Last week marked the third anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. I was reflecting on my conversations with Ukrainian women and children displaced here to West Cumbria to escape the war. Many have sons and husbands serving on the front line. They don’t know if they’ll ever see their loved ones again.

Nigel Farage and Putin’s cheerleaders in Reform UK parrot Kremlin talking points blaming the West for ‘provoking’ this war. But the blame lies squarely with Vladimir Putin. Reform UK claim to be patriots but don’t stand with our country in its defence of the British values of freedom and democracy that many west Cumbrians fought and died for during WWII.

Resolving the Ukraine crisis through protecting its sovereignty is imperative for European security. The UK has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine and I was very proud to see Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcome President Zelenskyy to Downing Street as a friend and ally this weekend.

But Russian aggression in Ukraine is just one facet of the threat we are dealing with. We are facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our country and our continent. Global instability, increasing threats from malign actors, climate change and rapid technological disruption have all contributed to a rapidly deteriorating security landscape. 

Labour Governments have always stood up to keep Britain safe. Just as our predecessors stood with Churchill through the Second World War, created NATO and won the peace, we will provide the response this moment demands.

As a leading European power, the UK must step up to safeguard continental security on an enduring basis. That is why we are delivering our manifesto commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027 – with an ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament as economic and fiscal conditions allow.

This will deliver the biggest sustained boost to defence spending since the Cold War, safeguarding our collective security and funding the capabilities, technology and industrial capacity needed to keep the UK and our allies safe.

We have to pay for that increase and we’ve been crystal clear that we won’t hike taxes on working people or return to austerity. That left us with the difficult but necessary decision to fund it by temporarily reducing overseas aid from 0.5% to 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI). This is a difficult choice but it is one that reflects the evolving nature of the threat and the need to shift our focus from soft to hard capability, whilst upholding fiscal discipline. 

We will meet the growing threats of this new era by making Britain secure at home, and strong abroad.

In his recent letter, the former Conservative candidate for Penrith and Solway, Mark Jenkinson, complained that he’s not getting credit for investment in the Port of Workington. 

I’ve no doubt that Mark tried his best to secure funding for the town before deciding he had a better chance of getting elected up the road and abandoning Workington.

It was indeed the Conservative government which awarded £4.5 million to do remediation work on land at the Port. I acknowledge and thank the previous government for that. But all that money does is allow the council to get land at the Port ready for future opportunities. It is necessary but in no way sufficient to create jobs, bring investment or stimulate our economy.

Those are the things I’m aiming to bring through the Port Taskforce I lead with the council. We’re developing an ambitious Masterplan to upgrade and expand the Port. A Masterplan that would involve at least ten times the levels of investment that Mark Jenkinson is so keen to celebrate. The National Wealth Fund set up by the Labour Government could be the route to help us deliver this major expansion. If we get this right it could attract new clean energy projects,advanced manufacturing and create over 1,000 jobs.

Rather than twhining about not getting credit for a small handout after 14 years in government, I would encourage local Tories to back Labour’s ambition for our area. Surely it would be better for West Cumbria if we could work on big projects like this on a cross party basis. 

• Environment Secretary announces reform package to boost farmers’ profitability as part of the Plan for Change
• Government extends seasonal worker scheme for next five years
• Major £110m investment in farm equipment and research projects

New reforms to make farming more profitable were announced this week by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed.

Speaking to farmers at the NFU conference in Westminster, Steve Reed revealed new plans to deliver a profitable farming sector, while reaffirming Government’s cast iron commitment to food production, and unlocking rural growth.

The speech announced a raft of new policies to put money into the pockets of British farmers including:

Extending the Seasonal Worker visa route for five more years giving farms a pipeline of workers and certainty to grow their businesses. Annual quota reviews will ensure we strike the right balance – supporting farms while gradually reducing visa numbers as we develop alternative solutions.

• Back British produce: British farmers handed a major boost under new requirements for government catering contracts to favour high-quality, high welfare products that local farms and producers are well placed to serve. The move marks a major leap in achieving the government’s ambition for at least 50% of food supplied into the £5 billion public sector catering contracts to be from British producers or those certified to higher environmental standards
• £110 million investment in technology: The Farming Innovation Programme which supports research and development of agri-technology for farmers, for example the chemical free cleaning for integrated milking equipment, which lowers energy costs and chemical use. The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund provides grants of up to £25,000 to buy new equipment such as electric weeders to reduce chemical use.
• Protecting farmers in trade deals: The government will uphold and protect our high environmental and animal welfare standards in future trade deals.
• Strengthening Britain’s biosecurity: Setting up a new National Biosecurity Centre to transform the Animal and Plant Health Agency animal health facility at Weybridge, investing £200 million to improve our resilience against animal disease to protect farmers and food producers.

