giving landlords clear, modernised rules to follow. 1 May 2026 marks the first phase of implementation, with additional provisions coming in later this year and beyond.
What further changes am I pushing for?
This legislation represents a significant upgrade to renters’ rights and I welcome it wholeheartedly but there is still work to do to stop renters being evicted and exploited.
- Rent controls: whilst the legislation limits the frequency of rent rises, it does nothing to address the soaring hikes we’ve seen. As I pointed out at Third Reading, a large rent increase is just a no fault eviction by another name. The government must adopt rent controls to prevent renters being exploited and evicted in this way.
- Stronger protections for renters in upgraded homes: I welcome the government’s commitment to improve energy efficiency standards in private rental homes, tackling fuel poverty for renters. However, I fear that without stronger protections, many tenants may not enjoy the benefit of their upgraded homes — even when such upgrades are delivered with public money. That’s why I’ve been pushing for a protected period from eviction after a government grant is used to retrofit a privately rented property — to stop landlords simply cashing in on the increased value of their property by selling up.
What future changes has the government promised?
- A Private Rented Sector Database – a register of all landlords and rental properties in England, so you can check who you’re renting from. The new online database will be rolled out gradually by area from late 2026, showing who is renting out homes across England. You’ll be able to check your landlord and see if they’re properly registered once it is live in the area you live.
- A free complaints service – a new independent Private Landlord Ombudsman will help renters sort complaints against landlords quickly and fairly, without needing to go to court. It will also support landlords with tools, guidance and training on handling complaints from tenants early.
- Warmer and safer homes – new rules in the future will raise the standard of rented homes – tackling damp, mould and dangerous conditions. Landlords will need to fix serious hazards faster and make homes more energy efficient, helping tenants stay warm and cut bills.
- Greener homes by 2030 – by 2030, all privately rented homes must meet new energy efficiency standards (EPC rating C or better) unless exempt. That means better insulation, lower bills and greener living.
- Landlord action to fix hazards – the government is looking to extend Awaab’s Law to private rentals – forcing landlords to act fast when homes are unsafe. A consultation on how best to do this will be launched soon, so private tenants can benefit from protections like those already supporting social housing tenants.
- A new Decent Homes Standard by 2035 for private rentals – the government will introduce a Decent Homes Standard for privately rented homes: a clear set of rules to make sure every rented property is safe, warm and in good repair. This new standard will help raise the bar across the board, giving renters confidence that their home meets basic safety and quality rules – and giving councils more power to crack down on landlords who don’t meet them.
How can renters exercise their rights?
- Landlords are responsible for sticking to these new rules – and your local councils now have stronger powers to act if your landlord breaks them.
- Should you need help as a renter, the process you follow depends on the type of dispute you want to raise. The government’s guidance is a good starting point to check how you approach different rental issues.
- It is always a good idea to raise concerns with your landlord in the first instance before taking formal steps. But if you think they might be breaking the law, you should get in touch with your local council. Councils have significant powers to take enforcement action including higher fines and prosecution.
- In the future, a new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman will provide quick, fair, impartial and binding resolution for tenants’ complaints about their landlord.
What does the Renters’ Rights Act mean for landlords?
- Landlords can still get their property back for clear reasons – like selling up, moving in, or dealing with rent arrears or anti-social behaviour.
- The changes aim to strike a fairer balance between renters and landlords, making the system more stable, safer and easier to understand.
- The government is investing in the courts to help tenants and landlords see justice quicker, with boosted powers and funding for councils now in place to tackle rogue landlords.
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SEND Provision
Liz Twist (Blaydon and Consett)
Royal Mail boss hauled before Business and Trade Committee
Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
March Update
Sean Woodcock (Banbury)
What I’ve been up to throughout March March has been a busy month, both in Westminster and in the constituency. In Westminster, a lot of my time has been spent on the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee, where we have been doing pre-legislative scrutiny of commonhold and leasehold legislation. I asked constituents to
The post March Update appeared first on Sean Woodcock, MP for Banbury.
