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Preet Kaur Gill MP - My Weekly Update - 10th April 2026

Preet Kaur Gill (Birmingham Edgbaston)

This week, the Prime Minister travelled to the Middle East to meet leaders in the region to discuss the two-week ceasefire. The Government is committed to securing a lasting agreement and building on th The energy price cap drops in April, taking £117 off the average household bill for the next three months. Along with new measures to crackdown on profiting on Britain's energy security, and providing targeted support for those facing higher heating oil costs. This Government is working for you.

Stephen Morgan MP has backed new Government action to tackle knife crime, as part of its plan to halve knife crime. 

With knife crime already down by 8%, and knife-related homicides and hospital admissions for assault with a sharp object at their lowest level in a decade, Labour has announced plans to go further.  

The latest measures include targeted support for schools in high-risk areas, with up to 250 schools set to receive specialist training to help identify risks early and prevent young people from being drawn into violence. The 50 schools facing the greatest challenges will receive more intensive support. 

A new Safety In & Around Schools Partnership, backed by £1.2 million, will help schools improve safety on journeys to and from school and respond to risks in their local area. 

Alongside prevention, the Government is stepping up enforcement with new mapping technology that allows police to pinpoint exactly where and when knife crime is most likely to occur, down to specific streets and times of day.  

By focusing action on the areas that account for 90% of knife crime, officers can be deployed more effectively, with increased patrols and targeted use of tools such as knife arches, CCTV and Live Facial Recognition to deter offending and catch criminals.  

This new approach is backed by £26 million through the Knife Crime Concentrations Fund, alongside over £34 million this year to tackle County Lines gangs and the exploitation of young people. 

Commenting, Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said: 

“To bring knife crime to an end, everyone in society must take responsibility. That is why, as constituents will know, I take addressing knife crime within our communities extremely seriously.  

“Taking action in Parliament, I’ve backed efforts to rid our streets of dangerous weapons, including cracking down on online sales and investing in young futures to steer young people away from crime in the first place.  

“We must continue to act early and focus efforts towards what will make the biggest difference. This means we must divert young people away from violence and take firm action against those responsible for it.  

“I will continue to work with the police and others to make knife-free streets a reality here in Portsmouth”.   

The post New action to tackle knife crime in Portsmouth welcomed by city MP appeared first on Stephen Morgan MP.

Plug-in solar panels offer an opportunity for households to save on energy bills Recent conflict in the Middle East has brought home how dependence on volatile international fossil fuel markets has left this country vulnerable. We need to get to a place where events beyond our control do not lead to everyday essentials becoming unaffordable. The economic plan pursued by this Government since Labour was elected in July 2024 has been showing its benefits – going into this conflict, inflation...

Judith welcomes moves to tackle fireworks misuse

Judith Cummins (Bradford South)

Judith has welcomed plans to consult on lowering the noise level of fireworks. “I have long campaigned to get a reduction in the noise level of fireworks that can be sold to the public,” said Judith.  “I am pleased that government is now looking seriously at this.” The government has announced plans for a public consultation on the abuse and misuse of fireworks as part of its ‘Safer Streets’ campaign.  This will look at lowering the legal noise limit for fireworks alongside updating the list...

Royal Mail boss hauled before Business and Trade Committee

Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)

Our post is broken. And our community is suffering for it. Missing hospital letters. Lost prescriptions. Court documents going astray. I've been hearing it on doorsteps right across the constituency. So, the Commons Business and Trade Committee, which I chair, hauled in the Royal Mail's new owner. He’s on notice. He has committed to publishing an improvement plan. I'll be watching - and reporting every step back to you. Read my column in the latest Solihull Observer:...

Final reminder to get comments on Meddygfa’r Sarn GP Surgery into Hywel Dda Health Board by the consultation closing date – 6th April – Easter Monday.

I attended the public engagement event in Carway Hall on Tuesday, and once again stressed to the Board how important it is to put patients first and keep premises and regular surgeries in Pontiets.

The Board really needs to look at the best way to GUARANTEE that…an arrangement which would be unlikely to appeal to an Independent GP surgery from outside Pontiets. The Board already control Minyrafon, so they could control and guarantee the provision of surgeries in Pontiets.

A big thank you to everyone who has voiced opinions to the Board and especially the Save Sarn Surgery Working Group Page for all the work they have put into their comprehensive report.

Take 5 Exercise and Leisure - Mabley Green community gym

Dame Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch)

Take 5: Welcome to Take 5 - a video series that highlights some of the places that make Hackney so special. In Hackney, we’re lucky to have so many outdoor community gyms – like this one at Mabley Green. These gyms are free and Hackney Council has partnered with Our Parks UK to offer free classes on Saturday mornings (including Boxfit classes on Mabley Green). See here to reserve your spot: https://ourparks.org.uk/borough/mabley-green-0

Labour’s Employment Rights Act

Liz Twist (Blaydon and Consett)

Easter is always a wonderful time of year, I always enjoy coming back from Parliament for the easter recess, driving along the main road in Ryton to see the trees blossom, with the darker nights a thing of the past. I’m sure it gives all of us excitement for the summer ahead. I am particularly […]

Register to Vote

Jeff Smith (Manchester Withington)

Register to Vote

You must register by 11:59pm on 20 April 2026 to vote in the local elections on 7 May 2026.

