Last week a Budget was delivered by a Labour Chancellor for the first time in fourteen years. The Chancellor had a difficult task with the inheritance she was handed by her predecessor and I don’t envy her having to make some of the decisions she did.

Just as a brief reminder, the Conservatives crashed the economy, sending mortgages through the roof, and then called an early election to avoid having to deliver this Budget. They wasted billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on their failed asylum system, propping up private rail companies and dodgy COVID contracts – leaving a £22 billion black hole in the nation’s finances and public services on their knees.

The choice at the Budget was clear: five more years of the same failed Conservative policies and more austerity that leaves working people having to pick up the bill. Or change with a Labour Government that fixes the foundations to invest in Britain’s future so we can fix the NHS and rebuild our country, while ensuring working people don’t face higher taxes in their payslips.

The Budget asks the wealthiest and businesses to pay their fair share and takes tough decisions on spending and welfare by cracking down on fraud, tax avoidance and waste, and making sure every penny of taxpayer money is spent wisely. The Labour Government will make sure that those who make their home in Britain, pay their taxes here too by abolishing the non-dom status.

The tough choices we have made mean we can raise the minimum wage and give millions of workers and apprentices more money in their pockets. It means we can protect the triple lock, giving pensioners a boost of around £1,700 during this Parliament. That we can allocate to our farmers the largest pot of funding directed at sustainable food production and nature recovery in history. It enables us to deliver our manifesto commitments to 40,000 extra elective NHS appointments a week and new scanners and diagnostic equipment as part of a £25 billion increase in NHS funding. We can’t get growth without investment, so the Budget also boosts public investment in infrastructure over the next five years whilst keeping debt on a downward path.

This Budget delivers the change that so many people voted for.

It is the start of a new chapter towards making Britain better off: more pounds in people’s pockets. An NHS that is there for you when you need it. And businesses creating wealth and opportunity for all. It is a Budget that invests in Britain’s future so, alongside business, we can build the homes, the infrastructure, the roads and the railways our country needs.

After the last 14 years, mental health services are on their knees. Nowhere is this felt more starkly than in West Cumbria, where we have some of the highest suicide rates in the country and an urgent crisis in access to mental health support.

We need more mental health professionals, more early intervention services to stop people reaching crisis point and enough acute inpatient beds for those who need them.

Before the election I called for a new community mental health hub in West Cumbria and I’m delighted that one will open this year in Whitehaven. This will be a 24/7 service anyone can access without a referral which will provide a range of support services from both the NHS and community organisations. It is really exciting and we should celebrate it.

However, this should be an addition to and not a replacement for existing services.

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, which runs mental health services in Cumbria and across the North East, is proposing to close the Yewdale Ward at West Cumberland Hospital. This is the only inpatient acute mental health ward in West Cumbria. Its 16 beds are almost always full. The trust proposes to replace this provision with more beds at its Carleton Clinic in Carlisle and four short term beds at the new community hub in Whitehaven. Four beds in the whole of West Cumbria. Everyone else will have to travel an hour to Carlisle.

I’m up for a conversation about switching focus from acute to community care, but we first have to have the community care in place and proven to work. Any reduction in acute inpatient beds should only be considered at a time when these beds are not needed as a result of improvements to early intervention, with fewer people reaching crisis point.

The onus is now on the mental health trust to release detailed plans for how they will improve mental health services in West Cumbria showing how they will get us to this point. Until then, I’m calling on them to call off the closure.

Residents can support my campaign at joshmacalister.uk/yewdale and join our Facebook group ‘West Cumbria Mental Health Action Group’.

Register to attend my public meeting on health services in West Cumbria

A cross-party delegation of Cumbrian politicians met with Rail Minister Lord Hendy this week to make the case for a major upgrade of the Cumbrian Coast Line from Carlisle to Barrow.

The delegation included Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister, Penrith and Solway MP Markus Campbell-Savours, Carlisle MP Julie Minns, Westmorland and Furness MP Tim Farron and the leaders of Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness councils.

The previous government announced plans to upgrade the railway but didn’t allocate a single penny to this or dozens of other rail projects, leaving their futures in doubt. The new government is reviewing all railway projects and will lay out its future priorities in the Spending Review, which is due to be announced in March 2025.

