THE LATEST
NEWS
Coastal towns like Blackpool deserve better – I’m fighting for it
I’ve joined other Labour MPs from coastal towns to demand action from the government. We want a proper plan to bring good jobs and opportunity back to places like Blackpool.
My call for investment in South Shore
This week in Parliament, I called on the Communities Minister to make sure the full £1.5 million Pride in Place Impact Fund for Blackpool is spent in South Shore.
Better Start offers better future
I’ve long said that Blackpool has the answers to its own problems and when MPs from the Health and Social Care Committee came to Blackpool this summer, I was proud to demonstrate to them exactly what I mean. What they found, in fact, were perhaps answers to the whole country’s problems – at least when it comes to the first 1,000 days of life.
Have your say: tell the government what Blackpool’s hospitality sector needs
The government has launched a four-week review of outdated pub licensing rules that are holding our town back. And I want you to have your say.
BLACKPOOL PUPILS TO BENEFIT FROM MORE SPECIALIST TEACHERS IN CLASSROOMS
Thanks to new package of measures including tax-free training incentives worth up to £31,000, the Labour government will recruit and retain great teachers where they’re needed most – including right here in Blackpool.
Blackpool gets £45,000 boost to tackle rough sleeping and addiction
In Blackpool we see the impact of addiction, mental ill health and homelessness every day. Too many people are stuck in a cycle they can’t break on their own and this new funding will go straight into treatment and recovery services that help people turn their lives around.
Small business dealing with late payments? I want to hear from you
I’m calling on business owners here in Blackpool to share what’s really happening on the ground and what more we can do to fix this. Your experience matters and your views will help shape what happens next.
Libraries for all primaries
This week the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, confirmed that every state primary school in England will have a library by the end of this Parliament. Labour will provide libraries to the 1,700 schools currently without one. The funding comes from £132.5 million unlocked from Dormant Assets.
Labour delivers for young people with new future-shaping policies
Labour has fired the starting gun on a major set of plans to open up opportunities for young people, with announcements that will change lives right here in Blackpool.
Labour is banning fracking - for good
No more drilling and disruption on the Fylde Coast. It’s over for good.
Government hands Blackpool community new powers and investment to restore Pride in Place
The Pride in Place programme is the biggest shift of power from Westminster to towns like ours in history. Layton and Grange Park are set to receive £20 million of long-term investment – guaranteed funding over the next decade. On top of that, Blackpool has been awarded £1.5 million in Impact Fund money for immediate improvements to shared spaces, high streets and the public realm.
Survey: The Impact of 30 hours free childcare on families in Blackpool South
Parents are now able to access 30 hours of government-funded childcare – thanks to this Labour government. Have you benefitted?
Devolution - Let’s get Lancashire the deal we deserve
For too long local government has been overlooked and underfunded. Decisions that should be made close to the people they affect have instead been handed down from Whitehall. Blackpool South, and Lancashire as a whole, has felt this deeply. This English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill begins to put that right.
Calling all teachers in Blackpool South
Are you a teacher in Blackpool South? Would you like to be better equipped to teach your pupils about UK Parliament? Apply for an all expenses paid course in Westminster and find out how.
Beyond the Prom – read it in full here
My magazine, Beyond the Prom, is dropping through doors across Blackpool South as I speak. Read it in full here!
Blackpool’s mental health needs are extreme – we need support that matches them
New figures from the Department for Work and Pensions show what too many of us already know – Blackpool is carrying one of the heaviest mental health burdens in the country.
Hillsborough Law: Justice, transparency and truth for all
As your MP for Blackpool South, I’m proud to back the Hillsborough Law now. Because this isn’t just about what happened in Liverpool, or London – it’s about trust in the system we all rely on. It’s about saying never again will the State close ranks and betray the people it serves.
My 2025 Christmas Card Competition
I’m excited to invite primary school-aged children across Blackpool South to take part in my 2025 Christmas Card Competition. This is a chance for children to showcase their creativity and community spirit, with the winning design appearing on my official Christmas card and sent across the constituency and Westminster this festive season.
My call for urgent taxi licensing reform to protect local trade
This week in Parliament I raised the urgent need for taxi licensing reform for Blackpool. The current system is failing cabbies, passengers and our local economy.
Blackpool Illuminations Shine in Parliament
The leader of the House of Commons has praised Blackpool Illuminations and encouraged people to visit the town’s iconic attraction this season.

