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Great news that the Tyne Bridge will be fully restored in time for its  100th Anniversary.

The Tories promised it, but didn’t put up the money.

Now Labour has!

North East Regional Mayor Kim McGuinness:

https://x.com/KiMcGuinness/status/1930513734427939148

An Update from your Local MP – 7th June 2025

Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Clapham and Brixton Hill)






*|MC:SUBJECT|*




͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­


Picture of Bell against a graffiti backdrop

Dear *|FNAME|*,

This week, events in Gaza have taken on renewed urgency. As Israel’s blockade of food, medicine, water and fuel continued, we saw starving Palestinian civilians gunned down at Israeli aid sites on consecutive days. Medics reported casualties arriving in hospital with gunshot wounds to their heads and chests. Israel has now hijacked Gaza’s aid supplies, turning them into another weapon to carry out its genocide.

Red Lines for Palestine

Labour MPs including Bell hold a red banner outside Parliament.

Ahead of this statement, I joined thousands of Red Line for Palestine protesters outside Parliament. This demonstration sought to ask the government how many red lines have to be crossed before they take action against Israel?

Jeremy Corbyn's 10-minute motion bill calling for an independent inquiry into the British state's role in facilitating the Gaza genocide.

I was also proud to support Jeremy Corbyn’s bill calling for an independent public inquiry into the UK’s role in the Gaza genocide. The public deserve to know exactly how the British government has supported Israel for the last 20 months. This Bill technically passed its first reading on Wednesday but would need Government cooperation to reach its next stage. Many worry that this is unlikely.

MPs sit around a table with Louis Theroux in Parliament for a Q&A

Finally, I was thrilled to join Louis Theroux for a parliamentary Q&A on his latest documentary, ‘The Settlers’, which shines a light on Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. This film offers a powerful and unsettling insight into the politics and psychology driving the genocidal violence and dispossession we are currently seeing in Gaza and across the occupied Palestinian Territories. It should be compulsory watching.

Support Local Families with Baby Clothes

For the next couple of weeks, I am running a pop-up donation point at my constituency office on Brixton Hill. If you can, please help the charity to restock with any of these items by bringing your pre-loved clothing and baby supplies. You can drop these off at the office and contact me via my website or email if you have any questions.

Decriminalise Abortion

Hearing from Disabled Constituents
About Benefit Cuts

Lambeth MPs answer questions from disabled constituents. They are sitting at the front of a room behind a table with a Disability Advice Centre Lambeth tablecloth on it. A screen with live captions is projected behind them.

Another Step To Tackle Classroom Hunger

A Labour graphic of a man walking with his daughter. Overlaid text reads over half a million more children to get Free School Meals with Labour.

Meeting the New Commonwealth
General Secretary

Urgent: Blood Donors Needed in Brixton!

Bell stands outside Brixton Blood Donor Centre, wearing a red coat.


The post An Update from your Local MP – 7th June 2025 appeared first on Bell Ribeiro-Addy.

Happy UK Pride

Stephen Morgan (Portsmouth South)

Today Portsmouth will host UK Pride – the biggest and loudest celebration of the LGBT+ community our city has ever seen.

I want to pay tribute to the volunteers of Portsmouth Pride who worked so hard to bring UK Pride to our great city.

It is a testament to our city’s reputation of diversity and tolerance, making it a natural home for the UK’s biggest celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.

Today will be a powerful reminder of Portsmouth’s commitment to safety, dignity, and opportunity for all – no matter who you are, or who you love.

While Pride is a celebration, we shouldn’t forget that it was born out of protest.

I’m proud of my party’s history of championing LGBT+ rights, and I am committed to continuing this legacy. It was Labour governments who:

  • Scrapped Section 28 – We removed this discriminatory legislation that sought to silence discussions about LGBT relationships in schools and local authorities.
  • Equal Age of Consent – We ensured that all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, are treated equally under the law.
  • Equality in Goods and Services – We made it illegal to discriminate against individuals based on their sexual orientation in the provision of goods and services.
  • Carrying Equal Marriage – We fought for and achieved equal marriage rights, allowing same-sex couples to marry and enjoy the same legal recognition as heterosexual couples.

It is therefore also an opportunity to uphold our commitment to protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ people to live freely and without discrimination.