Speaking after the meeting, Josh said:

“We’re working together on a cross-party basis to make the strongest case we can for investment in our railway because of its importance to the whole of Cumbria, our people and our economy.

“While the Conservatives governed by press release, announcing projects they didn’t have a plan or any money to pay for, the new Labour government takes its fiscal responsibilities seriously. All projects are being reviewed and the Spending Review will lay out the investment this government will make in our railway infrastructure.

“Our meeting with the Minister was to make our initial pitch for the Cumbrian Coast Line and discuss next steps to get a plan together ready for the government when the Spending Review has concluded. Partners will now work together to refresh the business case for the upgrade in order to get that in front of ministers early next year so we are in the strongest position we can be to secure the funding we need.”

A delegation of Cumbrian politicians met with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to seek help overcoming roadblocks getting in the way of delivering new nuclear in West Cumbria.

The delegation, led by Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister, included MPs Markus Campbell-Savours MP, Michelle Scrogham MP, Julie Minns MP and Cumberland council leader Mark Fryer.

The Cumbrian politicians met with the Secretary of State as issues over NDA demands on the land at Moorside, which is designated for new nuclear, come to a head.

The NDA want to use the land for off site construction facilities for potential future building projects on the Sellafield site, despite its designation as a site for new nuclear development. Unless the issues with land use and future projects are resolved, Moorside is unlikely to be chosen as a location for new Small Modular Reactors in the process being run by Great British Nuclear.

Speaking after the meeting, Josh said:

“We welcome the Secretary of State’s involvement in this issue. Tough questions are finally being asked and ministers are getting into the detail, which is really welcome after 14 years of drift. It is a shame Cumbria’s former Conservative MPs didn’t raise the alarm and resolve these problems earlier in the process.

“This is the latest in a series of conversations with ministers as we fight for Cumbria’s nuclear future and we look forward to more discussions in the months ahead.”

I was lucky enough to be selected in the ballot to introduce a Private Members’ Bill, meaning I have the chance to put forward a Bill to be debated in Parliament and perhaps become law. I chose the issue of making smartphones less addictive for children to support healthier, happier childhoods and last week my Safer Phones Bill had its first reading in Parliament.

If you’re reading this and you’ve got kids or you work with kids then I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. The amount of time children are spending on smartphones and the apps they’re spending that time on are causing them harm. And not just harm in the obvious ways like to their mental health, but also to their sleep, attention spans, learning and performance in school. The worst part is, the most vulnerable kids are the most affected.

Before I became an MP I was a teacher and then I worked with vulnerable children in the social care system, so I’ve seen firsthand the impact smartphones and social media have had. Parents, teachers and health professionals have known this to be true for a while and now there is a growing body of data and evidence to back it up. The average 12 year old spends 21 hours a week on their phone. And they’re spending that time doom scrolling on social media apps that are designed to be addictive, holding their attention for hours on end. A quarter of children are using their phones in a way that demonstrates addictive behaviour.

When we learn that something causes harm, we regulate it and seek to reduce that harm. We did it with cars when people started crashing them by making seat belts mandatory. We need the equivalent of the “seat belt” legislation for smartphone use for children. 

We’re already behind the game on this. Countries around the world are taking action and we need to catch up. Polling shows that parents want action. Teachers want action. Medical professionals want action. It’s time for politicians to take action.

I’ll be considering a series of sensible, practical measures in my Bill to empower parents and schools to reduce smartphone use for children under the age of 16 and toughen up regulation so that big tech companies are forced to produce apps that are safe for children to use and not addictive by design.

Adults find it hard enough to manage screen time, so why are we expecting children to manage this addictive content without some shared rules? It’s just common sense.

I look forward to laying out the case for the Safer Phones Bill in the weeks and months ahead and hope to convince colleagues from across the House to back my Bill.

I’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch and share your views on this issue.

I write again about nuclear, but it is a fitting moment to do so, given that this week marks the 68th anniversary of the opening of the world’s first civil nuclear power station right here in West Cumbria.