Speaking about profitability, Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said:

“The underlying problem is that farmers in West Cumbria do not make enough money for the hard work and commitment they put in.

“I will consider my time as Secretary of State a failure if I do not improve profitability for farmers across the country.

“My focus is on ensuring farming becomes more profitable because that’s how we make your businesses viable for the future. And that’s how we ensure the long term food security this country needs.”

This builds on the commitments made at the Oxford Farming Conference, where the Environment Secretary set out the government’s vision for farming including:

• Using planning reforms to support food production: Ensuring our reforms make it quicker for farmers to build the buildings, barns and other infrastructure they need on their farms to boost food production.
• Diversifying income streams: Helping farmers make additional money from selling surplus energy from solar panels and wind turbines by accelerating connections to the grid, supporting them during difficult harvests and supply shocks.
• A fair supply chain: Boosting profitability through fair competition across the supply chain. New rules for the pig sector will come this spring, ensuring contracts clearly set out expectations and changes can only be made if agreed by all parties. Similar regulations for eggs and fresh produce sectors will follow with the government ready to intervene with other sectors if needed.

Josh MacAlister MP says:

“After 14 years of the Conservatives failure, this Labour Government is backing west Cumbrian farmers.

“The measures above, coupled with the increase in payment rates for those on Higher Level Stewardship agreements and the one year extension of the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme with a £30 million boost, will boost the profits of farmers in West Cumbria.”

One of the most brutal consequences of more than a decade of Conservative austerity is the effect it has had on local services delivered by councils. 

While demand has risen, a quarter of council funding from government has been cut in real terms since 2010 under the Conservatives. Council tax has become a bigger and bigger slice of the funding pie to plug the gap and stop services collapsing completely. 

Fifteen years after austerity cuts began we can see the consequences all around us; Sure Start centres gone, libraries closed or scaled back, roads in a worse state and charges introduced for things you used to get for free. The legacy is enormous pressures on budgets for care for the elderly, support for the disabled and for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and children in care.

Ever the opportunists, local Tories are slamming Labour for the current situation. But they have very short memories. In 2020, Conservative led Allerdale Council announced in its budget press release that “The budget has been set in the climate of continued financial pressures for local authorities… the amount it [Allerdale Council] receives in government grants has dropped by 96 per cent since 2013/14.”

The truth is this is now a problem that needs fixing, rather than a political football to be kicked. Conservative run councils are in exactly the same position and are making the same decisions to increase council taxes or make brutal cuts to local services like waste collection, road repairs and social care. As the Conservative deputy leader of Lancashire County Council said last year when setting their last budget under a Conservative government: “Whilst the Government has increased funding in some areas, the hard truth is that it is simply not enough to plug the gaps we have in our budget”.

We finally have a government committed to building back up our local services and Cumberland has done well from Labour’s settlement. Overall, Cumberland has received a 6% boost to its core spending power, including a record £13 million for local public health initiatives, an extra £7 million for roads, £5 million to support local bus services, a further £652,000 for disabled facilities grants and a share of the government’s £1 billion boost to SEND support.

In addition, the government is giving Cumberland access to £23.5 million extraordinary financial support, along with 29 other councils of all political stripes, to support its recovery, protect local services and avoid the need for higher council tax rises.

I’m not here to defend the council. I will represent the interests of my constituents without fear or favour, regardless of who is in charge locally or nationally. Cumberland needs to spend extra money wisely to stabilise council finances, deliver good quality public services and invest in improving our communities. I know Labour councillors are committed to those goals and they have my support to deliver.

Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister put his pottery making skills to the test on a visit to West House Pottery in Workington.

The Pottery is a not for profit social enterprise run by West House, Cumbria’s leading care and support provider for children, young people and adults with learning difficulties. Josh visited West House Pottery on the eve of ground being broken for the construction of the new Hall Garden facility, due to be completed later in 2025. 

Josh had the chance to meet staff and service users and see some of the fantastic pottery made there, which is available to buy online. He also got the chance to try out his pottery making skills.

Josh also visited Cafe West in Whitehaven for lunch. Cafe West is another West House social enterprise which provides invaluable work experience and training opportunities for young people and adults with learning disabilities.

Josh said:

“West House does such important work with young people and adults in West Cumbria and it is always a pleasure to visit one of their enterprises to meet the brilliant staff and service users and see firsthand the great work they’re doing.

“Unfortunately, I think if politics doesn’t work out for me I don’t have a budding career ahead as a potter – I’ll leave that to the experts at The Pottery!

“I encourage all residents to support their work by giving them your custom. Pop in to Cafe West in Workington or Whitehaven for lunch and go buy some pottery!”

Jodie Grainger, Developing Manager at West House, said:

“Thank you to Josh MacAlister for visiting us at West House Pottery! It was a pleasure having him explore our creative space and enjoy a bit of pottery. We appreciate his support and hope he found some inspiration during his time with us. He’s always welcome back!”

