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Local MP Stephen Morgan has welcomed the Labour Government’s announcement that Portsmouth will get a £62m cash injection for essential services – a 28% increase in the Council’s spending power.
Under the Tories, local authorities were starved of investment, with core spending power down by around a quarter since 2010. That put immense pressure on councils up and down the country, including Portsmouth City Council.
But the Labour Government has announced a radical overhaul of how local government is funded, reversing Rishi Sunak’s cheap political efforts to put money into wealthy shires and Tory seats.
Fair Funding is the next step on Labour’s journey to reverse a decade and a half of austerity and decline under the Conservatives, and build stronger communities.
England’s councils will get over £20 billion for essential services with more money going to places with the greatest need.
The funding injection is aimed at restoring pride and opportunity in places that have been left behind, to get back what has been lost. Councils will have more resources available to bring back libraries, youth services, clean streets, and community hubs.
The money is part of the first multi-year funding settlement in over a decade, giving councils three years of financial certainty so they can plan ahead rather than firefight year to year.
In total, councils will see a £6.8% per cent increase in their core spending power compared to 2024-25 to pay for services including bin collections, housing, and children’s services.
And in a turning point for the way local government is funded, the outdated system that saw some councils build up savings while others faced financial collapse has been replaced.
Instead, places are now being funded using an evidence-based system that properly recognises local circumstances and the true costs of providing services in deprived communities.
Portsmouth’s £62m funding increase comes following Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan’s campaigning for investment in our city and extra local government funding for Portsmouth to deliver essential local services.
Commenting, Stephen Morgan MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“After strongly advocating for our city to receive a fairer sum of local government funding, I welcome today’s announcement that Portsmouth City Council will be receiving an additional £62 million over the duration of this parliament.
“This is the change Labour promised, reversing 14 years of austerity under the Conservative government.
“This will be able to boost the local services we rely all upon and address issues, like high street decline and housing availability, that I know matter most to Portsmouth people”.
Labour Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed said:
“This is a turning point, a chance to turn the page on a decade of cuts and callousness, and for local leaders to invest in getting back what has been lost – to bring back libraries, youth services, clean streets, and community hubs.
“For too long, deprived communities were left behind. Today we’re ending the postcode lottery so everyone can access the services their community deserves”.
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Hundreds of pupils from schools across Llanelli have been working hard to submit entries to this year’s competition to design the official Christmas Card of the area’s Member of Parliament, Dame Nia Griffith.
Based on the theme of “Christmas of the Future”, children delighted the judging panel consisting of Natalie Powell (Jewellery Maker), Katy Lewis (Creative Artist & Ceramicist) and Claire Roberts (Nurse & Llangennech Scouts Administrator) with their colourful and imaginative creations.
After much consideration, competition winners have now been confirmed with Isla-Grace Dininno of Swiss Valley Primary picking up the top prize for the Key Stage One category and George Davies of Ysgol Gymraeg Brynsierfel victorious in the Key Stage Two equivalent. Both their designs now feature on the front of cards that Dame Nia is sending out in Llanelli and Westminster.
Highly commended runners up positions were awarded at Key Stage One to Ruby Gwen Taylor and Neve Phillips (Swiss Valley Primary), Taliesin Nicholson (Ysgol Parc Y Tywyn) and Ali Ahmad (Ysgol Bryn Teg) and at Key Stage Two to Alaura Woulfe (Swiss Valley Primary), Ivy Chand (Pembrey Primary), Carys Evans (Ysgol Y Felin) and Dakota Hogan (Ysgol Bryn Teg).
Their artwork is now on display in Llanelly House until Christmas and the winning designs were also presented to Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, in a special ceremony in London.
The winners receive a framed copy of their pictures, with cash prizes for their schools, and all winners and runners -up also receive a small gift of art materials to encourage them to keep drawing.
Dame Nia Griffith, Member of Parliament for Llanelli, said:
“It was great to see so many local children taking part in this year’s competition and wowing us all with their beautiful and optimistic designs on the theme of Christmas of the future. Their talent and hard work made it an absolute pleasure to judge and really put us in a festive mood as Christmas approaches.”
