Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister has backed a major expansion of the cadets in West Cumbria as the Government launches a new cadets campaign backed with £70 million new funding.

Under a new ‘30 by 30’ campaign, Labour will expand cadet opportunities for a new generation of young people – boosting cadet forces in West Cumbria and across the country by 30% by 2030. Delivering on the Strategic Defence Review, this would see over 50,000 more cadets across the UK.

Under the expansion, young people will have the chance to gain more qualifications, improve their confidence, and learn about the military.

Josh visited Workington Detachment of the Army Cadets recently to see firsthand the work they do with local young people. He said:

“”It was inspiring to meet local cadets here in West Cumbria and see first-hand the confidence, skills and friendships that the cadet experience gives young people.

“This £70 million investment and the Government’s ambition to grow cadet numbers by 30% by 2030 will mean even more opportunities for young people across our community.

“Expanding the cadets will open doors, raise aspirations, and ensure that every young person in West Cumbria – no matter their background – has the chance to discover their potential and thrive.”

To support the ‘30 by 30’ campaign, the Labour Government will deliver a package of measures to boost cadet forces, including:

• New joint Army and Air Cadet Centres: adding to the five already opened and 12 under construction since this Government came into office.
• Increasing adult volunteers: streamlining the process for becoming an adult Cadet volunteer and a new fast-track opportunity for veterans to become volunteers.
• A National Cadet Champion: Hunt launched today for a new appointment to support and endorse the Cadet Forces.
• Boosting STEM skills: new opportunities to develop STEM skills and try new technologies through the cadets, including Civilian Aviation Authority approval for RAF cadets to deliver a CAA-endorsed qualification in drone piloting. This offers cadet and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers an industry recognised qualification.
• Improving regular and reservist support for Cadets: greater opportunities for our UK military personnel – both regulars and reserves – to support the Cadet Forces.

The investment will also supercharge further opportunities in developing STEM skills and cutting edge cyber skills training and hands-on experience with the latest drone and submersible technology – the same innovations reshaping Britain’s defence and economic landscape.

Independent research proves the cadet experience works. Participants show dramatically improved school attendance, better behaviour, and significantly higher rates of progression to university or employment.

For young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the impact is even more pronounced – providing structure, challenge and achievement that changes life trajectories permanently.

We were both elected last year on a promise to drive up police numbers, bring back visible neighbourhood policing and drive down crime and anti-social behaviour in West Cumbria. One year in, we’re making good progress.

New police officers, PCSOs and special constables are now in training, thanks to £1.7 million funding we secured from the Government to deliver the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. When in post this autumn, these extra officers will nearly double the size of West Cumbria’s neighbourhood policing team, meaning more bobbies on the beat in our towns and villages.

We’re not just waiting for those new officers to start. We’re using existing resources better to address the key priorities raised by residents and businesses. 

An extra £1 million secured from the government is funding increased patrols in the centre of Cleator Moor, Whitehaven and Workington – top anti-social behaviour hotspots in West Cumbria. This high visibility police presence has had a significant impact, with reported anti-social behaviour down by over 40% on average compared to last year. Responsiveness to residents’ concerns has also improved with recent complaints about anti-social behaviour in Egremont seeing more police activity there too. We’ll continue working with councillors and the community to address these issues.

This summer, the police are carrying out a Safer Streets blitz in town centres across the county to tackle anti-social behaviour, illegal use of e-bikes and shoplifting, in partnership with the council and businesses.

A major road safety campaign was launched earlier this month, which will run through to November and target roads where we’ve had the highest number of reports of speeding and dangerous driving to take action against those treating our highways like a race track. Please report any hotspots and we’ll feed these into the plan.

The Commissioner’s office has provided additional funding to Cumbria’s Rural Crime Team for it to continue, working with farmers and rural communities to tackle issues like machinery theft. This work has halved theft of quad bikes in the last year alone! Investment in drones and new powers granted by the government mean that the police can crack down on illegal off road bikes, catching those using them and seizing and crushing the vehicles to put them out of use.

Drug use and drug dealing are significant challenges in our community and the Commissioner’s office has used money seized from criminal activity to fund a series of high profile drug raids to arrest major dealers and take them off our streets. Additionally, some of that money is being re-invested into community groups and charities that help our young people. We know a lot more needs to be done on this but community intelligence is vital and we urge residents to report any concerns that could assist the police.