Because while progress has been made. There is still so much more to do.

That’s why I’m asking you to back my campaign for a trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices.

Conversion practices are abuse. They have no place in society and must be stopped.

You can show your support for a trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices here.

As a patron of an LGBTQ+ organisation, I am also aware that many trans people are worried in the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling, and this is something I also recognise as part of the community in Portsmouth.

I’ve been meeting local campaigners on these matters and been sharing this feedback with the relevant Equalities Minister.

As a society, we must treat each other with dignity and respect and look after those who are most vulnerable. As your MP I will continue to work every day to achieve that.

Pride flags flying proudly across Southsea Common, and across our city today are a powerful symbol of our community’s values.

I’m so proud to be from Portsmouth – and I know local people will provide such a warm welcome to visitors from all around the world to our great city.

Whatever way you’re celebrating, I wish you a Happy UK Pride!

The post Happy UK Pride appeared first on Stephen Morgan MP.

Preet Kaur Gill - My Weekly Update - 6 June

Preet Kaur Gill (Birmingham Edgbaston)

Strategic Defence Review Prime Minister Keir Starmer at British defence business BAE Systems On Monday, the Prime Minister unveiled his...

Labour bans unfair bonuses for Southern Water bosses

Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North)

Unfair bonuses have been banned with immediate effect for senior bosses at Southern Water as part of this Labour Government’s Plan for Change after tough new legislation came into effect.

Under these new rules, introduced with the landmark Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, companies including Southern Water are not permitted to pay bonuses to water bosses that oversee poor environmental and customer outcomes.
This action delivers on a key Labour manifesto commitment and has been backdated to apply to any bonuses relating to the financial year from April last year.

Southern Water was awarded over £5.4 million in bonuses and incentives over the last decade, paying £312,000 in bonuses last year alone.

Companies that do meet Ofwat’s standards will still be eligible to pay executives bonuses – a powerful incentive for bosses at Southern Water to deliver immediate environmental improvements, better customer outcomes, and improve financial resilience.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is essential after 14 years of Conservative failure. The Conservatives even tried to hide the extent of sewage spills before the election, with Robbie Moore, then the Water Minister and now a Shadow Environment Minister in Kemi Badenoch’s team, telling Environment Agency officials not to put the key figures on the front page of an online portal.

Reform UK, who did not even mention sewage in their manifesto, have recently made the unfunded commitment to nationalise the water industry that could cost taxpayers more than £100 billion over many years of distracting disruption.
In contrast, the Labour Government’s Plan for Change is delivering with tougher regulation and enforcement action, together with a record £104 billion of private investment over the next five years, to reduce sewage discharges to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.

Commenting, Portsmouth North MP Amanda Martin said: “Sewage dumping in Portsmouth has been relentless on our local environment for too long.”

“I’ve met families who have got sick from swimming in the sea, I’ve heard from local businesses who have lost of 100 days of trade due to water quality, streets of people who don’t even get replies to when sewage is pumping out of drains.”

“This Labour Government is sorting out the dirty mess the Conservatives failed to tackle. We are banning unfair bonuses with immediate effect and ensuring investment is made to clean up our seas for good.”

Labour’s Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas after 14 years of shameful Conservative failure is essential to this Labour Government’s Plan for Change.”

“Water company bosses, just like anyone else, should only get bonuses for good performance, certainly not if they’ve failed to tackle water pollution.”

“That’s why Labour is banning undeserved bonuses with immediate effect delivering on the promise we made at the General Election.”

Earlier this year Ms Martin welcomed Environment Secretary Steve Reed to Portsmouth as the Labour Government’s landmark bill to crack down on bosses polluting waterways in Portsmouth became law.

The post Labour bans unfair bonuses for Southern Water bosses appeared first on Amanda Martin MP.

Meg's Weekly Round-Up: Friday 6 June 2025

Dame Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch)

See here for what I've been up to in Hackney and Westminster this week.

Pleased to be at Ysgol yr Hendy this morning to join Google’s “Be Internet Legends” team helping pupils learn more about internet safety and the best ways to protect themselves online, including:

staying sharp about what they share online

being alert to scams and misinformation

using tools to keep devices secure

being kind to others online

being brave by talking to trusted adults about any problems.

