Welcome to my April newsletter, with updates of what I have been up to as your MP.

You can sign up to receive the newsletter by clicking here – please do share the link with your friends and family. There’s also still time to sign my petition to bring the Eurostar back to Ashford and take part in my constituency survey on the impacts of social media.

If there is anything you think I should know, or anything you think I could help you with, please get in touch by clicking here.

Launching Labour’s £20 million Ramsgate Pride in Place project

It was brilliant to take part in the official launch of Labour’s £20 million Ramsgate Pride in Place programme. This funding is about strengthening what already makes Ramsgate special — our creativity, our energy, and our strong community networks — while also addressing challenges that have been allowed to build up after more than a decade of austerity and neglect. We’ve already used the funding to save local youth centre Pie Factory Music from closure, and will be supporting local projects, improving facilities, investing in our public spaces, and helping our town centre to thrive. I cannot wait to see what we deliver together over the next few years.

Launching Ramsgate's £20 million Pride in Place programme

St George’s Day in Ramsgate brings whole community together

At a time when it feels like all we hear about is anger, division, and upheaval, I could not have asked for a more uplifting antidote than Ramsgate’s wonderful St George’s Day parade in the sunshine. What’s so special about Ramsgate’s St George’s Day parade is that it’s not something put on for the community; it is something created by the community.

St George’s Day has always felt special in Thanet, but our message of unity and togetherness feels particularly important after a year in which our national flag has been used by some to sow division and instil fear. Whether you were born here or drawn here, this amazing event reveals the real meaning of patriotism: pride in our country, our community, and our local traditions, and a commitment to looking out for each other. Watch a video by clicking here.

Celebrating St George's Day in Ramsgate (Photo: Frank Leppard)

£865k from the government to support the Turner Contemporary

The Turner Contemporary in Margate is set to receive £865,000 in funding from the government’s Arts Everywhere Fund, as part of a £127.8 million investment in cultural venues across the country. The funding will pay for vital repairs and for solar panels to cut the gallery’s running costs. Over the last 15 years, the Turner has generated at least £100 million for the local economy and sits at the heart of Margate’s cultural and artistic life. This vital grant will help safeguard the gallery’s future.

Rebuilding our NHS in Thanet

This month I visited the site of the new Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit at the QEQM emergency department in Margate. The building work, due to be finished this summer, will create a new unit where patients can be rapidly assessed, diagnosed, and treated, relieving pressure on NHS emergency care and cutting waiting times. This fantastic new facility has been made possible because the government is making the biggest cash injection into the NHS since Labour were last in government fifteen years ago.

This month in parliament I also raised the importance of even stronger action to improve cancer outcomes in coastal areas like Thanet. You can watch a clip here. I’m really pleased the government’s Cancer Plan includes targeted support to tackle understaffing in coastal towns like ours.

Visiting the site of the new NHS Same Day Emergency Care unit at QEQM in Margate

End of the Parliamentary session

Parliament works in ‘sessions’, which usually last about a year. The most recent session ended this month, which was a good opportunity to reflect on some of the brilliant achievements Labour has made since the King opened the last session in 2024:

The Employment Rights Act which ensured the biggest upgrade in workers’ rights in a generation, including banning zero hours contracts.
The Passenger Public Services (Public Ownership) Act established Great British Rail, which will help nationalise our railways, improve services, and keep fares low.
The Great British Energy Act created a publicly owned energy company to deliver homegrown clean power and cut energy bills.
The Renters Rights Act provides renters with security and dignity by outlawing no-fault evictions and providing other protections.
The Water (Special Measures) Act helps end the sewage scandal, including by enforcing stricter punishments for failing water bosses.

Abrupt closure of St Lawrence College

The abrupt closure of St Lawrence College in Ramsgate is really distressing news for pupils, parents, and staff, and reflects a situation where the owners’ finances have been prioritised over the welfare and education of young people. The school has been suffering financial difficulties for years, so there is no excuse for declaring bankruptcy in the middle of the academic year without any warning to staff and families.

My priority now is working with Kent County Council and the Department of Education to ensure students’ education is not interrupted and they are supported to find alternative school places. I also want to ensure the fantastic facilities at St Lawrence’s can be protected for use by the whole community. Watch me speaking about this on BBC News by clicking here.

Speaking with a local resident at one my recent constituency coffee mornings

Constituency visits

This month I have visited some fantastic local organisations and community groups including:

I hosted community coffee events in Sir Moses Montefiore ward in Ramsgate and Margate Central ward, hearing from local residents about the issues that matter most to them and offering help if they need it.
I joined the monthly Veterans Breakfast Club in Ramsgate, where I met local veterans and their families and offered my support to them.
I attended the Thanet and East Kent Chambers of Commerce monthly breakfast group with local businesses and discussed the work I’m doing to champion local businesses in parliament.
I met the brilliant campaigners who travelled to parliament as part of the campaign to lower the mammogram age to 40.

Attending the Veterans Breakfast Club in Ramsgate

Casework successes

This month, my team and I have been able to assist residents to resolve issues that they’ve been experiencing.

I helped a constituent resolve an issue of stolen identity with the DWP that had resulted in them being wrongly pursued for thousands of pounds of repayments.
I chased the Disclosure and Barring Service to resolve a check that had been ongoing for over 8 months.
I worked with Thanet District Council and UK Power Networks to arrange the clearing of a substation area that had begun to encroach on residents’ gardens.

I’m always happy to help. If you think I could be of assistance, please get in touch by clicking here and I will see what I can do.

You received this email because you subscribed to our list. You can unsubscribe at any time.

House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A 0AA
United Kingdom