And we’re acting on concerns about illegal working, with recent raids carried out by the Regional Organised Crime Unit on commercial premises across West Cumbria suspected of employing illegal workers. This is a key element of addressing the pull factors bringing people across the Channel in small boats and we’ll continue to take action against individuals and businesses flouting our immigration laws.

There is lots more to do, but we’re committed to making our streets safer at the end of this Parliament than they were at the beginning.

Josh MacAlister MP and David Allen, Cumbria’s Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner

Josh MacAlister, Member of Parliament for Whitehaven and Workington, visited the Brannan factory in Cleator Moor recently – and couldn’t resist checking the temperature of one of West Cumbria’s oldest and proudest businesses.

Founded in 1913 and relocated to Cleator Moor after the Second World War, Brannan has grown from a small-scale manufacturer of medical thermometers into a global exporter of over 2,000 high-precision instruments – including pressure gauges, catering tools, and scientific devices.

During the visit, Josh met with the Brannan team, toured the factory floor, and heard how the fourth-generation family business has built a world-class reputation for quality and innovation. With exports to over 130 countries and a significant footprint in sectors from healthcare to oil and gas, Brannan is a shining example of manufacturing resilience and ingenuity in West Cumbria, employing over 40 local people.

Reflecting on the visit, Josh said:

“It was brilliant to visit Brannan – a company that’s been checking temperatures long before it was fashionable. Their story is one of adaptation, family legacy, and global reach, all from the heart of Cleator Moor. They’re a vital part of our local economy and a proud ambassador for British manufacturing abroad.”

Brannan Managing Director Andrew Brannan added:

“We were delighted to welcome Josh to our site and share our history and ambitions. As a company with deep roots in Cleator Moor, we’re proud of our heritage and even more excited about our future – growing exports, expanding online, and continuing to invest in innovation and people.”

The current system to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has lost the confidence of too many families in West Cumbria.

Don’t just take my word for it. The last Conservative Education Secretary described the system she left behind as “lose, lose, lose” – and even the Tories’ own Deputy Chief Whip said they should “hang [their] heads in shame.” 

I agree – but the difference under Labour is that we’re not standing by. We’re taking action.

Since entering government, Labour has restructured the Department for Education to put SEND at its heart and brought in experts to guide long-overdue reform. We’ve invested £1 billion to support children with the most complex learning needs and £740 million to expand specialist provision in mainstream schools. 

Locally, Cumberland’s Labour-led council is playing its part too. They’re expanding specialist school places – including 8 new places I helped secure at Hensingham Primary, with 200 more planned by 2026, including 19 at Mayfield this September.

But we know investment alone isn’t enough. I’ve spoken to families across West Cumbria who are battling long waits for assessments, only to find little meaningful support on the other side. I’ve also heard from headteachers and health professionals about their concerns – not just about under-resourcing, but also about the growing pressure to seek a diagnosis.

Across England, autism diagnoses have nearly doubled in five years, with teenage ADHD rates also sharply rising. Some variation reflects greater awareness – a positive step. But there are valid questions about fairness, consistency, and whether children and parents should be battling for a diagnosis in order to get support. For lots of these children it would be better to just provide support as and when needs are identified.

I do not agree with Nigel Farage that diagnosing children with additional needs is ‘creating a class of victims’, or the Chair of Reform UK that children with SEND are just ‘naughty children’. But a growing number of clinicians are warning that many everyday struggles – sadness, shyness, restlessness – risk being treated as disorders. While diagnosis can be life-changing for some, it may limit others unnecessarily. Perhaps it would be better in some situations to have greater support available for children without needing a diagnosis. 

That’s why we need a system that puts children’s needs first – not one where parents must fight for a label just to unlock basic support.

To help shape that system, I’m holding a coffee morning for local parents with direct experience of the SEND system. It will be held 10am-12pm on Tuesday 26th August. If you’d like to join, please contact my office. I’ll be feeding your views directly to the Education Secretary ahead of the reforms expected this autumn.

Labour won’t offer token fixes – but we will work with families, not against them, to build a system where every child in West Cumbria can thrive.

After advocating hard for more investment in end-of-life care, local MP Josh MacAlister welcomed the announcement that families will see further improvements as the Labour government releases £75 million for hospices, including £100,000 for Hospice at Home West Cumbria.

