Josh MacAlister MP has visited the University of Lancashire’s Westlakes campus to meet with nursing students currently training to become the next generation of healthcare professionals in West Cumbria.

During the visit, Josh spoke with students and staff about the importance of training nurses locally and the need to encourage more people from West Cumbria to consider nursing as a career. The University is currently seeking to recruit more candidates on to its nursing degree programmes, which offer local students an invaluable opportunity to study and train close to home.

Students training at Westlakes are supported with an NHS bursary of £5,000 per year of study, helping to make nursing an accessible and rewarding choice for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Speaking after the visit, Josh said:

“It was fantastic to meet with the University of Lancashire’s nursing students at Westlakes and hear about their experiences on the course. Nurses play a vital role in our health service, and people in West Cumbria can take up this career right here, at Westlakes. With financial support available and world-class training on the doorstep, I would encourage anyone thinking about their next steps to seriously consider becoming a nurse.”

Graduates from the University of Lancashire’s nursing degree go on to work in a wide range of areas including acute hospital care, mental health services, primary care and community health settings, ensuring that their skills make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of people across West Cumbria and beyond.

University of Lancashire are holding an open evening next week which is open to all those interested in a career in nursing. The event will be held at the Westlakes campus from 5pm to 7pm on Thursday 16th October.

Aarron Butterworth, Operations Manager at University of Lancashire’s Westlakes campus, added:

“We know how important it is to train and retain nurses in West Cumbria. Our Westlakes campus provides local students with the chance to learn close to home and build rewarding careers here in Cumbria. 

“Our nursing courses are open to all, whether you are leaving school, returning to education or considering a career change. Anyone with an interest in healthcare should come along to our Westlakes Nursing Event on 16th October. You can explore the campus, meet students and staff, and explore the opportunities nursing can offer.”

For more information about nursing courses at University of Lancashire Westlakes or to register to attend the open evening, click here

I had a piece of casework recently from someone who had been trying to start a new job in our NHS but the right-to-work checks were taking months.

Many of us face the nightmare of endless forms and identity checks when trying to access services. Whether it’s starting a new job, renting a home, claiming childcare hours, or opening a bank account, the same documents are asked for time and again. Digging through paperwork, taking photos of ID and council tax bills, e-mailing them off to people who then need to verify and store them.

For too many people – including the one in ten adults without a photo ID – these hurdles are a regular frustration and mean real barriers to opportunity.

That is why I am supporting the government’s plan to introduce a free Digital ID (not an ID card!) for everyone in the UK. This is about making everyday life simpler, more secure, and more inclusive for people here in West Cumbria.

Digital ID will allow people to prove who they are quickly and securely, without carrying piles of paperwork. It will be free for everyone and built with privacy and safety at its core.

At first, Digital ID will make right-to-work checks easier. Employers in our area tell me that the current system is time-consuming and costly. With a Digital ID, these checks will be faster, cheaper, and more robust – tackling fraud and exploitation while helping honest businesses. This will help to make the UK less attractive to people wanting to come and work here illegally.

But based on the success of digital ID in other countries, the potential goes much further. Parents could use it to apply for free childcare hours without wrestling with multiple logins. Renters could verify their identity with a landlord in just a few clicks. Students applying to universities or jobs could pull through verified education records instantly, cutting delays and frustration. Over time, this could even make tasks like doing your tax return or proving your age at the supermarket quicker and easier.

We know this can work because it is already working elsewhere. In Denmark, people now use their Digital ID for everything from banking to healthcare, saving time and reducing hassle. Estonia’s system has cut bureaucracy so much that it has boosted the country’s economy by up to 2% of GDP. In Australia, more than 90% of users say they’ve had a positive experience.

Crucially, this is also about inclusion. For those in our community who cannot afford a passport or driving licence, Digital ID will finally provide a free, secure way to prove who they are. It will even let people share only the information needed – for example, proving they’re over 18 without disclosing their full date of birth.

This is a common-sense change that will make life fairer, safer, and easier. By embracing Digital ID, we can cut red tape, give people more control, and make sure no one in our community is left behind. 

Whitehaven MP Josh MacAlister and Cllr Emma Williamson have secured £20 million of long-term investment for Whitehaven’s neighbourhoods of Kells, Woodhouse, Greenbank, Sandwith and Mirehouse through Labour’s Pride in Place programme.

The funding will deliver £2 million every year for the next ten years, supporting local jobs, improving community facilities, enhancing green spaces, and making the area safer.