March Newsletter
Mohammad Yasin (Bedford)
Dear Constituent,
Eid Mubarak to everyone who was celebrating last week. This month has been marked by the meaningful overlap of Ramadan and Women’s History Month – a time to reflect on equality, community and shared values. I have been working to uplift women’s voices in Bedford and especially recognise their role throughout Ramadan, balancing professional work and family life. This month has been a moment to celebrate progress but also to recommit to action so that women’s health, safety, opportunity and equality remain at the heart of our work in Parliament.
Yours sincerely,
Mohammad Yasin MP
In the constituency
Over the past month, I’ve been pleased to attend the following visits and meetings:
Youth Mindset – I had a great meeting with Verity and Claire from Youth Mindset, an inspiring charity providing free mentoring to young people across Milton Keynes. I was particularly impressed by their focus on building confidence and resilience early, and by their diverse team of volunteer mentors. I’m delighted they are now expanding into Bedford.
Bedford Sixth Form – I really enjoyed visiting Bedford Sixth Form, where I spoke with students interested in public service and politics. I was inspired by their curiosity and confidence, and we had a thoughtful discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing young people today.
Flood Risk Visit – I met with the Environment Agency to visit areas at risk of flooding, including King Ditch, Kingfisher and Church Walk in Kempston. Seeing these locations first-hand, along with the pumping system at Bedford Girls’ School, reinforced how important it is that we continue working to protect homes and infrastructure.
Miracle Church of God in Christ – I had a lovely introductory meeting with Bishop Eric Brown. It was great to hear about the Church’s ambition to engage more young people and provide a welcoming space for the community.
International Women’s Day (Hawaa Empower) – I was honoured to attend this event celebrating the incredible women in our community. I was particularly inspired by young girls sharing how sport has helped build their confidence, and by the meaningful conversations during Iftar about family, work and equality.
Sri Guru Ravidass Sabha – I was honoured to join celebrations marking the 649th Birth Anniversary of Sat Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of equality, humility and unity in our community.
Acorn House Veterinary Hospital – I had a fantastic visit to this impressive local veterinary hospital. I saw first-hand the high standard of care available and had a valuable discussion about the cost pressures facing pet owners and the importance of transparency.
Bedford School – Cultural Diversity Day – I was delighted to speak with students at this event and take part in a Q&A session. It was a great opportunity to celebrate diversity and hear directly from young people about the issues that matter to them.
The Higgins Bedford (British Science Week) – I really enjoyed visiting the Science Lab and seeing so many young people getting hands-on with science. It was wonderful to see curiosity and learning brought to life in such an engaging way.
Visit of The Princess Royal – I was honoured to attend the Combined Cadet Force inspection at Bedford School during the visit of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, where a memorial to former pupils who lost their lives in the First World War was unveiled.
In Westminster
Global tensions and the cost at home
The situation in Iran has dominated much of the past month. Every day that passes, the Prime Minister’s decision not to follow the United States into this war, despite intense pressure from the White House, the Opposition and Reform, looks more measured. The backpedalling from some of the loudest early advocates, including figures like Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch and parts of the media has been striking to watch.
That said, this is an incredibly serious and volatile situation. The risks of escalation remain high, and the consequences are already being felt here at home. Rising global energy prices are feeding directly into the cost of living, and what only weeks ago looked like a stabilising economic picture is now far more uncertain.
The Spring Statement pointed to improving conditions, with inflation easing and expectations that interest rates would begin to fall. But much of that progress is now under huge pressure. As I write, the Bank of England has held rates amid growing economic nervousness linked to the conflict, when previously cuts had been expected sooner.
In Parliament, I pressed the Government to hold the line: to prioritise the safety of British citizens, act within international law, and resist being drawn into a wider offensive war without the consent of the House. Ministers have confirmed that the UK will not be drawn into a broader conflict, but the longer this continues, the harder it will be to shield households from the impact.
Closer to home, I have already been supporting constituents trying to leave the region, a stark reminder that these events are not distant, but deeply personal for many families here who are already feeling the pinch in their pockets to rising petrol prices and a word economy looking more volatile every day the US/Israeli war in Iran continues.
Education and opportunity
Education reform has been another major focus this month. The Government’s Schools White Paper, a bold plan to raise standards, rebuild services around families and ensure every child can thrive. A White Paper sets out proposals ahead of legislation, so we now have the opportunity to scrutinise and strengthen the detail, particularly around support for children with special educational needs and disabilities which has particularly worried parent’s who have children with SEND.
