Working together the government and business industry are working to give every young person a fair first step onto the career ladder – launching a major new programme offering over 11,000 retail work experience placements for 18-24-year-olds looking for work.

Blackpool’s place at the sharp end of NEET statistics has caught the government’s attention and, this week, the Social Mobility Commission published a report that brings the experience of the young people into uncomfortable focus.

Parents in Blackpool South are worried about their children's safety online, and they're right to be. The smartphones we all carry now present a real and serious risk to young people and this government is taking that seriously.

One of the greatest privileges of being your Member of Parliament is meeting residents face-to-face and helping them access the support they deserve. This October, I'm bringing that mission to life on a bigger scale with my brand new Older Persons' Fair.

Fridays are usually spent in the constituency but this week I am in Parliament for the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. This is an incredibly important piece of legislation in an area I know so many constituents care greatly about – assisted dying.

United Utilities has been fined £900,000 after pleading guilty to five environmental offences linked to a serious sewage incident on the Fylde Coast in June 2023.

Tomorrow a cross-government policy sprint, led by DCMS, comes to Blackpool, to develop a strategic approach to regional growth and place-based regeneration through our visitor economy.

This Friday, hours before the Illuminations switched on for the season, I got to attend a smaller  switch on – the lights went back on inside Counselling in the Community’s South Shore Hub.

Today I was proud to welcome Tourism Minister Stephanie Peacock to Blackpool. We had some great conversations and also got to experience the Pleasure Beach’s newest ride – in the rain!

A pile of dumped mattresses in your back alley, builders' waste on your street, bags of rubbish in your local park – it makes it impossible for us to feel proud or safe in our communities. Now the government is cracking down on it.

Time restrictions on disabled bus passes are being lifted for good. The 5,061 people in Blackpool who currently hold one will be able to travel for free, any time, day or night.

Radical reform to education will open student finance outside of the traditional university route for the first time. The equivalent of four years of post-18 course funding will be available in Blackpool, alongside a proportionate maintenance loan to help with living costs for those eligible.  

The Prime Minister has made a clear commitment to building a country that works for everyone, everywhere. A key part of that is making everyday journeys easier and more affordable. 

Yesterday, on my Beyond the Prom tour, I sat down with GPs at Arnold Medical Centre who told me what I hear across the town – we have a mental health crisis in Blackpool, and we need urgent crisis support. I welcome today’s funding announcement and I’m pushing for Blackpool to get its fair share.

Blackpool is bidding to become UK City of Culture 2029 – and I want us to win it. Join me in backing the bid before it’s submitted on Monday.

Blackpool is a town with huge potential and pride. But we are also a case study in what happens when national policy neglects the specific needs of coastal communities.

When people talk about threats to democracy they often point to Westminster, but one of the biggest threats facing our democracy today is in our hands.