A Year in Parliament: Highlights and Challenges

With schools about to break up for summer, many parents like me will be receiving their children’s end of year report.

Parliament is also about to end for the summer recess. Whilst it brings me out in a cold sweat thinking about handing over my school report to my parents, it is probably a good time to reflect on my first year in Parliament.

For too long, High Peak has been overlooked and nobody’s priority. I feel that all the hard work of trying to change that, including literally hounding Ministers down the corridors of Westminster is starting to reap its rewards.

In the last weeks alone, we’ve received £35 million of investment in our area through the Peak Cluster which will safeguard thousands of jobs in the cement industry. Just last week, we had a massive win for High Peak. I pushed Ministers to provide the money to keep Snake Pass open and safe, I’m delighted to say that the Government has listened and will be spending millions to keep the road safe.

Many of you will know that supporting families and giving kids the best start in life is what drives me. On childcare, free school meals, breakfast clubs and on school uniform – the Government has taken the first steps to delivering for children, putting more money in family’s pockets and supporting parents.

I’ve been campaigning tirelessly parental leave, both in High Peak and Westminster. I’m delighted that the Government has launched a full review into all forms of parental leave – it’s time to make the system fairer for parents.

The Government have also delivered trade deals with our three biggest partners: India, the US and the EU. The new agreement with the EU will ensure that food reaches your family’s plates quicker, and crucially cheaper. With the summer holidays coming up those lucky enough to be going aboard will also be able to use e-gates in many European destinations for the first time since we left the EU.

Now to the ‘room for improvement’ part of the report. I recognise that the comms around the Government’s delivery needs to be better. Far too many people reading this will be learning about these achievements for the first time. On the Winter Fuel Allowance, the Government has listened and understood the impacts for those people, like my own mum, who were just above the threshold. The Warm Homes Discount will also help by putting £150 directly into the pockets of 2.7 million extra households this Winter.

So, in summary, we’ve done a lot but there’s still a lot more to do. I can only imagine how relieved my parents would have been if my school reports would have been anywhere near this good.