Speaking that day in 1956, Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II said: “This new power, which has proved itself to be such a terrifying weapon of destruction, is harnessed for the first time for the common good of our community.”

As ever, Her Majesty spoke with great foresight. Not only did the station provide Cumbrians with reliable energy for nearly half a decade but also created thousands of jobs through a world leading supply chain.

Speak to anyone who worked at the power plant during its 47 years of operation and you can hear how proud they are to have played a role in this historic project.

The last Labour government planned to continue our community’s legacy of generating nuclear energy, including Moorside in their ambitious plans for a fleet of new reactors.

During 14 years of Conservative government, only Hinkley Point C in Somerset was approved, and none were opened.

Like many in our community, I have grown tired of waiting. I launched the New Nuclear Now campaign before the election and after I was elected I set up the Nuclear Delivery Group for Cumbria, pulling together decision makers to get to the bottom of why new nuclear has not been delivered.

This week a cache of letters released by Cumberland Council following an ‘Environmental Information Request’ shed some light on the roadblocks. They reveal the damning role played by the NDA and the previous government in blocking new nuclear development at Moorside despite the best efforts of Cumberland Council and a private developer bringing £6 billion to the table.

Most shockingly, Cumbria’s former Conservative MPs were copied in to all of these letters, meaning they knew that their government was blocking a major new nuclear project that would bring jobs and economic diversity to West Cumbria yet they did nothing to intervene.

I don’t have enough space here to expose the whole shocking affair but interested readers can see the whole story and copies of all the letters on my website at joshmacalister.uk/moorside.

I remain committed to doing everything I possibly can to bring new nuclear to West Cumbria despite the mess left to us by the Tories. I will leave no stone unturned and no official or politician unchallenged in my quest to ensure we get what we need and deserve.

Josh MacAlister, Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington, will introduce a Bill this Wednesday to protect children from the harms that can be caused by excessive screen time, and the use of social media and other apps, many of them addictive by design.

Josh, a former teacher and charity CEO, who led a landmark independent review into children’s social care for the previous government, secured fifth place in the Private Members’ Bill ballot, meaning his Bill is guaranteed a full debate in Parliament.

Research shows that the average UK 12-year-old spends 21 hours a week – equivalent to a part-time job – on their smartphone, and that one in four children and young people use their smartphones in a way that is consistent with a behavioural addiction.

There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that smartphones, and social media in particular, are negatively impacting children’s mental health, sleep and learning. There are also concerns about the time children are losing from real life play and interactions. The impact is more acute for vulnerable children. 

The Bill aims to address these concerns by making smartphones less addictive for children and by empowering families and teachers to cut down on children’s daily smartphone screen time. 

The Bill is co-sponsored by a cross-party group of MPs, including former Conservative Education Secretary, Kit Malthouse MP, and is backed by the Chair-elect of the Education Select Committee, Helen Hayes MP, the current and former Children’s Commissioner and a coalition of parents’ campaign groups, teaching unions, school leaders and children’s charities.

Josh MacAlister MP said:

“The evidence is mounting that children doom scrolling for hours a day is causing widespread harm. We need the equivalent of the “seatbelt” legislation for social media use for children. 

“Adults find it hard enough to manage screen time, so why are we expecting children to manage this addictive content without some shared rules? Parents are in an impossible bind over whether to ostracise their child from social media or expose them to the harms and addiction of content.

“Countries around the world are now taking bold action and our children risk being left behind. It’s time to have the national debate here in the UK.  Polling shows that parents overwhelmingly support taking action on this issue and the coalition of experts backing my Bill reflects the views of those who are dealing with the consequences of excessive screen time.

“I look forward to the debate and hope to convince colleagues from across the House to back my Bill. I’d urge supporters to write to their MPs to encourage them to do so.”

As recently as 6th October, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology said he was “open minded” about the options for keeping children safe online. 

The Australian government recently announced that they intend to ban social media for children, the American congress is considering tough rules on addictive design features and the French government is testing a legal phone ban in schools. Despite bold action in other countries, research shows that the problem is bigger in the UK with British parents struggling more than those in other countries with limiting the amount of time their children spend on phones (46% compared to 40% in America and 38% in Germany). British parents are also more supportive of regulation, and this support is rising steeply. 