An interesting and engaging programme to keep our young people safe and responsible online. Well done to all who took part!

https://beinternetlegends.withgoogle.com/en_uk

D Day 81

Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills)

Today marks 81 years since the historic D-Day landings, the largest seaborne invasion in history.
That pivotal moment irrevocably changed the course of history and secured the freedoms we cherish today.
To honour the bravery, sacrifice, and spirit of the heroes who stormed Normandy’s beaches on June 6, 1944, we stand united as a community.
We will remember them.
Judith at Hollingwood Primary, one of the three local schools to receive funding Judith has spoken to the Telegraph and Argus to welcome...

Feeding Kids, Backing Families, Building a Fairer Britain

Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)

Today, our Labour Government is putting £500 back into the pockets of parents every single year by expanding Free School Meals to every...

£1.8bn boost for transport in the North East

Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North)

The Labour Government has announced a massive £1.8 billion to improve transport across the North East as part of a £15.6 billion investment for local transport projects across England’s city regions. The investment will be used to extend the Newcastle to Sunderland Metro line via Washington. This will better connect our region, boost the economy […]
  • Combined £1.2billion funding in schools and hospitals part of Labour’s promise to deliver public infrastructure improvements through its Plan for Change
  • Classrooms and school facilities in Manchester Withington upgraded to be safe and warm
  • MP backs investment to give local children the ‘best start in life’

Pupils in Manchester Withington are set to benefit from essential maintenance fixes being rolled out in schools across the country thanks to the Labour government, with up to £54.4 million being invested in schools across the North West, through the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF).

Children at West Didsbury CE Primary School will benefit from a share of £470 million for projects in education and healthcare settings, set to fix crumbling roofs and remove dangerous asbestos – restoring pride in England’s classrooms and undoing years of dangerous Conservative neglect.

The funding is part of Labour’s mission to fix the dire state of public services inherited from the Conservatives and deliver investment and reform through the Plan for Change, supporting children to get the best start in life.

It is part of a record £2.1 billion investment into the school estate this year – £300m more than the previous year – as Labour forges on with delivering for the public by investing in our children, their futures and the future of this country.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

“The defining image of the school estate under the previous government was children sitting under steel props to stop crumbling concrete falling on their heads. It simply isn’t good enough.

“Parents expect their children to learn in a safe warm environment. It’s what children deserve, and it is what we are delivering.

“This investment is about more than just buildings – it’s about showing children that their education matters, their futures matter, and this government is determined to give them the best possible start in life.”

Jeff Smith MP for Manchester Withington, Jeff Smith, said:

“Parents across Manchester Withington will remember the RAAC crisis, the fear that children were no longer safe in their own school because of years of Tory neglect.

“Labour is turning the page through our Plan for Change, literally fixing the foundations of our schools so local children are in a safe environment where the can achieve and thrive.

“With free breakfast clubs, cheaper uniform costs and safer schools, Labour is setting children up for the best start.”

Labour’s investment will deliver energy efficient, warm classrooms with safe outdoor spaces that are not just fit for lessons, but for the future. Creating a welcoming and supportive school environment for generations of children so they can achieve and thrive as they progress through their education. A further £1.4 billion will back the acceleration of the School Rebuilding Programme this year, with a commitment to kickstart projects at 100 schools this year alone, as Labour seeks to fix the foundations of our school estate.

Rejuvenating schools by delivering new, high-quality buildings that are not just energy efficient but fit for all pupils needs.

This will provide high-tech facilities that will raise the standards of education through new sports halls, IT rooms, school kitchens and playgrounds that children and staff can enjoy for years to come.

Projects will be delivered during the 2025 to 2026 financial year, with the first upgrades expected to begin this summer.

It was inspiring to hear from local apprentices at Leicester College for National Apprenticeships Week about their desire to get into work and get on in work

 One of my top priorities nationally is getting Britain working again, and I’m so proud to see the community in Leicester working to support young people in this ambition

Labour will harness the talents of young people through ambitious apprenticeship reform to drive growth and unlock opportunity.

The post Liz visits Leicester College to Mark Apprenticeships Week appeared first on Liz Kendall.