Hospice at Home West Cumbria is one of 170 hospice organisations across England that will receive a share of the funding – the largest cash injection ever – to ensure patients receive the highest quality end-of-life care. Over £275,000 was also awarded to Eden Valley and Jigsaw Children’s Hospice in Carlisle, which also support patients from West Cumbria.

Visiting Hospice at Home West Cumbria’s Workington office recently following the announcement, Josh said:

“I’m so pleased that this Labour Government has allocated such important funding to our hospice services.

“Hospice at Home West Cumbria, Eden Valley and Jigsaw provides such invaluable support in our community for people with life-limiting conditions and their loved ones and this government funding will make such a real difference.

“It has been my pleasure to visit Eden Valley and Jigsaw and to meet regularly with the Hospice at Home West Cumbria team and support their efforts.”

Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock said:

“Hospices play a vital role in our society by providing invaluable care and support when people need it most.

“At this most difficult time, people deserve to receive the best care in the best possible environment with dignity.

“I have seen first-hand how our funding is already making a real difference to improving facilities for patients and families. This additional funding will deliver further upgrades, relieving pressure on day-to-day spending.

“End-of-life care is crucial to our 10 Year Health Plan and our fundamental shift of moving more care out of hospital and into the community. We will continue to support hospices so they can deliver their vital work.”

Last week we had the news that surprised no one; that our Victorian railway line is in worse condition than suspected and services will be suspended between Whitehaven and Sellafield ‘until further notice’. I believe it will likely be November or later before service resumes.

I can report to residents that from the 11th August, trains will run from Carlisle to Whitehaven instead of terminating at Workington, after I asked Network Rail to explore this. They’re also looking at whether they can run as far as Corkickle in the south, although there is no decision on that yet. From that day the early morning rail replacement bus will start from Seascale after I raised concerns with Northern that the timetable meant those in the south of the constituency trying to get to Carlisle for work or study weren’t able to arrive before 9am. 

While the closure is extremely frustrating, the Bransty tunnel upgrade work is long overdue. But it comes only after years of delay under the previous government and months of lobbying by me and others last year to finally get it booked in. In truth both this and a wider upgrade of the Cumbrian Coast Line should have been done years ago. 

The case for an upgrade was made over a decade ago by local leaders but it fell on deaf ears under the previous government until an unfunded pre-election promise was made at the last minute without the detailed plan in place. We had to start almost from scratch last year as the initial business case went out of date while gathering dust on a shelf under the Tories. For the last year I’ve been working locally and nationally to bring it back from the dead.

Following two meetings with the Rail Minister and multiple meetings at official level the updated business case is now progressing through the system. 

Given the importance of the railway to the delivery of the civil and defence nuclear work at Sellafield and Barrow, a cross-departmental working group has been established to look at funding to deliver the final business case and the full upgrade, which is expected to cost up to half a billion pounds. 

The working group has now met and several actions are underway prior to my next meeting with the Rail Minister in October to discuss the next steps. My hope is that with contributions from Transport, Energy and Defence departments we can finally bring our railway out of the 19th century and into the 21st.

While we hope the tunnel upgrade will improve Whitehaven Harbour, that is not its purpose. A study I secured reports back in September with the next steps for finally returning the beautiful harbour to its natural state.

The axe fell in many places when the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government came to power in 2010. According to a report by Parliament’s cross-party Transport Select Committee in 2011, the cuts made to support for bus services in England “created the greatest financial challenge for the English bus industry in a generation.”

The impact is obvious to anyone. More than half of all bus routes across our region were axed in the intervening years as subsidies vanished and commercial operators withdrew unprofitable routes. Between 2014 and 2023, with its government bus grant gutted, no bus services were funded by Cumbria County Council.

Jump to 2024 and the new Labour government began to build back support for bus services. This extra funding allowed Cumberland’s Labour-led council to invest in local bus services for the first time in a decade. An even bigger government funding pot this year – totalling £5 million – has allowed Cumberland Council to embark on the biggest boost to bus services in a generation.

I was pleased to play my part in calling for and voting through those funding increases, but I want to pay particular credit to the officers and political leadership of Cumberland Council for their work. Cllr Denise Rollo, with the backing of all Labour councillors, has made this a political priority for the council. And officers have carried out an extensive piece of work to engage with the public – nearly 3,000 people – identify gaps in the network and come up with plans to fund routes which fill as many of those gaps as funding will allow.