Energy bills for heating homes and powering businesses are some of the highest in the world. Speeding up the transition to homegrown clean power – nuclear and renewables – is the best bet for creating new jobs and bringing down bills. 

Which is why I was struck by seeing Reform UK’s new energy policy launched last week. Under the guise of banishing the bogeyman of ‘net zero’, Reform proposes turning away from the global shift to homegrown, cheap, clean energy and back to oil and gas. They claim this would bring bills down but the opposite is true.

It doesn’t matter where they are produced, oil and gas are traded on a global market and prices are set globally. We learnt this under the Tories, who left the UK enormously exposed to energy shocks by selling off our gas reserves and holding back rapid construction of new nuclear and renewables. The new Labour government is acting fast to reduce our dependence on petro-states and dictators like Putin, but Reform would roll that back.

Perhaps Reform’s policy is no surprise given that Nigel Farage openly admires Vladimir Putin and describes him as a victim of the West. Reform’s energy policies would be a form of surrender to Putin and they would undermine our own energy independence. What is surprising is that Reform would take this position when they know it would mean higher energy bills for homes and businesses. 

Just as damaging however are Reform’s proposals for new taxes on renewables and higher fees for grid connections. This would hit bills and jobs by making it more costly to build and deliver clean, cheap, homegrown energy at a time when we’re seeing record levels of investment in energy infrastructure in this country, creating tens of thousands of jobs.

Despite claiming to be pro-nuclear, Reform’s plan would choke off a nuclear industry which is just now starting to build back after collapsing under the Conservatives. 

So the consequences of Reform’s energy plan are clear: a hit on consumers through higher bills, less investment and jobs in the UK, knocking confidence on nuclear and offering a gift to Putin and other foreign actors.

It’s a pro-Putin energy plan which will hit our bills hard. There’s nothing patriotic about that. 

Labour’s plan isn’t ideological, it’s pragmatic. We want clean, cheap, homegrown energy instead of reliance on hostile states and volatile global prices.

As your MP, I’m working hard to ensure we feel the benefits of that here in West Cumbria, through investment in new nuclear and clean energy projects and attracting the jobs that could power.

I’ve spent my first seven months as your MP banging the drum for West Cumbria in Whitehall to secure the tools and resources we need to deliver new nuclear, retrofit cold homes, invest in our roads and railways, rebuild our towns and improve public services.

Imagine if we had the powers and the funding we needed to do those things ourselves, without having to go cap in hand to Whitehall?

Well, Cumbria came a step closer to taking back control from Whitehall last week when we were selected for the Devolution Priority Programme.

This means we have the opportunity to be at the forefront of the devolution revolution. To shape a deal for Cumbria which allows us to chart a course to a brighter future.

What is on offer goes well beyond the deal dangled by the Tories a few years ago. Substantial new powers over buses, roads and rail. The tools to build houses where they’re needed and require developers to invest in amenities. Control of the Warm Homes Plan to retrofit draughty housing. The ability to direct business, employment and skills support and join up public services.

All this will be backed by a multi-year integrated funding settlement enabling us to deliver on our priorities and make real change after years of poorly managed decline under the Conservatives.

I hear three main concerns that I want to address briefly:

This creates more politicians. 

We got rid of hundreds of politicians through local government reorganisation and the Mayor would take on the responsibilities of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, removing that position. So it will create no new politicians. 

Why can’t we have this without a Mayor? 

With greater power comes greater accountability and that’s why new powers and funding require agreement to a directly elected Mayor. A Mayor also gives Cumbria a single strong voice with a seat at the top table of government. Look at Greater Manchester to see how beneficial that has been for their area.

We had a Mayor in Copeland and it didn’t work out well! 

I urge people not to base your view on what has come before. An effective Mayor speaking for the whole of Cumbria with the resources to make real change, with proper scrutiny and accountability to hold them to account, will avoid a repeat of past mistakes.

This isn’t a stitch up; if the deal doesn’t work for Cumbria then MPs won’t support it and councils won’t vote for it. Share your views and help to shape the strongest possible deal for councils to consider.

I’d welcome your feedback. Please take my survey at joshmacalister.uk/takebackcontrol

This letter appeared in the Whitehaven News on 29th January 2025:

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust’s engagement exercise on the future of Yewdale ward closed last week. I met the chief executive of the trust shortly before it closed and know that a huge number of people responded. From my conversations with residents, I expect that these responses will be overwhelmingly opposed to the closure of the ward. 

 It was therefore disappointing to see the Trust making the case for the closure in last week’s newspaper. 

They have yet to fully address the concerns raised by me or others about how they will reduce demand for acute inpatient services below the number of beds that will remain in Cumbria at the Carlton Clinic in Carlisle, if Yewdale closes. 