Josh MacAlister’s Bill contains four main provisions:

Raising the age of internet adulthood from 13 to 16, by raising the age at which companies can get data consent from children without parental permission. This will make it harder for companies to push addictive content to children by using their data to feed algorithms, and it will give greater powers to parents. 

Delivering smartphone free schools, by backing headteachers with a legal requirement that all schools should be mobile free zones. This would be done by putting existing guidance on a statutory footing. 

Strengthening Ofcom’s powers to protect children from apps that are designed to be addictive. This would mean giving Ofcom a specific mandate to protect children’s interests and new powers to enforce a code of conduct to prevent children being exposed to ‘addictive by design’ apps and services.

Committing Government to review further regulation if needed of the design, supply, marketing and use of mobile phones by children under 16.

Quotes from supporters of the Bill:

Kit Malthouse MP, former Conservative Education Secretary, who is one of the co-sponsors of the Bill:

“The growing evidence of the impact of smartphones on kids is deeply alarming. So being clear about our expectations from providers and regulators, and their duties towards our children has to be a step in the right direction, and I’m pleased to support a Bill that does exactly that.”

Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England:

“As Children’s Commissioner, children being safe is a critical priority. Children have told me repeatedly how unsafe they often feel online, and so I welcome the provision in this Bill which will help to make sure that happens for every child, every time, in and out of school. 

“Having called for the Online Safety Act and celebrated its passing into law last year, I welcome the provisions in this Bill that will strengthen the implementation of the Act. A duty of care on online services will ensure that tech companies consistently put children’s safety ahead of their profit margins. I also welcome the call for a code of conduct for platforms to be safe by design. Children tell me that they want to enjoy the benefits of the online world and to be protected from harmful content and harmful behaviours. This Bill will secure the proactive approach to keeping children safe online that is required in an era of evolving technology.”

Anne Longfield CBE, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives and former Children’s Commissioner for England:

“This Bill opens the door to a crucial national debate about the negative impact smartphones can have on children, and the urgent need to address those problems. 

“For too long this has been the elephant in the room – we know many children, increasingly from a young age, are spending too much time doom scrolling on social media apps and how long periods of addictive smartphone screen time can be detrimental.

“Parliament now has an opportunity to reset children’s relationships with smartphones, and marginalise their impact and influence on developing young minds.”

Baroness Beeban Kidron OBE, Founder and Chair of the 5Rights Foundation:

“By raising the age of data consent to 16 and inserting an overarching duty of care for children to be inserted into the Online Safety Act, Josh MacAlister MP has brilliantly given new force to both the Age Appropriate Design Code and the Online Safety Act. I fully support him in wishing to strengthen both regimes.

“I hope the government fully understands the strength of feeling of parents, teachers and children across the UK, and they see that this Bill reflects the wish of the public to see more robust enforcement of children’s privacy and safety by regulators.”

Pepe Di’lasio, General Secretary of the Association of School & College Leaders:

“Smartphones and the instant access they provide to harmful content is nothing short of a public health emergency for children and young people. This technology is a conduit for bullying, pornography and hateful views. School and college leaders routinely pick up the pieces among damaged students. It is not enough to rely solely on parents and schools teaching children about the dangers of smartphones. We have reached a point where regulation is required over their sale and the conduct of online platforms.”

Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union:

“The National Education Union welcomes Josh MacAlister MP’s Bill to protect children online and toughen regulation.

“It is plain for all to see that social media usage has been a core reason for the rise in mental health difficulties among children and young people.

“We need to be doing much more as a society to protect children from online harm. The rights and best interests of children when online should be at the forefront of decision making for Government and social media companies.

“If social media companies are left to their own devices, the mental health crisis in young people will only get worse. It is time to beef up regulation of the social media giants so as a society we start to put children first.

“We hope MPs from across the House will do the right thing and back this important Bill.”

Joe Ryrie, co-founder of the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign:

“Parents everywhere are crying out for government to go further and faster in regulating Big Tech, so that they alone are not responsible for guarding childhood from the addictive and predatory algorithms for which they are no match. We need to start thinking about children’s digital safety in a more imaginative way, going beyond just the harms, so that we can build upon the Online Safety Act and start developing a new regulatory approach that has young people’s wellbeing and healthy development at its heart.”