I’m delighted that the plans include many of the routes I and local Labour councillors have been calling for, connecting communities across West Cumbria which haven’t seen a bus in years. I’m also really pleased that the council will be launching a capital programme of bus stop upgrades and I’ll be sharing my suggestions for our area.

We finally have a government and a council which recognises the importance of buses to local communities and is committed to investing in local services. What we need now are bus operators to step up and bid to deliver these subsidised services. We can’t have a situation where national and local government agree to fund services, communities demand services, yet bus operators don’t come forward to run them.

I’ll be writing to a wide range of local and national bus operators calling on them to step up and come and deliver these new services in Cumberland. But I’m also asking members of the public to step up too. To make these services viable, people need to use them.

Help me to demonstrate the strength of local support for these new services by taking the pledge to Back the Bus today: joshmacalister.uk/backthebus

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 Whitehaven MP Josh MacAlister, Cumberland Council deputy leader Emma Williamson, councillor Joe Ghayouba and Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen.

At a similar meeting last summer, residents complained about the lack of public toilets, cleanliness in the town, empty shops, anti-social behaviour and the state of the harbour. Progress on all five issues was reported.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Emma Williamson said she had secured funding for a study to determine the best location and costs of installing new public toilets: “I’m committed to delivering the funding to put new toilets in. What I can’t do is then fund their ongoing upkeep, that needs to be the responsibility of the town council and we’re in discussions with them about that.” Town councillors in attendance confirmed the matter would be considered as part of their annual budget setting process this autumn.

After feedback last year, Cumberland Council carried out a deep clean of the town centre and has invested half a million pounds in new public spaces on Market Place and Duke Street. Emma confirmed that the council will dedicate more resources to keeping the town centre clean, tackling enforcement issues and other concerns of residents.

Cllr Ghayouba has led efforts to bring empty shops back into use and clean up shopfronts. He reported that Cumberland Council has opened up two empty buildings it owns – one for the new Family Hub on the Harbour, which is now a thriving space running a range of family friendly events. The second was an empty unit on King Street which has been given, rent free, to Soundwave, which is providing opportunities to access music to local young people. Joe also reported that the council has started enforcement action against the worst absentee landlords on King Street: “We want landlords to work with us, get their properties up to scratch and back into use. Where they won’t, I’ll be pushing the council to use all available powers to hold them responsible.”

Commissioner David Allen had positive news on crime and anti-social behaviour. Thanks to additional funding he secured from the Labour government to deliver increased patrols in the town centre, reported anti-social behaviour is down by 37%, burglary by 40% and violent crime by 25%. The Commissioner confirmed we’d soon see more police on the streets in Whitehaven thanks to the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee: “Working with our MPs, I secured nearly £1.7 million from the government which I’m using to nearly double the size of our neighbourhood policing team in Cumbria. That means more neighbourhood beat officers, more PCSOs and more special constables on the streets in Whitehaven, keeping people safe.”

Whitehaven MP Josh MacAlister told residents that after two years of inaction under the previous government, he’d spent the last year trying to get the orange water out of the harbour and a solution was just around the corner: “I’ve got the government working on this at the highest level, across six departments and agencies, with three ministers awaiting the outcome of a feasibility study, who’ve given a commitment to work with me to get the funding in place this autumn.” Josh also confirmed he’s continuing efforts to introduce a passenger service to the Isle of Man and working to run practical sailing courses out of Whitehaven Marina to bring in more tourists.

Both BEC and Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners were in the room and residents were reminded that The Edge activity centre and Levels digital gaming hub will open before the end of the year, providing a wider offer in the town for residents and visitors. There has also been an even bigger programme of events in the past year, with new events like the Eat Street Festival and the visit of the Galeon Andalucia alongside events like HarbourFest, Pride and the TEGretail markets.

Cllr Ray Gill, Chair of Whitehaven Town Council, said: “We mustn’t talk the town down. There is more to do, but it’s a great town and there’s a lot going on and progress is being made in lots of areas.”

Josh agreed: “Whitehaven is a brilliant town. We should take the time to recognise and celebrate the progress that has been made over the past year. But we mustn’t be complacent either as there’s lots more to do.

“My hope and our plan is that by the end of the year we’ll have a Masterplan in place and, importantly, the funding package to start delivering it. I’m determined this won’t be another nice looking plan which sits gathering dust on a shelf and I know Emma and her colleagues on Cumberland Council share that view. This time we need to deliver.”

