I spoke out against privatisation which is failing working people who gave years of service

Last week, I spoke out on the ongoing Capita Civil Service Pension scandal, which has once again shown that privatisation is failing working people.

Since taking over the civil service pension scheme, Capita has been linked to repeated problems including late payments, missing lump sums, lost records and data breaches, leaving many people facing uncertainty over the income they earned through years of service.

I welcome recent steps towards reviewing contracts and publishing departmental insourcing strategies, but much more decisive action is needed. Insourcing must become the default so that public money is reinvested in services, workers’ rights are better protected, and we rebuild the public sector capacity we need.

If you are a constituent facing delays with civil service pensions or payroll, please contact my office at [email protected].

Making a real difference

I was also delighted to attend the opening of Community First Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde’s new office. Formerly known as the Volunteer Centre, this fantastic organisation has supported communities across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre for many years.

Their new premises are larger and better equipped, which means they will be able to extend their support even further and continue making a real difference to people’s lives.

Next generation of skilled workers

Finally, I was proud to welcome the news that Blackpool and The Fylde College has been named a Defence Excellence Technical College by the Labour government.

Backed by £10 million of investment from this September, the college will help train the next generation of skilled defence workers, opening up long-term, well-paid career opportunities for local people.

This is not just a win for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, but for the wider north-west, with strong regional partnerships helping to support growth in shipbuilding, aerospace, cyber security and advanced manufacturing. It is a major step towards rebuilding Britain’s industrial strength and national resilience.

Ferry update

I also want to update residents on the latest developments concerning the ferry. The Fleetwood to Knott End Ferry has served our communities for over 180 years, hearing the news that it was at imminent risk was a shock for us all.

After campaigning last year to secure the future of the subsidy from LCC, I knew how important this ferry was to our communities. After contacting LCC and Wyre Council alongside Cat Smith MP, I was pleased to hear that the short-term future of this service was secure.

However, the ferry is a public transport service providing vital connections to both communities and its future must be protected. As talks continue and options for its future are explored, I will continue to support Wyre Council’s efforts.