I called for the Prime Minister Keir Starmer to leave office, but there is still much more to do
‘With a heavy heart, I called for the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for leaving office,’ writes Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP Lorraine Beavers.
Last week was an important week for our country and community, with the King’s Speech setting out the legislative programme for the next year. It was fantastic to be a part of the state opening of Parliament, a reminder of the history and purpose of Parliament.
This legislative programme contained some positive and important plans including the Hillsborough Law, Clean Water Bill, and Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill, building on the benefits people will feel from the Employment Rights Bill and Renters’ Rights Act.
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However, despite these important steps, I still believe there is much more to do. For example, the Clean Water Bill will introduce a new water ombudsman, increase penalties for pollution offenses, and widen the scope of responsibility and enforcement to include small bodies of water.
This is crucially important, but it does not include a legal responsibility to protect public and environmental health or help us put control of water back in the hands of the public.
I am sure you will have also seen that the King’s Speech wasn’t the only news story coming out of Westminster last week. With a heavy heart, I called for the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for leaving office.
For 40 years we have watched the experiment of privatisation visit untold harm on our communities. Water, healthcare, housing, power, and transport have all been subject to increasing privatisation and people are right to feel let down.
While the private sector can and does play an important role in many businesses and industries, the last 40 years have clearly shown that handing over so much control to private entities did not protect our country’s physical, mental, financial, or social health.
Despite the growing attention on Parliament and Greater Manchester, I was thrilled to be able to spend an extra weekday in our community (as Parliament did not return until Tuesday).
On Monday, I visited A Lifetime of Wisdom at Lighthouse View, who took me out for a ride around Fleetwood on their incredible Trishaw to talk about politics, life, community, and the future.
Afterwards, I headed over to Community First at their new location to talk about some of the challenges charities face, particularly around funding and ensuring contracts are reviewed in advance of the project ending to bring clarity and security to charities.
Later in the week, I visited the Blackpool Community Grocery, a fantastic organisation located in Bispham that bridge the gap between food banks and independence with a well-stocked shop offering low-cost food and access to wider support.
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Anyone is welcome, there is no subscription to pay or eligibility criteria to fill and shopping here helps reduce food waste too.
I rounded off the week by meeting the new CEO of the Fleetwood Town Community Trust. It was amazing to see his enthusiasm for the role and hear about all the work they are doing.
I look forward to the coming week.