Author Archives: joshmacmp

Josh MacAlister MP is pitching in with local fundraising legend Gary McKee MBE, known as “Marathon Man”, as he takes on his latest extraordinary challenge of running 100 marathons in 100 days in the run-up to the London Marathon. Gary, from Cleator Moor, is hoping to raise £100,000 for Hospice at Home West Cumbria throughContinue reading “Josh MacAlister MP joins forces with ‘Marathon Man’ Gary McKee in bid to raise £100,000 for Hospice at Home West Cumbria”

Josh MacAlister MP, Member of Parliament for Whitehaven and Workington, visited Moor Row Primary School to celebrate World Book Day, joining pupils to highlight the importance of reading. During the visit, Josh toured the school and read with each of the school’s four classes. Speaking with pupils and staff, he emphasised the importance of readingContinue reading “Josh MacAlister MP celebrates World Book Day with local school children”

A year ago, standing in Parliament introducing my Safer Phones Bill, I said that we must not shrug our shoulders and accept a childhood shaped by addictive algorithms, anonymous strangers and unchecked technological change. Responding, the Government committed to action within a year. I’m now a member of the Government and, almost exactly one yearContinue reading “Weekly Column – 04.03.2026 – How should we keep children safe online?”

Josh MacAlister MP visited the new Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, meeting with the school’s leadership team and its first cohort of medical students as they begin their training. The visit highlighted the school’s core mission: to train the next generation of doctors in Cumbria and keep them serving the communities that need them most.Continue reading “Josh MacAlister MP visits new Pears Cumbria School of Medicine”

Josh MacAlister MP welcomed senior leaders from VisitEngland to West Cumbria this week as part of a major new Government-backed campaign to promote domestic tourism to the North West’s coastal communities, including St. Bees and Whitehaven. The £1 million VisitEngland campaign aims to drive more day trips and overnight stays to seaside destinations across theContinue reading “Josh MacAlister MP backs VisitEngland campaign to boost coastal tourism”

Thousands of children living in kinship care are set to benefit from earlier, more consistent support as the government today announces seven new Kinship Zones across England. Kinship carers are adults who step in to provide a loving and supportive home to children in their family whose parents are unable to care for them full-timeContinue reading “Government launches biggest ever investment in support for kinship carers”

For too long, too many families across West Cumbria have felt worn down by the system that is meant to support their children. Over the past year, I’ve met with children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), sat down with parents who described exhausting battles for support, visited local schools doingContinue reading “Weekly Column – 25.02.2026 – Fixing our broken SEND system”

Ambulances are reaching serious emergencies across West Cumbria around 10 minutes quicker than they were a year ago – and Josh MacAlister MP saw that progress first-hand after joining a local paramedic on shift in a rapid response vehicle. Spending time on the frontline with a West Cumbrian crew, Josh observed how rapid response vehiclesContinue reading “MP joins paramedic on frontline as ambulance waits fall”

Children and families across Cumbria will benefit from a landmark £4 billion national investment to transform support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), ensuring every mainstream school is equipped to meet additional needs. The funding, announced alongside the government’s schools white paper, ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’, represents a generational reform ofContinue reading “£4 billion SEND investment to deliver earlier, local support for Cumbrian families”

Four west Cumbrian schools are being praised after being recognised as some of the strongest performers nationally for outcomes achieved by disadvantaged pupils. Bookwell Primary School in Egremont, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Whitehaven, St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School in Workington and Beckstone Primary School in Workington were identified as being among the top-performingContinue reading “Local schools praised for best in country results”