Category Archives: Uncategorized

This week brings some welcome news for households across West Cumbria. Government action has led to a cut in the energy price cap, which came into force on 1st April, meaning lower bills for all families on mains electricity and gas – saving the average household around £150.  This protects your bills for the nextContinue reading “Weekly Column – 01.04.2026 – Lowering your energy bills”

Families across Cumbria will benefit from new government guidance to help parents manage screen time for young children, Children and Families Minister and local MP Josh MacAlister has said. The new guidance, published last week, gives clear, practical and non-judgemental advice to parents of under-fives – helping families navigate one of the biggest challenges ofContinue reading “Minister welcomes new support for Cumbrian families on screen time”

My column for this week’s Times & Star There’s a simple question I’ve been focused on since being elected: how do we unlock the full potential of the Port of Workington for our town? Because the truth is, we already have the foundations. A strategic location on the west coast, deep-water access, rail and roadContinue reading “Weekly Column – 26.03.2026 – Transforming the Port of Workington”

Children in care will be better supported to build and maintain relationships with their brothers and sisters under new measures brought forward in law by the government, making life better for vulnerable children and ensuring they have the opportunity to get on in life. All local authorities in England and Wales will be required toContinue reading “New legislation to keep brothers and sisters connected in care”

Access Minister Baroness Hayman and Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington, launched the new Coast to Coast National Trail with a special walk at Ennerdale this week. The Coast to Coast Path – first devised by Alfred Wainwright – has now been formally upgraded to National Trail status, becoming one of England’s premier long-distanceContinue reading “Minister launches Coast to Coast National Trail in the Lake District”

Today, the Health Secretary announced the inclusion of North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust in a new NHS Intensive Recovery programme to help the trust improve further, faster. Read the Government’s announcement here Josh MacAlister MP and Julie Minns MP lobbied for this support and welcome the news. Please find their joint statement below:Continue reading “Statement on North Cumbria NHS Trust’s inclusion in NHS Intensive Recovery programme”

My column for this week’s Whitehaven News Over the past two years, there has been a real shift in how we are planning for Whitehaven’s future – and it started with a simple but important conversation. Just before the 2024 General Election, Cllr Emma Williamson and I brought 200 residents together for a public meetingContinue reading “Weekly Column – 25.03.2026 – Reviving Whitehaven”

Children and families across West Cumbria will benefit from a major funding boost to improve support for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as part of the government’s record investment in inclusive education. Cumberland Council will receive £4.2 million from the latest round of high needs capital funding – an increase of £1.3Continue reading “Biggest-ever SEND funding boost to deliver more local school places for children across West Cumbria”

Josh MacAlister MP and Cllr Denise Rollo, Cumberland Council’s portfolio holder for waste, have welcomed the Government’s new Waste Crime Action Plan, which sets out the toughest-ever crackdown on fly-tipping and illegal waste activity. The plan comes as waste crime continues to blight communities across the country, with around 1.3 million incidents of fly-tipping recordedContinue reading “Josh MacAlister MP and Cllr Denise Rollo back toughest-ever crackdown on fly-tipping”

Josh MacAlister MP has welcomed the Government’s new Land Use Framework, describing it as a “vital step forward in making smarter decisions about how we use our land – backing farmers, restoring nature, and delivering growth in the right places.” The Framework sets out a clear national approach to balancing competing demands on land –Continue reading “Josh MacAlister MP welcomes protections for farmers in new Land Use Framework”