The Trust have been given additional money by the Government to pilot a new early intervention open access community mental health service in Whitehaven, which is very welcome. I want this service to be an additional resource and if it works it may well over time reduce demand for acute services like those at Yewdale. But it is irresponsible to remove an acute service like the Yewdale ward before forms of earlier intervention have been opened, let alone given time to demonstrate that they work. 

Here in West Cumbria, we have some of the greatest mental health needs in the country so any changes should be made with great care and based on evidence. 

This is why I oppose these plans from the Trust. It appears as though they have made up their minds, even before a full consultation has been completed. We need and deserve mental health services that help people live happier lives and that are within reach of where they live. That’s why I’ll continue to push for a pause and a rethink. 

Residents can support my campaign at joshmacalister.uk/yewdale

Josh MacAlister OBE MP

Labour MP for Whitehaven & Workington

Storm Eowyn tore through Cumbria over the weekend and left devastation in its wake. Thousands of local premises were without power, in some cases for almost four days. It was a difficult time for our community, but it also showed the best of us.

I want to put on record my thanks to the engineers who worked round the clock to get homes reconnected to the grid as quickly as possible; to the council employees who were busy clearing highways and keeping residents up to date; to the emergency services who responded to a range of incidents with professionalism; to all the local businesses and community groups who offered up their premises as a warm place to stay; and to every individual who checked on a neighbour or cleared debris.

My office was in constant contact with Electricity North West throughout the weekend, relaying information about communities that remained without power, passing on requests for door knockers and catering vans to visit isolated areas and sending details of vulnerable individuals who needed extra assistance for follow up. I’m pleased we were able to help a number of people and thank Electricity North West staff for being so responsive.

There are however lessons to be learned from this to ensure a more efficient response next time and better communication and I’d welcome feedback from residents about what ENW can do better before I meet with them in the coming weeks. Get in touch via my website at joshmacalister.uk/contact or by calling 01946 458023.

What also became clearer this weekend is the impact of the digital phone line switchover during power cuts. In many rural areas with a mobile signal reliant on one mast and where landlines are now connected via the internet, a power cut lasting more than half an hour leaves them with no way to communicate. I’ve already raised some individual cases about this with mobile network operators and BT following other recent power cuts but I’ll now be bringing all the relevant stakeholders together in Parliament for a wider discussion about how we can ensure rural communities stay connected during power cuts as the digital switchover continues. Sign up to my e-newsletter to keep up to date with my work on this and other issues: joshmacalister.uk/enews.

Finally, I promised to be a visible and accessible MP and I am keeping that promise, with a range of public events scheduled right across West Cumbria up to the end of April which you can find and register to attend at joshmacalister.uk/meetjosh or by calling my office on the number above. Upcoming events include a coffee morning in Whitehaven, a drop-in in Workington and a public meeting in Cleator Moor this Friday.

This country’s first ever independent Armed Forces Commissioner, a voice to champion service personnel and their families, is one step closer to reality this week, as it passed its third reading in the House of Commons. 

This change, a vital one for our brave service personnel, can’t come soon enough. 

The importance of the Bill can’t be overstated for the people of West Cumbria and I was pleased to vote in favour. 

The first duty of any Government is to keep our country safe, and at the heart of our security are the men and women who risk their lives for our nation. We are deeply proud of our Armed Forces – theirs is the ultimate form of public service – and their professionalism and bravery are rightly respected the world over. 

The Armed Forces Commissioner is a central part of this Government’s plans to renew the nation’s contract with those who bravely serve. 

The Commissioner will be a direct point of contact for personnel and their families to raise service issues affecting their lives, from kit, to housing, to childcare. 

After 14 years of Tory hollowing out and underfunding of our Armed Forces, morale in the military fell to record lows – with just four in ten personnel reporting satisfaction. And the forces are facing a Tory-manufactured recruitment and retention crisis. 

Just last month, shocking statistics revealed that nearly 5,000 members of the armed were relying on Universal Credit before the election. 

This Labour Government is determined to turn this around. 

We want the independent Commissioner to have proper powers to investigate issues affecting service life, make recommendations, and report to Parliament. And to have access to personnel, information, and to defence sites. 

And we want them to hold us to account, too. 

This Labour-run Ministry of Defence, led by Secretary of State John Healey, understands just how vital the safety and security of our forces personnel are. 

Just months after we confirmed the largest pay rise for our personnel in over 20 years, today’s Parliamentary vote shows again that we will always stand up for those who serve our country. 

This Labour Government is on a mission to raise military morale. This Bill is just one step of many to right the wrongs of the last 14 years and ensure that our personnel know just how much they are valued. 

People will always be at the heart of our defence plans: those who make great sacrifices to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad will always be championed under a Labour Government.