Josh MacAlister MP said:

“When I was elected, I promised to fight for our community – and I am proud to have delivered. £20 million of long-term investment will transform the neighbourhoods of south Whitehaven over the next decade. Neighbourhoods which for too long have been overlooked when funding was dished out by Whitehall.

“The most important thing is that local people get to decide how it’s spent, not civil servants in London. Emma Williamson and I have already been out asking residents for their views, and together we’ll make sure every penny reflects our community’s priorities.”

Cllr Emma Williamson, who has been campaigning alongside Josh to secure funding for her community, said:

“This is a huge win for south Whitehaven. Local people have been calling for better facilities, safer streets, and stronger support for young people. I’ve been proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Josh to secure this investment, and now we’ll work with residents to turn it into real change in Kells, Woodhouse, Greenbank, Sandwith and Mirehouse.”

Josh and Emma have already launched a neighbourhood survey to give residents the chance to shape how the funding is used. Hundreds of responses have already come in, highlighting the need for more opportunities for young people, youth facilities, playgrounds and indoor sports spaces, better public transport links, investment in community spaces and measures to address crime and anti-social behaviour.

Josh added:

“This investment is a once in a generation opportunity. But to get it right, we need to hear from as many people as possible. If you haven’t yet completed our neighbourhood survey, please do take a few minutes – your views will help shape how this £20 million is spent.”

A Neighbourhood Delivery Board, led by leaders of the community, alongside Josh and Emma, will now be set up to decide how the funding should be spent and oversee delivery.

Residents can share their views at: joshmacalister.uk/neighbourhood-survey

I hope parents and grandparents have now recovered from the summer holidays!

For too many local families, the long break can be a real struggle. Childcare is hard to find and often too expensive, routines are disrupted, and the cost of keeping children fed and entertained every day quickly adds up. That’s why I’m so pleased the Labour government has confirmed over £600 million to extend the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years.

These Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) clubs have been a lifeline here in West Cumbria. They offer children healthy meals alongside sports, games, and creative activities. I’ve seen first-hand the difference they make: kids discovering new hobbies, making friends, and enjoying the kind of carefree summer every child deserves. Parents tell me how much the clubs ease the pressure too, saving around £300 a year on food and childcare costs.

Until now, funding for HAF was only confirmed year by year, leaving parents and providers uncertain about the future. By putting the programme on a three-year footing, we’re giving families and local organisations the certainty they’ve long needed. It means clubs can plan ahead, expand what they offer, and reach even more children who benefit most.

This investment is part of Labour’s wider Best Start package – our plan to ease pressure on families and give every child the strongest possible foundation. That includes free breakfast clubs in every primary school, expanded access to free school meals, new family hubs in communities, and 30 hours of funded childcare for working parents. Taken together, these reforms are about building a system that works all year round, not just during term time.

I also want to pay tribute to the team from Cumberland Council, who have done a fantastic job delivering the Holiday Activities and Food programme locally. Their hard work means hundreds of children across West Cumbria have had access to healthy meals and fun, enriching activities right through the school holidays. The council has also shown real commitment to tackling child poverty by expanding access to free school meals through auto enrolment, ensuring that no child misses out on good food during term time either. And Family Hubs are providing vital support to local children and young people and their families.  Their dedication is making a real difference for families here in West Cumbria.

For me, this is about fairness. In the past, too often how well a child did depended on how well off their family was. We are changing that. By investing in HAF and the wider Best Start offer, we’re supporting parents, tackling child poverty, and ensuring children in West Cumbria grow up healthy, happy, and ready to thrive.

With this funding secured, families here can look ahead to the holidays with confidence, not anxiety. And that, I believe, is a change worth celebrating.

Workington MP Josh MacAlister paid a visit to McMenon Engineering this week to meet staff and see how a proud local manufacturer is making a global impact while continuing to invest in West Cumbria.

From its headquarters in the town, McMenon designs and makes precision instruments that measure flow and temperature – vital tools used in industries as varied as energy, water, food, and pharmaceuticals. Each year, more than 10,000 products are built in Workington and shipped to over 60 countries around the world.

But while McMenon’s reach is international, its roots are firmly local. The company employs skilled workers from across West Cumbria and is passionate about supporting apprenticeships, giving young people the chance to train for rewarding careers in engineering.

During his visit, Josh toured the workshops, spoke with apprentices, and heard directly from the team about their pride in producing high-quality British engineering.

Josh MacAlister MP said:

“It was brilliant to see the incredible work happening at McMenon right here in Workington. The skill, dedication and innovation on display are inspiring – and it’s clear this company is not only flying the flag for British manufacturing across the world but also providing fantastic opportunities for local people.”