In the Chamber, I asked the Education Secretary for firm assurances: that inclusion will not become conformity, that children who do not meet the threshold for formal plans will still receive specialist support without families having to fight for it, and that parents will retain a clear right of appeal.
I also raised the issue of student finance directly with Ministers. I asked what steps are being taken to improve the student loan system, because too many young people feel it is fundamentally unfair. While the Government pointed to measures such as reintroducing maintenance grants and raising repayment thresholds, I made clear that deeper reform is still needed. Too many graduates are burdened with debts they may never realistically pay off, and that generational imbalance needs to be addressed.
Young people and the online world
The Government has launched a major national consultation on how we keep children safe online an issue many parents raise with me.
It will look at whether there should be a minimum age for social media, how to tackle addictive features like infinite scrolling, and how to protect children from harmful content. I have supported calls to go further, including exploring an under-16 ban, but it is important that any action genuinely improves safety rather than pushing risks elsewhere.
Health and everyday services
There have been important developments in healthcare this month, particularly around access to GP services. A new funding package aims to improve appointment availability, recruit more doctors, and modernise how patients access care.
I also raised a specific issue that constituents have contacted me about: the long delays in diagnosing Endometriosis. In Parliament, I asked whether the Government would set stronger targets and improve GP training to recognise the condition earlier. In response, Ministers acknowledged that too many women are dismissed or misdiagnosed and committed to speeding up diagnosis and treatment through the upcoming women’s health strategy.
Economy, jobs and fairness
Alongside the Spring Statement, Parliament has been examining wider economic challenges, including youth unemployment and the ongoing cost of living pressures.
The Government has set out plans to support more young people into work, but the uncertainty caused by global events, particularly the conflict in the Middle East, makes this more difficult. The longer instability continues, the more pressure it places on households and businesses here in the UK.
During International Women’s Month, I also welcomed steps to reduce the gender pay gap, expand childcare, and strengthen workplace protections—important not just for fairness, but for economic growth as well.
Standards, democracy and public life
This month has also seen progress on transparency and standards in public life. I supported initiatives to strengthen openness in lobbying, because public trust depends on people being able to see how decisions are made.
I also voted to remove the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, an overdue reform and a step towards modernising Parliament.
Alongside colleagues from across parties, I supported action to tackle racism in football and challenged unacceptable public discourse where necessary.
I also supported a letter to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards regarding comments made by Conservative MP and Shadow Justice Minister, Nick Timothy, who described on the platform X, a mass Muslim prayer event in Trafalgar Square with the Mayor of London, as an “act of domination and division”. Many felt those remarks were Islamophobic inflammatory, divisive and inappropriate… and in breach of the Ministerial Code.
Whatever our political differences, there is a responsibility on all of us in public life to choose our words carefully and to avoid inflaming tensions.
Environment and public health
Environmental concerns remain high on the agenda. Following growing anger about sewage pollution, I met campaigners in Parliament to discuss the need for stronger regulation of water companies following the excellent C4 docudrama, Dirty Business. The drama shows how this national scandal was only exposed by two regular men – Ash Smith and Peter Hammond whose 10 year campaign started when they asked why their local river looked so dirty when it was transparent when they were growing up in a little hamlet in Oxfordshire. I had a chat with Feargal Shearkey, whose tireless campaigning in this area has also been great.
The Government’s proposed reforms in the “A new vision for water: white paper” offer a significant opportunity to clean up our waterways, but it is clear that public expectations are high and further action will be needed and I am sympathetic to the idea of bringing water companies back into public ownership.
Looking ahead
It has been a month where global instability has cast a long shadow over domestic policy. While important progress continues across education, healthcare and reform, much will depend on how the situation in the Middle East develops.
There is also a wider strategic concern that cannot be ignored. The United States remains an essential ally, but under Donald Trump it has also become increasingly unpredictable.
There is a real risk that this conflict becomes the justification for a shift in priorities, particularly when it comes to Ukraine.