Emma said: “I want to thank all the residents who attended the meeting and the nearly 600 who have completed Josh’s survey with their ideas for the town. We’ll fold all of that data into our work. 

“The council’s formal engagement will kick off with a drop-in event on 5th August, 2-7pm, at the United Reform Church on James Street in Whitehaven, and there’ll also be an online consultation and further public events before we publish the draft plan in the autumn ahead of sign off before the end of the year. Look out for further details from the council in the coming weeks.

“I really encourage as many residents as possible to get involved and have your say as this plan has to be shaped by you and what you want to see our town centre look like in the coming years.”

Any residents who haven’t already done so can complete Josh’s survey at joshmacalister.uk/whitehaven

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 in West Cumbria.

I recently brought together school leaders from across West Cumbria to discuss how we can take a local approach to tackling the increasingly damaging impact of smartphone and social media use on the development, health and education of our children.

Working in partnership with schools, health professionals, parents and children and young people themselves, I want us to launch a local Parent and Teacher Pact . This pact has two interlinked elements to it. The first is to build commitment by parents to delay giving children access to smartphones until they’re at least 14, and keeping them off social media until they’re 16. I know this sounds far fetched, but other parts of England have done it and the results are so positive! 

Most children have access to these devices and apps at a young age. I’m not blaming parents. I get it. The pressure to conform, to ensure your child isn’t the only one missing out, is enormous. The pact is all about strength in numbers – if your child knows that other kids in their class won’t be getting a smartphone for a few years either, the peer pressure instantly dissolves. So we need to get a critical mass of parents behind this in every school. 

If you’re a parent and you’re interested in taking a lead in your school please get in touch. It won’t all be left to parents – this would be backed by more enforcement of no phone policies by schools, which schools are up for.

Being a parent right now is tough. That’s why the second element of the pact would be more support for parents when children transition to start primary or secondary school. 

The idea would be to give parents and teachers time together as part of the induction to agree on the best ways to provide rewards, boundaries and attention etc. The evidence for doing this across a whole community is really encouraging and I’d like our area to be the first in the UK to give it a try. I’m working with school leaders and local funders to figure out how we can pay for this.  

This new pact between parents and teachers could be transformational for the learning, health and happiness of children in West Cumbria. Given the scale of the challenges facing teenagers, it’s well worth trying something different together. 

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 site near the Port, joined Aviation Minister Mike Kane to celebrate the announcement this week.

The company behind the Workington project, Carbon Neutral Fuels, received the largest award for a fuel project in this funding round, and it was the only project awarded in Cumbria. The grant will support the completion of Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) for the facility, positioning it for investment and construction in 2027, with a target operation date of 2031.

Josh said:

“I am thrilled that we can now reveal Workington as the intended home for this new facility after months of work behind the scenes to secure the funding and the site and sort out the grid connection, which we’re now in the final stages of.

“This £6 million cash injection from the government is a real vote of confidence in our community which will help to fast-track the project to a final investment decision. We’re not at the final hurdle yet, but this is a really positive step forward not only for the UK’s ambition to be a global leader in green aviation, but also for West Cumbria’s industrial regeneration and my plan to bring the green jobs of the future to our community.

“The plant’s intended location close to the Port of Workington also supports the plan I’m developing with Cumberland Council for a major upgrade of the port. The council and I recently met with the Minister for Industry to discuss the next steps for that project and we’ll be driving it forward in the weeks and months ahead.

“We’ve got an MP, a council and a government working in lockstep to deliver a brighter future for West Cumbria. There’s a lot to be excited about!”

Sophie Zienkiewicz, Co-Founder of Carbon Neutral Fuels, added:

“Our vision for Carbon Neutral Fuels is to prove that decarbonising flight is both possible and essential. This Government funding will help us deliver our facility in Workington, West Cumbria, that significantly reduces the aviation industry’s overall carbon footprint, but reshapes what’s possible for future fuels.”

Sustainable aviation fuel is an alternative to fossil jet fuel which reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon Neutral Fuels are pioneering a process using carbon dioxide and low carbon electricity with a plan to produce 25,000 tonnes per year of green jet fuel. Once operational, the facility is expected to deliver an 89% reduction in lifecycle emissions compared to fossil jet fuel, making a significant contribution to the UK’s climate targets. 

Low carbon fuel production could add up to £5 billion to the economy by 2050, position the UK as a global hub for sustainable aviation fuel production and enable the UK to go further and faster with expansion plans.