McMenon CEO Anand Puthran added:

“We were delighted to welcome Josh and show him around. While most of what we make is exported, our heart is in West Cumbria. Our team is proud to contribute to the local economy and to help nurture the next generation of engineers from our community.”

With more than 75 years of local manufacturing heritage, McMenon remains a shining example of how a West Cumbrian business can succeed globally while keeping community at its core.

Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister has brought together grassroots sports clubs from across West Cumbria following the Government’s announcement of a landmark £400 million investment in local sport facilities and initiatives.

The funding, unveiled recently by the Labour Government, will be delivered over the next three years to improve local facilities, strengthen community clubs, and encourage more people to take up sport and physical activity. Ministers have described the package as a “game-changer for the nation”, with a focus on tackling health inequalities and ensuring every community has access to high-quality sports provision.

At the meeting in West Cumbria, representatives from local football, rugby, cricket, hockey, athletics, and gymnastics clubs came together to share their priorities. Cumberland Council and Active Cumbria also joined the discussion. Clubs highlighted the need for:

• Upgrading pitches and training facilities, including all-weather surfaces
• Modernising changing rooms and clubhouses to make them more inclusive
• Expanding opportunities for women and girls in sport
• Improving access for young people and families, particularly in poorer and more rural areas of West Cumbria

Josh MacAlister MP said:

“This investment from the Labour Government is a once in a generation chance to transform grassroots sport. We are lucky in West Cumbria to have so many brilliant local clubs, run by volunteers who give their time week in, week out. But too many facilities are outdated, and too many people still face barriers to getting active.

“By working together on a local plan, we can make sure West Cumbria is at the front of the queue when the funding is rolled out. This is about investing in our health, our young people, and our communities.

“I want this to be just the start of the conversation. If you run a local club or community sport project, please get in touch with me. The more ideas and evidence we have, the stronger our case will be. Together, we can make sure West Cumbria benefits from this historic investment in grassroots sport.”

I am extremely disappointed that the tunnel will remain closed until next spring and angry at the disruption this will cause to passengers on the Cumbria Coast Line.

I have received assurances that rail services will continue to run as far as Corkickle from the south and Whitehaven from the north and will raise any issues that arise with services directly with bosses at Northern.

I have also made clear to Network Rail my strong view that the temporary treatment works on the water from the tunnel should continue throughout the closure so that we don’t see Whitehaven Harbour return to its orange state while work continues on a permanent fix to that problem. They have committed to explore this.

Tens of millions of pounds are now needed to fix this problem. I have already made representations to the Rail Minister to ensure that we get the funding we need. But the problems in the Bransty tunnel are a symptom of years of neglect of the line under the previous government and demonstrate the urgency of a wider and significant upgrade to the Cumbria Coast Line. My Cumbrian MP colleagues and I have been calling for this upgrade since the election last year and our work continues to deliver it. We will be meeting with the Rail Minister in the next few weeks to press our case again.

This week Parliament took another stride towards delivering the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation. The Employment Rights Bill passed through to its next stage – a victory for the millions of people who’ve been left for too long with insecurity, poor pay and a system stacked against them.

This Bill is not tinkering around the edges. It rips up the old, broken model and replaces it with something fairer. Day one rights to protection against unfair dismissal. Day one rights to parental leave. The end of exploitative zero-hours contracts. A ban on the disgraceful “fire and rehire” tactics used to bully workers into signing worse contracts. Strengthening statutory sick pay and extending it to another 1.3 million of the lowest earners.

These aren’t just improvements for employees – they’re good for businesses too. Higher staff retention, lower recruitment costs, and a more stable, productive workforce. Security at work isn’t the enemy of growth – it’s the foundation of it.

But look at who lined up against it. The Conservatives, of course, but also Reform, who claim to be the party of working people. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was a revealing moment. When the choice was between standing with working families in West Cumbria or siding with the exploiters, the Tories and Reform chose the latter. They showed once again that they are not on the side of the working people who graft to keep our economy moving.

For too long, Britain has had a low-wage, high-insecurity model of work. The result? Families unable to plan their futures, communities hollowed out, and the worst period of industrial strife in decades under the last Conservative government. This Bill turns the page. It’s about building a new partnership between government, business and trade unions – one rooted in co-operation not conflict.

No one should be treated as disposable at work. No one should fear losing their job because they asked for fair hours or called in sick. And no one should doubt that this Labour government is serious about raising the floor of workplace rights, creating a fairer economy and giving working people the dignity they deserve.

