I’m grateful to the Daily Echo for providing space for a regular column, where I give my ‘view from Westminster’ and provide Echo readers with an update on my campaigns and news from across Southampton Itchen.
In case you missed it, here’s my latest column, which was published in the Echo last Friday.
Can I start by wishing all Echo readers a very Happy New Year. For everyone lucky enough to have had a festive break, this already feels like a distant memory! For the many of you who were working or volunteering, thank you for your service and I hope that you were able to find some time to rest, relax and reflect soon after.
At the start of the year, I’ve been reflecting on both the year that’s gone and the priorities ahead. 2025 was my first full year as one of Southampton’s MPs and there was a lot to tick off on the ‘to-do’ list both locally and nationally. In Southampton, I was pleased to be able to help secure £20m for Weston as part of the government’s Pride in Place programme, in which the local community will decide how to spend the money to make their neighbourhood and their lives better. I also kick-started campaigns to bring a new healthcare centre to Bitterne, open a banking hub on one of our busiest high streets, and fought for local leaseholders. Nationally, I was pleased to be part of a governing party that took action to cut the cost of living, continued to reduce waiting lists, boosted the minimum wage and took action to lift half a million children out of poverty.
And there’s plenty to look forward to with confidence this year, and plenty of reason for people in Southampton to feel optimistic that they’ll see even more of the positive change that they voted for. From February, the largest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation will begin to take effect, with welcome reforms to paternity pay, sick pay and stopping ‘fire and rehire’, all of which help to create fairer workplaces for people in Southampton. Then this spring, renters in Southampton will see a big improvement to their rights as our Renters Rights Act comes into force, with an end to no-fault evictions and greater protection and security for tenants.
Of course, things don’t change overnight and that can be frustrating for us as MPs as well as for Echo readers. The reality is that life still feels much harder for many than it should. But it’s also a fact that we have real progress to build on and need to remember in this, a year in which our city will vote in council elections, that populist slogans, stunts and easy promises that flood the media will not fix the problems people are facing in Southampton. And speaking of elections, many of you have written to me about the possible postponement of local elections. The government has made it clear that this is a matter for local councils who are involved in the complex process of local government reorganisation, but I have been very clear that elections should go ahead as planned. I expect that many of my Labour party colleagues including the Leader of the Council in Southampton, who will justifiably feel that they have a proud record of delivering for local people to stand on, feel the same.
As ever, if there is anything I can help with, please email [email protected]. And keep an eye on my website or newsletter for details of my upcoming coffee mornings and ‘Pint with your MP’ sessions – I hope to see some of you there!