We are already seeing signs of that. Peace talks on Ukraine have reportedly stalled as attention shifts to Iran, and there are growing questions about the future of US support. At the same time, moves to ease some oil-related sanctions in response to the energy shock risk strengthening Russia’s position just as pressure should be maintained.
That is why it was so important to see Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the UK this week, working closely with the Prime Minister. His visit was a timely reminder that Ukraine’s fight remains critical to European security.
There is also a harder truth here. As energy prices rise and global focus shifts, Vladimir Putin stands to benefit. Higher oil and gas prices bring in more revenue, and the diversion of international attention risks easing pressure on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Analysts have already pointed out that, in many ways, Moscow is one of the main beneficiaries of the current conflict.
That leaves us in a precarious position. The challenge now is not only navigating the immediate crisis in the Middle East, but ensuring it does not undermine support for Ukraine or embolden those who seek to take advantage of global instability.
For now, the priority remains to protect British citizens, support households through rising costs, and hold firm to our international commitments under a legal framework even in an increasingly uncertain world.
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Potholes are the main concern for Bassetlaw residents
Jo White (Bassetlaw)
I am getting a huge number of messages from people about potholes across Bassetlaw. Our roads are falling apart and it cannot go on like this.
Many drivers tell me they are worried about damage to their cars. They say they have to swerve to avoid deep holes in the road. People are facing huge bills for car repairs to fix damage to tyres. I have even heard about license plates being ripped from cars by deep potholes in some areas.
Recently, I was contacted by residents who live on Sheffield Road in Blyth. The road there is in a terrible state. Large lorries hit the crater holes at speed, and the impact is so strong that nearby houses shake, day and night. Some residents are struggling to sleep through the night because the vibrations are so bad. Some have even seen cracks appear in their brickwork. That is simply not good enough.
I am pushing for the whole road to be properly resurfaced, not just patched up. I am pleased that this request has now been put forward to the County Council as part of next year’s roads budget. I will keep pressing for it to be approved.
I see the ‘dob jobs’ taking place, but this is a quick fix and not a permanent solution. In some cases, the roads crumble again within weeks. The County Council recently spent £75,000 on flags for lampposts. While I love to see our flag flying, is this really the priority when our roads are in such a bad state?
We have heard plenty of excuses. The councillor in charge of roads has even tried to blame my husband, John Mann, the former MP for Bassetlaw. But I have lived here in Bassetlaw for over 25 years, and I have never known our roads to be in such poor condition. Over the past few months, I have reported over 50 potholes across Bassetlaw. But when I go to report them, I often see that they have been reported many times before, and no action has been taken.
Many people ask me what is being done about it. Here are the facts. Nottinghamshire County Council is in charge of looking after our roads. It runs this service through its company, VIA. The Council has been given an extra £8.3 million from the government to fix roads. This is on top of the £70 million it already has for road repairs. I plan to meet with the County Council very soon, alongside other Nottinghamshire MPs of all parties to discuss the issue.
The Council is saying it plans to buy a special machine called the JCB Pothole Pro. It costs about £200,000 and is meant to repair potholes more quickly. However, I am concerned that the previous Conservative administration looked at this in 2021, and found that the machine did not save money, could damage kerbs, and had problems on narrow roads. Most importantly, it did not fix potholes any faster than normal repair methods.
I will be keeping a close eye on how this money is spent. What matters most is that our roads are maintained and properly repaired. My message is clear, use the money and get on with the job.
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The Third Runway: A Monument to Mediocrity
Kit Malthouse (North West Hampshire)
An abridged version of this article ran in The Times on 3rd February 2025
In 2007, in the pages of this newspaper, I argued that Britain should seize the moment and move Heathrow to the Thames Estuary, freeing up the congested west London site for much-needed housing while creating a world-leading transport hub fit for the 21st century. It was an ambitious plan—perhaps too ambitious for a nation that has lost its appetite for grand infrastructure. Seventeen years later, what do we have? The same tired debates, the same dithering, and now, a third runway proposal that represents the absolute minimum of what could be done. It is not a vision; it is a concession to stagnation.