Arabella Skinner, co-founder of the SafeScreens campaign: 

“It has become apparent that the Online Safety Act is an incomplete and flawed solution for children’s online safety. We welcome this Bill as the first significant political initiative to recognise that fact and to do something meaningful to protect children from the proliferating harms not just of online content but of smartphones themselves.”

Dr Becky Foljambe, NHS GP and founder of Health Professionals for Safer Screens: 

“As health professionals we see at first hand the harms visited on children by smartphone use and social media. It has become a major impediment to the healthy development of our young, especially among the most vulnerable. We fully support Josh’s aim to address these harms by empowering parents and children to make better and more informed decisions.”

Professor Ben Carter, Professor of Medical Statistics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London:

“Whilst Smartphones offer the considerable benefit of connectivity, the evidence shows that between 1 in 3 to 1 in 10 young people are exhibiting problematic smartphone use (PSU). These are behaviours that are consistent with the symptoms of a behavioural addiction & include: a pre-occupation with their device; increased use needed for reward; a sense of loss when the battery dies; and continued use despite known harm.

“The link between PSU and screen time has consistently been found with poor sleep. However, research at King’s College London supports a link to anxiety (double in those with PSU) and depression (3 times in those with PSU). We have also found a link with specific social media Apps.

“Most young people already use strategies to reduce their usage & we found 1 in 8 young people wanted help to cut down their PSU. Interventions are needed to help our young people.

“Legislation for social media companies to meet their current obligations would benefit the current situation. Coupled with better social media Apps co-designed by addiction psychiatry, parents, teachers and adolescents.”

Dr Sanjiv Nichani OBE, Senior Consultant Paediatrician, Leicester Children’s Hospital:

“There is irrefutable clinical and research evidence about the causal link between the ‘Screen Demic’, which is the Epidemic of Mental Health Illness in Children and Young People, as well as language and communication problems in Early childhood and  Excessive Screen Time and Social Media Use.

“The Screen Demic and its ill effects are so entrenched in the lives of children and families in our country that nothing short of systemic and societal change will be required to manage this vast problem.

“I am delighted with this Private Members Bill, which will help address the gross inadequacies of the Online Safety Bill.”

Russell Hobby CBE, Chief Executive Officer, Teach First:

“It is increasingly clear that smartphones are a distraction in school and a potential source of harm to young people. They are a useful tool in life, but they don’t belong inside schools, and some time disconnected can only be good for young people. There are plenty of alternative ways for them to stay connected to parents when travelling outside school. We support this ban, and so do many of our partners and ambassadors.”

Hilary Spencer, Chief Executive Officer, Ambition Institute:

“We need to make sure that children are protected properly online: the impact of unregulated social media access and smartphones in schools on children’s education, health and well-being is an issue that needs collective action”

With confirmation that a Bill will be brought forward for debate and a vote by MPs on choice at the end of life I want to take this opportunity to explain some of the background to the proposed legislation and to let you know my current thinking.

This can be an emotive issue and people hold a range of different views on it. The debate will be treated as a conscience issue, where MPs must make up their minds individually and not on party-political lines. I will listen to the debate in Parliament with great care but I also want to hear from you, my constituents.

The bill will seek to give people who are terminally ill the option to end their own life at a time and in the manner of their choosing, and will include strict eligibility criteria, effective medical and judicial oversight, and strong protections against forms of coercion or abuse.

The bill will not in any way detract from the vital importance of the very best palliative care. Nor would it undermine the demands of people with disabilities to lead their very best possible lives with all the care and support they need and deserve. I am pleased about this as I strongly support both these causes. 

Much has changed in the nearly ten years since this issue was last brought before MPs, both in this country and around the world. Several countries, including the US, Australia and New Zealand, have introduced similar laws and evidence has found that there has been no ‘slippery slope’ and palliative care has improved alongside the choice for people to die at a time of their choosing. 