“I would also like to thank the staff and teachers who took the time and effort to encourage pupils to take part, as well as the judges for their hard work and Llanelly House for hosting the display over the Christmas period.”





Jeff Smith MP has welcomed the Labour Government’s bold new strategy to end homelessness across the North West.
Backed by £3.5 billion of investment over the next 3 years – including around an extra £101,952,855 for the North West. Labour’s National Plan to End Homelessness will support the most vulnerable people to find their feet and improve their lives.
The Plan has three key pledges to be achieved by the end of this parliament – to halve the number of long-term rough sleepers, end the unlawful use of B&Bs for families and prevent more households from becoming homeless in the first place.
It will be underpinned by clear, ambitious goals for lasting change, including a duty on public services to work together to prevent homelessness, a boost to the supply of good-quality temporary homes, and £3.5 billion – a £1 billion funding boost over and above previous commitments – to support rough sleeping and support services.
The Labour Government is taking the action needed to end the “moral stain of homelessness”, which more than doubled under the Tories.
Welcoming the Labour Government’s homelessness strategy, Emma Haddad, Chief Executive of St Mungo’s, said: “The homelessness strategy published is a watershed moment and is strongly welcomed by St Mungo’s.”
Launching Labour’s Plan to End Homelessness, Housing Secretary Steve Reed said:
• “Homelessness is one of the most profound challenges we face as a society, because at the heart, it’s about people. Families deserve stability, children need a safe place to grow, and individuals simply want the dignity of a home.
• “This strategy is shaped by the voices of those who’ve lived through homelessness and the frontline workers who fight tirelessly to prevent it.
• “Through our new strategy we can build a future where homelessness is rare, brief, and not repeated. With record investment, new duties on public services, and a relentless focus on accountability, we will turn ambition into reality.”
The closure of Banbury Museum would be a devastating blow for our town. I have created this petition to urge Cherwell District Council to find alternative funding, so the museum can continue to serve our community. Please see the petition below: https://www.change.org/p/save-banbury-museum-and-gallery-urge-cherwell-to-source-alternative-funding
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Amanda Martin MP has welcomed the Labour Government’s landmark 10-Year National Youth Strategy, describing it as a ‘game-changer’ for young people in Portsmouth North.
The Labour Government has delivered on its commitment to the next generation by launching ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’. The landmark 10-year plan is designed to ensure every young person across the country and in places such as Portsmouth has someone who cares, somewhere to go, and a community they feel part of.
Young people across England will benefit from over £500 million of government investment as the first National Youth Strategy in 15 years is published today, setting out an ambitious delivery plan to rebuild youth services over the next decade.
‘Youth Matters’ has been co-produced with more than 14,000 young people across England through a landmark ‘State of the Nation’ survey. It represents a fundamental shift in how the government will support young people over the next decade – turning the tide from isolation online, to real life connections.
Local Government spending on youth services fell by 73% between 2010/11 and 2022/23, with more than 1,000 youth centres closing and over 4,500 youth worker roles being lost. The Prime Minister has spoken of young people being “collateral damage” over the past decade and how this must be turned around, with the Government investing in the potential of young people – offering them the chance for real life connections to support their talent and potential.
A centrepiece of the National Youth Strategy centres around additional investment to transform youth services. The government is committing over £500 million of new funding, which will:
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “As a father, a dad and as Prime Minister, I believe it is our generation’s greatest responsibility to turn the tide on the lost decade of young kids left as collateral damage. It is our moral mission.
“Today, my government sets out a clear, ambitious and deliverable plan – investing in the next generation so that every child has the chance to see their talents take them as far as their ability can.
“That is also why we will ensure that if you choose an apprenticeship, you will have the same respect and opportunity as everyone else, as we get two-thirds of young people in higher-level learning or apprenticeships.”
Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, said: “For fourteen years under the Conservatives, young people were treated as an afterthought. Their voices were ignored, and youth services were decimated. The launch of ‘Youth Matters’ is our government’s decisive response: it marks the end of that neglect.
