Category Archives: Uncategorized

A public meeting was held last week to update residents on the progress made on some key improvements to Whitehaven town centre and lay out the next steps for the development of a Masterplan before the end of the year. The meeting, attended by nearly 100 residents from across the town, was hosted by WhitehavenContinue reading “Public meeting marks progress on Whitehaven regeneration – but MP says there’s “lots more to do””

I’ve written before about the complete re-wiring of childhood that has taken place with the rise of addictive social media and smartphone use. After starting a national debate and securing commitments to further government action through my Safer Phones Bill I’m now focused on what more we can do at a local level here inContinue reading “Weekly Column – 23.07.2025 – A new pact between parents and teachers in West Cumbria”

Plans to build a plant to produce green jet fuel in Workington have been greenlit by the government, with £6 million funding to fast-track the project to the next stage announced today. Workington MP Josh MacAlister, who has been working behind the scenes for months alongside Cumberland Council to bring the plant to a siteContinue reading “Lift off for green jet fuel plant in Workington”

Flimby playground is set for a refresh following a campaign by two young park users with the support of local MP Josh MacAlister. Kaelan and Ethan, 13, launched a petition which was signed by over 500 Flimby residents calling for improvements to be made to the playground, which is in a poor state of repair,Continue reading “Young campaigners get playground improvements”

The Labour Government has announced a radical overhaul of the way local councils are funded, fixing the unfair, outdated system left behind by the Conservatives and allocating money according to need. Under the Conservatives, rural and coastal areas like ours were overlooked and faced higher costs to deliver essential services across long distances and smallerContinue reading “Weekly Column – 16.07.2025 – Action to fix unfair and outdated council funding”

Cumbria’s MPs, council leaders and nuclear industry representatives met with Rail Minister Lord Hendy in Parliament recently to make progress on plans for a major upgrade of the Cumbrian Coast Line through West Cumbria. After ten years with no progress under the previous government, plans are now motoring ahead. This is the second meeting CumbrianContinue reading “Cumbrian leaders meet Rail Minister to progress rail upgrade”

You don’t need me to tell you the state our NHS was in last summer. Record waiting lists, doctors on strike, buildings falling apart, mental health services at the brink of collapse, near impossible to get a GP appointment or find an NHS dentist. We were dangerously close to the NHS ceasing to exist asContinue reading “Weekly Column – 09.07.2025 – The plan to turn around our NHS”

Political, farming, business, education and nature leaders across Cumbria have banded together in a bid to secure a major devolution of funding and decision making for upland communities to support farming and nature recovery in the county. Over 40 community leaders have backed a bid by Cumbria’s MPs to devolve the government’s budget for farmingContinue reading “Cumbrian leaders unite in radical bid for farm funding”

It was the greatest honour of my life to be elected as your MP one year ago.  I promised to be visible and accessible and I’ve hosted 65 advice surgeries, coffee mornings, drop-ins, street surgeries, public meetings, neighbourhood walkabouts and supermarket surgeries, engaging 3,000+ residents in the process. I appreciate everyone who takes the timeContinue reading “My first annual report as your MP”

We made a manifesto commitment to lower energy bills by £300 during this Parliament. While bills are now far lower than the high point under the Tories (remember when the price cap hit £4,279 in January 2023?) they are still too high and people rightly want to see the change they expected when they castContinue reading “Weekly Column – 25.06.2025 – Action to lower energy bills”