I have not yet fully decided how I will vote on this bill and will continue to seek the views of experts, constituents and colleagues in the House before coming to my decision. I agree in principle that dying people should have choice over how and when they die, but I will need to be reassured that the safeguards the bill puts in place are robust enough to protect those who would not want to choose to have an assisted death voluntarily.

I’ll be holding an open public meeting at 6pm on Thursday 24th October so that I can hear your views and we can discuss this important issue together. I’d encourage any constituents who want to share your views on this to come along and join the discussion.

Please register to receive venue details here

I know many local pensioners are angry with me over the government’s decision to restrict the Winter Fuel Allowance to those pensioners who need it most. I understand your anger and I share it. The Conservatives left this country broke and broken – including a £22bn blackhole in the nation’s finances. So the government has been forced to make tough decisions now to fix the foundations of our economy. 

But because we’ve done this, we can protect the State Pension ‘Triple Lock’ – not just this year but for every single year of this Parliament, meaning every pensioner will be better off under this government. And we are still protecting those pensioners who need our support most.

The Winter Fuel Payment was introduced by Labour at a time when a quarter of all pensioners were living in poverty and struggling with the cost of living. Thankfully, there are now far fewer pensioners living in poverty and energy bills are starting to come down (although I know they are still too high). But there are still too many pensioners having to make difficult choices this winter and it is important for those in need to know that help is still available to you.

Around 7,500 pensioners in Cumbria are eligible for Pension Credit but not claiming it. That is 7,500 people losing an average of about £3,900 per year. I am urging local pensioners to apply for the benefit, which from this year will also automatically passport eligible pensioners to receive the Winter Fuel Payment – pushing the total average entitlement over £4,000.

I want to make sure every local pensioner gets every penny they are entitled to, so please, friends, family and neighbours – if you know someone who needs help, please support them to make an application for Pension Credit by calling 0800 99 1234.

For those not eligible because you fall just outside the threshold, you can still get help if you’re struggling. Under the previous government the Household Support Fund was set to run out at the end of September. Labour have injected £421 million to extend it through the winter, giving pensioners and others who may struggle this winter extra support with energy bills, food costs and other essentials. Call Cumberland Council to find out more on 0300 373 3730.

My team and I are also on hand to provide any help we can to those who need it. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch by e-mailing hello@joshmacalister.uk or by calling 01946 458023.

Last week Labour’s flagship Renters’ Rights Bill was introduced to Parliament. The Bill delivers on the government’s manifesto commitment to reform the private rented sector and improve the quality of housing in it. It represents the biggest boost to renters’ rights in a generation and will benefit 10,000 people renting privately in West Cumbria. 

When I got back to West Cumbria at the end of the week the importance of the Bill really hit home.

Over the weekend dozens of tenants who rent flats in The Slipway in Whitehaven were issued with eviction notices. They haven’t done anything wrong and some have lived there for decades. But they’ve been given two months to vacate their homes and find alternative accommodation. 

And under current law this is completely legal.

I’m working with Cllr Emma Williamson, Deputy Leader of Cumberland Council, to support residents affected in any way we can. And we’ve written a strongly worded letter urging the new owner of the building, Darren McClellan of SLG 5 Ltd, to reconsider – or at the very least give residents a longer notice period than the legal minimum.

But under current law a strongly worded letter is about all we can do. That’s because the Tories – who first promised to ban these section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions back in 2019, four Prime Ministers ago – broke this promise along with every other they made.

The consequences of this have been devastating for private renters here and across the country. In West Cumbria alone dozens of people have been forced out of their homes in the five years since the Tories first promised to outlaw this practice. That number doubled overnight this weekend.

The Bill tabled by the new Labour Government last week will ban no fault evictions once and for all. But it also includes a range of other measures, including extra protections for tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases, a ban on rental bidding wars, pet friendly tenancies and an end to rental discrimination for those on benefits or with children, protecting tenants from poor living conditions by extending Awaab’s Law to the private sector and introducing the Decent Homes Standard. 

Everyone deserves the right to a safe and secure place to live – and that’s what I as your Labour MP, working with the new Labour Government, will deliver.

If you need help with a housing issue please contact my office and we’ll do our best to help: joshmacalister.uk/contact.