“This is not a tokenistic policy; it is a 10-year, cross-government commitment to put the next generation first. We are delivering real change, guaranteeing world-class mental health provision in every school, restoring safe spaces through new Young Futures Hubs, and giving young people power by lowering the voting age to 16. Labour is driving forward our Plan for Change to secure a decade of national renewal built on opportunity for all.”
Amanda Martin, Labour MP for Portsmouth North, said: “This announcement shows the tangible difference a Labour Government makes, as we correct the damage done in Portsmouth North after years of cuts to youth services and support.
“While the previous Conservative government closed youth centres and allowed waiting lists for mental health support to skyrocket, our Government is delivering the opposite. We are investing in Young Futures Hubs and new youth centres, rolling out Mental Health Support Teams in our schools, and restoring the neighbourhood policing that our communities desperately need.
“This Strategy is about giving our young people the security, support, and genuine voice they deserve, helping to grow our local economy and restore a real sense of pride and belonging in the place we call home. We are listening, and we are delivering.”
The insights gathered will be published alongside the Strategy in a ‘State of the Nation’ report, highlighting four critical themes that have shaped the plan:
In response, ‘Youth Matters’ sets out 10 prioritised actions for government departments to deliver over the next decade:
The Labour Government will begin implementation of the 10-point plan immediately, with key milestones set across the next decade.
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George Freeman writes for FarmersGuardian.
The Home Office proposal to lump shotgun licensing in with tighter controls historically reserved for rifles and other firearms marks a significant step in Whitehall hostility to country sports, the rural economy and the rural way of life.
I fear it is likely to do nothing to reduce knife and handgun crime on the streets of our major cities, and will instead cause huge extra costs of administration, soaking up the extra charges, which hits marginal rural economies the hardest.
My concerns are not only echoed by leading countryside organisations like the Countryside Alliance, CLA and BASC but the very rural communities - like my constituency of Mid Norfolk - where widespread shotgun use is responsible, safe and key to many small businesses in the local economy.
I grew up on a family farm in Norfolk. Beating and shooting on our small family shoot was an essential part of my upbringing.
Shooting has shaped not just my own experience, but the social and economic foundations of the communities I represent.
Anyone familiar with rural Norfolk, and the many rural counties across the country, will understand what Whitehall policymakers seem not to understand - shooting is integral to local jobs, conservation, food production and the wider rural economy.
The Government insists the licensing merger is about safety.
After the tragic Plymouth shooting in 2021, the previous Conservative Government examined this proposal precisely and chose not to proceed because of its disproportionate impact on legitimate rural activity.
Those arguments remain every bit as valid today.
The evidence is clear.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has stated that legally held firearms are rarely used criminally by the lawful owner.
Furthermore, the majority of criminally used firearms are smuggled in from abroad.
Over the past decade, figures from the NCA show that deaths due to firearms has remained consistent, with the highest levels of gun crime concentrated in large urban police force areas — the West Midlands, the Metropolitan Police area and South Yorkshire.
Now compare that with the areas that hold the highest number of shotgun certificates: Norfolk, Dyfed-Powys and North Yorkshire.
These are some of the most rural counties in the country — the heartlands of farming, conservation, and country sports.
They are not the centres of gun crime.
The real risk posed by the Government's proposal is not to public safety, but to our rural way of life.
Shooting-related small businesses play a vital role in sustaining many rural economies.
Game shoots support vital habitat management and wildlife conservation.
From hotels, B&Bs, food catering for shoots, equipment and employment, game shooting brings much-needed income to rural economies, supporting local butchers and small businesses and providing healthy and sustainable food.
Country sports are becoming increasingly important pillars of a rural economy already under huge pressure from high energy costs and agricultural disinvestment.
Commercial shooting estates, gun shops, clay grounds, competitive shooting clubs, these are not marginal niche interests in rural areas.
They are interlocking parts of a sector that supports tens of thousands of jobs nationwide.
By merging licensing systems, the Government would impose new layers of bureaucracy, longer delays, higher costs, and the very real likelihood that many people, especially younger or lower-income participants, will simply give up the sport.