Throughout history, Britain built infrastructure that transformed cities and continents. The Victorians laid thousands of miles of railways across India and Africa. British engineers built the world’s first underground railway in London, the great docks of Hong Kong, and the vast shipping hubs that made global trade possible. Ours was once a nation that saw scale and complexity as challenges to be overcome, not reasons to prevaricate. Today, while China constructs floating airports in Hong Kong and Dalian, we are still arguing over a few extra miles of tarmac at an aging airport hemmed in by suburban sprawl.
The case for expanding Heathrow is undeniable. The airport operates at near capacity, with any disruption causing delays that ripple across the global aviation network. Additional capacity is needed. But the third runway is not a bold leap forward—it is an unimaginative compromise. The design is a relic of a bygone era when Britain was still willing to approve large infrastructure projects but had already begun its slow descent into cautious incrementalism. Surely for a solution we should be looking beyond the immediate horizon, daring to create something transformative.
Compare this to the grand infrastructure ambitions of Asia. Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok, which replaced the legendary but perilous Kai Tak airport in the 1990s, was built on reclaimed land. It was a marvel of engineering (mostly British), completed in just six years. Now, China is taking the concept even further: Dalian is constructing a floating airport, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. This is a country that doesn’t simply accept geographic limitations—it overcomes them. Britain, meanwhile, is paralysed by protest groups, endless consultations, and political hand-wringing.
A floating airport in the Thames Estuary—an idea proposed and swiftly dismissed—would have been a statement of ambition. London could have had its own Chek Lap Kok, a world-class hub unencumbered by the constraints of Heathrow’s location. Instead, we are left with a piecemeal expansion of an outdated site, in a project that will take decades and still leave Britain trailing behind.
The environmental argument against expansion is often cited as a reason for delay, but it is a red herring. Modern aviation is rapidly advancing towards lower emissions and greater efficiency. If the concern is air pollution and carbon footprints, the answer is not to stifle airport expansion but to embrace new technology, support cleaner aviation fuels, and invest in modern air traffic management. Britain should be leading these efforts, not using environmental concerns as an excuse for stagnation.
The economic cost of our hesitation is immense. Aviation is a key driver of trade, tourism, and investment. Heathrow’s constraints mean we lose out to European rivals, with airlines shifting long-haul routes to Paris, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt. The third runway, even if built, will do little to reclaim lost ground. By the time it is operational—assuming it even survives the judicial challenges that will inevitably come—other nations will have long since surpassed us.
What Britain needs is a fundamental shift in mindset. We must stop viewing major infrastructure projects as necessary evils to be endured and start treating them as national priorities. This requires reforming our planning laws, streamlining approval processes, and fostering a political culture that celebrates engineering excellence rather than recoiling from it.
The third runway at Heathrow is not the answer—it is a symptom of our decline. Instead of an afterthought tacked onto an aging airport, we should be considering radical alternatives: offshore airports, high-speed rail integration to regional hubs, and a renewed commitment to infrastructure that places Britain at the forefront of global connectivity. We were once a nation that built the world’s most advanced transport networks, that pioneered engineering breakthroughs others only dreamed of. We can be that nation again—but only if we stop settling for mediocrity and start daring to think bigger.
The world is not waiting for Britain to catch up. While we squabble over a single new runway, China is building entire new airports on water. The contrast is stark, and the lesson is clear: boldness breeds success, hesitation ensures decline. If Britain truly wishes to remain a global player, we must abandon the timid incrementalism of the third runway and embrace the kind of audacity that once made us great.
Kit Malthouse 1st February 2025
Dan Jarvis' Christmas Message
Dan Jarvis (Barnsley North)
Christmas is a very special time. It's when we come together with friends and family to take stock, and give thanks for what we have.
Some years – in the best of times, this is cause for celebration.
Other years – it's more complicated if we're missing loved ones,
affected by illness, or facing money worries, homelessness, or loneliness.
Sometimes – let’s be honest, for many reasons, Christmas can just be about getting through it, and that's ok!
Because regardless of the year that’s been, or the circumstances you find yourself in, Christmas offers everyone a precious gift – hope.
Toby Perkins MP supports Chesterfield Hedgehog Rescue and Rehabilitation
Toby Perkins (Chesterfield)
The post Toby Perkins MP supports Chesterfield Hedgehog Rescue and Rehabilitation appeared first on Toby Perkins Labour MP.