Reform UK like to dress themselves up as something new, but the truth is they are fast becoming nothing more than the Conservative Party in exile. Every week another senior Tory who led us to the mess we inherited last summer crosses the floor to join them, and every week Reform’s voting record shows they are welded to the same old dogma: weaker rights for workers, handouts for bad bosses, and hostility to trade unions. They are not a fresh alternative – they are the same busted engine of insecurity and low pay, just with a different badge on the bonnet.

Labour is the only party of decent work, fair pay, and a better deal for working people in West Cumbria and across Britain.

Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington, has slammed a decision by the North East and North Cumbria NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) not to act on recommendations in an independent review it commissioned which called for the process which led to the decision to close Yewdale Ward at West Cumberland Hospital to be rerun.

The independent review secured by Mr MacAlister delivered a damning verdict on the process followed by Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear (CNTW) NHS Trust;

• CNTW did not fully consider or present alternative ways of keeping mental health beds in West Cumbria.
• CNTW failed to meaningfully involve patients and the public at an early stage, raising serious doubts about whether legal duties to involve were properly discharged.
• Engagement was carried out too late and created a perception that decisions were already predetermined, undermining trust in the process.

The review recommended that the process be rerun in full, with proper consideration of all options and meaningful early involvement of patients and families and elected representatives.

However, following a meeting between the ICB and the Conservative Chairman of Cumberland Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee, the ICB has decided not to act on the recommendations and allow the closure to go ahead unchallenged, despite overwhelming opposition from the people of West Cumbria.

Josh said:

“I was extremely angry and frustrated to receive a letter from the ICB confirming that, following a meeting with the Conservative Chairman of Cumberland Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee, they have decided not to act on the recommendation of the independent review I secured which advised that they force Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust to rerun their decision making and consultation process – as it was flawed from the start.

“I wrote to the Health Scrutiny Committee imploring them to support my effort to have the ICB take this action but I received no response from the committee’s Conservative Chairman. I am very disappointed that the ICB and the Chair of the committee have decided to act against advice and the community of West Cumbria and allow CNTW to get away with running a flawed and seemingly pre-determined process to close Yewdale ward. This is a betrayal of West Cumbria.

“I’ll be raising this with health ministers and seeking to ensure that any future attempt to change health services in West Cumbria MUST go through a full and fair decision making process, requiring consideration of all possible options and extensive formal public engagement and consultation. However, I fear this is sadly the end of the road for our effort to prevent the closure at this time of Yewdale ward.”

I was honoured this weekend to be asked to serve as a Minister in the Department for Education. It is a responsibility I take on with the experiences of children and families here in West Cumbria always at the front of my mind.

My professional life has been shaped by a commitment to children and young people. I began as a teacher, before becoming CEO of a charity dedicated to recruiting and developing brilliant social workers to support families in need. In 2022 I chaired the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, calling for major reforms and new investment to ensure every child can grow up in a safe, stable and loving home.

Since being elected as your MP, I’ve worked hard to turn those recommendations into reality. Many are now being taken forward by the Labour government, backed by £2.1 billion in funding. In my new role I will work with the brilliant Secretary of State Bridget Phillipson, the ministerial team at the Department for Education, and colleagues across government to deliver on our commitment to transform the lives of vulnerable children.

But while this ministerial post gives me a platform to make change nationally, my most important job remains here in West Cumbria. As your MP, I will continue to be a champion for our area and for your priorities. Whether it’s bringing new nuclear here, upgrading our railway line and port, securing investment in our towns, or improving our health services, West Cumbria will always come first.

As Parliament returns from the summer recess, I’ll be stepping up the pace to deliver. The initial market engagement for potential developments at Pioneer Park concludes this month, and I am meeting ministers and officials to ensure we move quickly to select a developer. Next month I’ll lead the third delegation of Cumbria’s political and business leaders to meet the Rail Minister to keep pressing our case for the Cumbria Coast Line upgrade. Work on a draft masterplan for regenerating Whitehaven town centre and on the business case for upgrading the Port of Workington is underway, and I am working with the council and government on funding options. Locally, our new Urgent Dental Access Centre is now fully operational, our 24/7 community mental health hub will open soon, and a bid has gone in for a new Neighbourhood Health Centre in Workington.

Becoming a Minister is a huge privilege. But it is the trust placed in me by the people of West Cumbria that drives me every day. Whatever happens in Westminster, my priority will always be to serve you.