For gun shops and shooting estates, that drop in participation would mean sharp reductions in trade, reduced investment and potential job losses.
or rural villages already battling depopulation, cost of living pressures and dwindling economic opportunities, the cumulative impact could be devastating. Why?
I urge ministers to think again and recognise this is a policy with no benefits but a lot of costs.
It is anti-growth, anti-countryside, anti-rural voters.
It could drive a potentially serious political revolt in rural areas.
The Home Secretary has a reputation for demonstrating common sense, which this policy urgently needs.
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This Budget is about making fair choices for the British people.
We’re stabilising the economy and doubling down on driving growth.
We’re supporting our high streets and tackling the cost of living.
We’re building a stronger, fairer country – one where child poverty falls and living standards rise.
After years of decline, there is a lot of work to do. But this government is committed to making the right choices for our country.

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Local beauty businesses and students showcased their contribution at a special event in Westminster.
Nesil Caliskan, Member of Parliament for Barking, helped local beauty businesses “take over Parliament” to celebrate this year’s British Beauty Week. Hairdressers, nail salons and beauty academy students – all from Barking and Dagenham – were invited to Parliament by the MP for a special reception and tour.
British Beauty Week is promoted by the British Beauty Council every year to celebrate the contribution of beauty businesses to our economy and high streets.
The theme of this year’s Beauty Week is the future of beauty, highlighting the industry’s innovation and sustainability. The UK beauty industry contributes over £31 billion to the economy each year and supports more than 85,000 jobs in London.

Commenting on the takeover, Nesil Caliskan, Member of Parliament for Barking said: “I invited local beauty businesses and students to takeover Parliament to celebrate their contribution, let them know how important they are for our community, and how much this government values them.
“They employ hundreds of local people, bring life to our high streets, and help people feel great every day. They are vital for our local economy, and today’s takeover proved the future of beauty is undoubtedly in Barking and Dagenham.”
Victoria Brownlie, Chief of Policy & Sustainability at the British Beauty Council, who was at the event, said: “The hair and beauty industry provides so much to so many and events like this help those working in the industry to feel seen, recognised and appreciated, just as they deserve to. Their social, cultural and economic contribution cements them as serious businesses, not just fluffy stuff that girls do, and we’re so grateful to Nesil for shining a light on this during British Beauty Week.”

Erica Brobbey, from Empress Hair and Beauty, a business in Barking, said: “It was an honour to join fellow beauty professionals in Parliament and proudly represent Barking and Dagenham’s thriving beauty community. Meeting other business owners and speaking with Victoria from the British Beauty Council was truly inspiring. The event highlighted the real impact our industry has, not just economically, but in the confidence and wellbeing it brings to people every day.
“I’m proud to be part of a community that continues to empower others and contribute so positively to the local economy. Events like this show that the future of beauty is bright, and it’s happening right here in Barking and Dagenham.”
Sure Start was life-changing for so many people in Bassetlaw, transforming the lives of children by putting in place family support in the earliest years of life. Sure Start, introduced by the last Labour government, helped level the playing field for children from lower income families, with research showing that children who attended a Sure Start centre were much more likely to perform better at school.
The previous Government cut community services, scrapping Sure Start, leaving a gaping hole in family services. When they left government, one in four families with children under five couldn’t access local children’s centres, rising to one in three lower income families. Speaking to local families in Bassetlaw, I hear time and again an ask for more support around SEND, youth services, and early development.
I welcome the news that the Government are building on the proud legacy of Sure Start, and reviving family services by rolling out 1,000 ‘Best Start Family Hubs’ by April 2026, including here in Bassetlaw.
Best Start Family Hubs will be a one stop shop for parents needing support, including on difficulty breastfeeding, housing issues or children’s early development, and other services such as:
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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.
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
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.
Last week I was sworn in as the MP for South Shields for the fifth time, and each time it strikes me how incredibly honoured I feel that you have put your faith in me as the first female MP to represent you in Parliament. It was a truly historic night as the UK elected […]
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