When Blackpool succeeds, Britain succeeds, but life is being stolen from us by decisions in Parliament

Blackpool has been the 'poster child for government failure', according to a resort MP who says the cost-of-living crisis is continuing to bite hard.

Speaking at the King's opening of parliament, Blackpool South MP Chris Webb, said some parents in the town were still missing meals to feed their children. And he said poverty was fuelling a mental health crisis among the worst off.

Speaking in the House of Commons, he said: "The lives of my constituents in Blackpool South may feel far removed from this place, but the legislation announced in the King's speech will impact upon them.

"For 14 years, Blackpool was the poster child for government failure. My constituents have lived through the consequences of decisions made in this place. They have felt sharply the pressures of insecure work, poor housing, rising living costs and overstretched public services, and they have felt forgotten."

Mr Webb told the House increased employment rights, free childcare and a rise in the minimum wage had improved life for many people in Blackpool. But he added: "These are all examples of the real difference being made right now to working families in Blackpool, but, with parents still skipping meals so that their children can eat, there is still much work to be done.

"If the Government can turn around the fortunes of a town with the worst health outcomes, lowest wages and highest levels of deprivation in the country, there is nowhere that cannot succeed. When Blackpool succeeds, Britain succeeds. When we talk about the cost-of-living crisis, we are not just talking about the price of a pint of milk or a loaf of bread.

"In Blackpool, we are experiencing food insecurity alongside debt, poor housing and an acute mental health crisis. Families already struggling to pay the rent are pushed further behind by insecure work and rising bills. These are not isolated problems and there is no quick fix."

Mr Webb also welcomed commitments to improve patient care and early intervention through the NHS Modernisation Bill announced by King Charles. Life expectancy for both men and women in Blackpool is lower than the England average.

There are also inequalities within the district between the most deprived areas and the least deprived – 13.8 years lower for males and 11.8 years lower for women.

Mr Webb said: "People in Blackpool spend about a third of their lives in poor health and the healthy life expectancy for men in my home town is 50-years-old. My son was born in Blackpool, as was I, and this simple fact means that he and all the other children born in our town are expected to live 10 years less than a child born in Hampshire.

"That is 10 years stolen before they have even had the chance to live them. There is nothing inevitable about those figures, they are the result of political choices and years of inequality. NHS reform must be meaningful to improve outcomes and give people the chance to live longer and healthier lives."