Two years as the most visible and accessible MP Blackpool had ever had

Two years ago today the people of Blackpool South voted for change. We were done with corrupt and dirty politics – you wanted honesty, transparency and a person who truly believed in and cared about our town representing you in Parliament. You voted for me because I was born and bred in Blackpool and I’d been working to end poverty and fighting for what’s right for our town as a local campaigner for years already. You put your trust in me and I’m still so grateful you did. Since that day I’ve been working to prove you right.

I said I would be visible, accessible and deliver for our town on issues including crime, jobs and the cost of living. I’ve stuck to my word and delivered on the promises I made.

You should be able to reach your MP and know your voice is heard. I keep that in mind every time I am out in the constituency, at surgeries, in community meetings, or speaking directly with residents on the doorstep. But visibility alone is not enough. You want action and change you can see.

For me this happens on three levels – in Parliament, in the constituency and on an individual level.

Since my election my office had helped 13,700 individuals through casework – the busiest caseload in the county, assisting with housing, access to health care, benefits, the environment in our communities and thousands of unique circumstances beyond.

Meanwhile, over the last two years I have delivered real progress for Blackpool South as a whole. I secured Pride in Place funding worth £20 million for Layton and Grange Park – putting money into our communities and giving local people a direct say in how it is spent. It is about fixing what has been left to drift for years and backing local priorities instead of top-down decisions.

South Shore has been a constant focus for me. I have pushed it in every meeting with ministers. I have made the case for investment, regeneration and proper long-term planning. That pressure has helped unlock Pride in Place Impact funding and work is now starting that you will see in the months ahead.

Securing better jobs and more opportunities for local people was a key election pledge of mine. That’s why I’ve hosted Blackpool Jobs Fair annually – securing thousands of jobs for people out of work and career changes and progression for those looking for new challenges. And I’ve pushed hard to bring more skilled work into the Fylde Coast in areas like defence. It’s about retaining and nurturing our talent and stopping the brain drain to the cities. Proper jobs we can build a life on here in Blackpool.

I promised more bobbies on the beat and we now have named neighbourhood police officers in every ward in Blackpool South. That gives you a clear point of contact and stronger visibility on the streets.

The Metropole Hotel has been something we have needed to tackle for a long time, and I’ve been clear to the government that it’s wholly inappropriate for use as asylum accommodation and must be among the first to close. I kept pushing until the government announced its closure last month.

I have also kept pressure on housing and regeneration across Blackpool. The scale of the housing waiting list here stands at around 12,000 people. That is families waiting for a home, stuck in the system. I have raised that directly with the Prime Minister and with ministers because you cannot fix Blackpool without fixing housing.

My job in Parliament is to make sure Blackpool is heard and, being one among 650 MPs, getting noticed takes persistence. I have only been drawn a limited number of times in the ballot to ask questions, but I have managed to ask hundreds by catching the speaker’s eye.

I’ve raised housing, crime, health, the cost of living and much more besides, allowing me to secure meetings with ministers – including the Chancellor and the Prime Minister – and securing commitments to our town. I have no doubt that I have put Blackpool at the forefront of cabinet members’ minds with a clear message – Blackpool’s future is Britain’s test. If you can get things right here, you can get things right everywhere. Make an example of us by making Blackpool the poster child of this government’s success.

I have made the point again and again that Blackpool already has the solutions to its own problems, we just need to the backing to implement them.

I was a new dad when I became an MP and after realising the cost of infant formula I found a major campaign I wanted to work on. Parents in Blackpool were turning to unsafe feeding practices while a handful of manufacturers had monopolised the market and inflated prices. After sustained pressure, a huge campaign with partners and a nationwide petition delivered to Number 10, the government moved on it. Changing policy to directly put more money in parents’ pockets.

Blackpool still has a lot of problems we need to fix, but we are addressing them and I’m confident you will notice a real difference by the end of my first term as your MP. You can see things are already changing. Money is coming in and decisions are being made with Blackpool in mind. For the first time in a long time our voice is not being ignored.

I will keep turning up, pushing hard and making sure your voice is heard in Parliament and backed with action on the ground.

I am proud to be your MP. I will keep working every day to prove your trust was well placed.