Creating change that will enable region to thrive

Liz Twist (Blaydon and Consett)

We’ve passed the first anniversary of Rishi Sunak standing on Downing Street in the pouring rain announcing a General Election. A year that has both seemed to have flown by, yet has seen so many difficult headlines. From the heartbreak in the Middle East to the Southport attacks and riots on our streets, this Labour government […]
Karin Smyth MP speaking in the House of Commons alongside Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State for Care There has been considerable...

Stephen Gethins MP – Constituency Surgeries

Stephen Gethins (Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)

I endeavour to hold as many local surgeries as possible across the constituency. Below you’ll find any currently scheduled events; please get in touch to reserve a slot and note that appointments are limited to ten minutes each. Upcoming surgery dates: 20th June 2025 10:00 AM Broughty Ferry Library There are currently 4 available appointments ... Read more

Source

Norfolk Food Hall Opening

George Freeman (Mid Norfolk)

29 May 2025
Norfolk Food Hall Opening

It's great to see the Norfolk Food Hall opening at the Norfolk Showground! 

This is Norfolk's most exciting and newest delicatessen and restaurant. 

I’m delighted to see some of Mid-Norfolk's finest businesses providing food for the shop and restaurant, including Tony Perkins Butchers. I can't wait to come by and visit!

Norfolk Food Hall

Vacancy: Constituency Support Officer

Dave Doogan (Angus and Perthshire Glens)

Dave Doogan MP is hiring a Constituency Support Officer to work in his constituency office in Forfar. This is an exciting opportunity to...

Barking and Dagenham is expected to receive at least £1.42 million through family hubs and the Start for Life programme, part of £126 million boost for families to give every child the best start of life and deliver on Labour’s Plan for Change. 

Families in Barking will be able to access early years support such as pregnancy support, infant feeding advice, parenting classes and other support to give their child the best start in life. 

Children’s early years are crucial to their development, health and life chances yet over 80% of parents have said they struggled to access services. 

As part of our Plan for Change, the government is committed to strengthening family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood, and secure long-term outcomes for children – including through investment in Family Hubs and the Start for Life programme. 

Nesil Caliskan, Member of Parliament for Barking said: “I am delighted that families and children in Barking will be able to access early years support through this funding boost from the Government. 

“Families in Barking elected a Labour government to give every child the best possible start in life, and that is what we’re delivering. 

“This will make such a huge difference for so many families in our community, and I know that the impact will be felt for years to come.”

Worksop Guardian Column 05/02/25

Jo White (Bassetlaw)

Here in Bassetlaw, most people work hard all their lives, pay their dues and want to live comfortably. What unites many in anger is the known benefit fraudster, who lives down the street.

With billions of public money lost last year, it is time at long last for real action against the fraudsters. Those who are milking the system, be it the workshy or those feeding the coffers of organised crime. I have lost count of the number of times that I hear from local people that benefit fraud is happening and nothing seems to be being done about it.

I welcome the government’s new Fraud Bill, which will allow for the seizure of luxury goods, bags of cash, and mobile phones as evidence of fraud, and stronger powers to go after those who receive money they are not entitled to. Where there is an outright refusal to repay, it is right that their driving license should be taken away.

Banks and building societies will be able to flag when they spot fraud, such as expensive holidays aboard, or a wage going in whilst benefits are also being claimed. These powers will include strong safeguards, protecting the real vulnerable and the sick.

I cannot abide the thought of the hard-earned money of Bassetlaw people funding the luxury lifestyle of the fraudsters. Labour is the party of working people, and this is our values being put into action. I want to see the first raid take place in Bassetlaw.

This is also why I back the additional powers in this Bill that will pursue those who ripped us off during Covid pandemic, including the previous government’s greedy friends who grabbed the PPE contracts and the fake company owners who took the business loans. We cannot allow time limitations to act as a barrier. We want our money back, the thieves jailed and anyone who lined the pockets of their mates also feeling the long hand of the law on their collars.

The post Worksop Guardian Column 05/02/25 appeared first on Jo White MP.

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.

Rushanara Ali MP Statement on Bangladesh Victory Day 2024

Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Stepney)

Rushanara Ali MP statement on the anniversary of Bangladesh’s Victory Day 2024.

 

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 […]

The post It is the honour of my life to be re-elected as your MP for South Shields appeared first on Emma Lewell MP.

ICC FILES ARREST WARRANTS

Brendan O'Hara (Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber)

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Christian Wakeford (Bury South)

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