Who can vote?

  • You must be aged 16 or over to register.
  • You can register to vote if you’re a British citizen or an Irish citizen. 

You can also register if you have permission (or do not need permission) to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man and you’re:

  • a Commonwealth citizen (including citizens of Cyprus and Malta)
  • a citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal or Spain
  • a citizen of another EU country, who on or before 31 December 2020 had permission to enter or stay (or did not need permission) and this has continued without a break

How to Register?

If you want to vote, your name must be on the electoral register. If you changed your address or your name since you last voted, you must register again. 

For further information on how to register, visit: Register to vote | Register to vote | Manchester City Council

If you need help, the Electoral Services Unit can complete an application for you.

Email: esu@manchester.gov.uk 

Phone:0161 234 1212

Photo ID

You will need to show photo ID when voting in person.

  • The photo ID you show must be the original version.
  • You cannot use a photograph, image on a phone or a photocopy of your ID.
  • The photo on your ID must look like you.
  • You can still use your ID even if it has expired.

The name on your ID must match your name on the electoral register. If it does not, you’ll need to either: register to vote again or take a document with you that proves you’ve changed your name (for example, a marriage certificate).

Acceptable types of photo ID to vote:

  • a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence (full or provisional)
  • a driving licence issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands
  • a UK passport
  • a passport issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or a Commonwealth country
  • a PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
  • a Blue Badge
  • a biometric residence permit (BRP)
  • a Defence Identity Card (MOD form 90)
  • a HM Armed Forces Veteran Card (MOD form 100)
  • a national identity card issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
  • a Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card
  • a Voter Authority Certificate
  • an Anonymous Elector’s Document

You can also use one of the following travel passes as photo ID when you vote:

Don’t miss a chance to have your say

Voting is an important way to make your voice heard and I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to check if you are registered to vote.

18 March 2026
George Freeman highlights the scale of flooding and impact on insurers

George Freeman intervenes in a debate on the impact of flooding in rural communities to highlight the shear scale of the insurance problem risking serious economic damage to our economy and, as such, is an issue of national importance.

George Freeman (Mid Norfolk) (Con)

I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this debate. On the point of insurance, I have just come from chairing a meeting with Aviva—a great Norfolk insurer, the biggest insurer of houses in the country. It made the point to me that this is the tip of a major iceberg of uninsureability, unmortgageability and then unsaleability, and that the Treasury should be looking at this as a major problem on the balance sheet of this country. It is a Horizon Post Office-sized scandal in its scale, risking serious economic damage to our economy. Does my hon. Friend agree that that elevates this issue to one of national importance?

Alicia Kearns (Rutland and Stamford) (Con)

I was not aware of just how drastic insurers see the situation, but it does not surprise me, based on what I see in my communities. I know that my hon. Friend has worked consistently on the issue of flooding, so I take him at his word that we need to be looking at that problem more seriously.

Hansard

George Freeman (Mid Norfolk) (Con)

The Minister has mentioned Aviva, one of Norfolk’s great companies and the biggest insurer of houses in the country. Has she seen its recent report, in which it calculates that about 4.78 million houses are at serious risk of flooding over the next 10 years? I congratulate her on securing the funding in the autumn, which I think was going to protect 60,000 houses, but does she agree that the Treasury should be thinking very deeply about the scale of this challenge in the context of national resilience?

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Hardy)

The hon. Member prompts me to mention the biggest ever, greatest, most fantastic and largest investment in flood defences that this Government have just announced. On a more serious note, yes, Aviva did talk to me about that report, as he would imagine. We had a conversation about it and, without straying too much out of my remit and into planning, I believe that such conversations are ongoing with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Hansard

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.

The post Potholes are the main concern for Bassetlaw residents appeared first on Jo White MP.

MP Column | It’s All Downhill From Here

Dave Doogan (Angus and Perthshire Glens)

At this stage in the electoral cycle at Westminster any new government, especially one with a 160-seat majority, should be at the peak of...

It was great to call into Neighbourhood Watch in Pelsall again and catch up with Edwin and Andrew. 

We discussed a range of local issues across the Rushall, Shelfield, Pelsall, and Brownhills Neighbourhood Watch area. Our focus was on how we can work together as one community to address these challenges.  

It was also fantastic to hear about Project Phoenix – a pilot community-run initiative launched by Walsall Council! This project is dedicated to building a stronger community right across our Borough, and I’m really keen to see the positive impact it will have. 

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.

Made by @davorg / Last built: Thursday 09 April 2026 12:42