As a lifelong Stoke-on-Trent resident, my focus since being elected has been to get us back on the map and put our city at the forefront of the Government’s agenda. Over the last few months alone, we have seen huge steps towards this goal.
Many of my constituents in Stoke-on-Trent South shared with me their concerns and anger by the illegal crossings of the English Channel. Residents have made clear their desire to see the integrity of our borders re-enforced and to stop criminals exploiting vulnerable people. With over 1,279 asylum seekers and refugees now in Stoke-on-Trent, I have repeatedly made clear our city has done more than our fair share and called for further action to tackle illegal migration.
I was delighted to see the HM The King recently give Royal Assent to the Illegal Migration Act. This new Act of Parliament is extremely important in our ongoing battle to tackle illegal immigration, ensuring those who come here through illegal means have no right to stay here and cannot repeatedly use legal loopholes to stay here.
The abuse of our immigration system has gone on long enough, only to the advantage of those heinous people smugglers, and left the system so overloaded it cannot help those in genuine need. That is why, I stood firmly behind the Government and voted 27 times against the ridiculous amendments tabled against the bill by both Labour and Lib Dem Lords, in their attempts to torpedo the Bill. I am very pleased the Government did not buckle on this. We can now get on with protecting our boarders and stopping the boats.
In my last personally speaking I spoke about welcoming the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman MP, to Stoke-on-Trent to open the new Home Office Hub and my desire for this to be just the start of plans to create a full civil service campus in Stoke-on-Trent. We have now had a further major announcement from the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, Michael Gove MP that the Government’s new flagship Office for Place will be based in Stoke-on-Trent.
The Office for Place will bring more new high skilled well paid jobs into Stoke-on-Trent and demonstrates the importance the Government gives to our city in making it the home for this key new Government organisation. Having The Office for Place based locally will also be beneficial to work currently underway to further regenerate and level-up opportunities in our city, helping ensure we deliver the maximum benefit from the wider Government investment we have secured.
Our city will play a vital part in the Government’s long-term national plan for housing and regeneration. This new Government agency will lead a design revolution, ensuring beautiful new homes and places are built that better reflect what local people want to see in their area. Far too often new developments have been poorly designed carbon copies, devoid of all quality and life. This change will ensure good quality design is promoted, preserving and strengthening the unique character of each area and helping support stronger local communities.
As well as the new Government offices opening in Stoke-on-Trent, I have been spending some time visiting several local businesses. Recently, Valentine Clay Ltd kindly hosted the Minister for International Trade, Nigel Huddleston MP, to showcase our local ceramics industry in Stoke-on-Trent. It was great to be able to take the Minister around their new factory to hear about the successes but also some of the challenges and what more the Government can do to help support the local ceramics industry, particularly when it comes to supporting our local industries to export more of the world-class products we produce in Stoke-on-Trent.
This ongoing attention on our city by the Government is what Stoke-on-Trent has needed for a long-time. Growing up in Stoke-on-Trent, it was clear Westminster did not care and had ignored our city for decades, this was the same message I would hear over and over when I was first elected in 2017. The days of Stoke-on-Trent being the forgotten city are over and there can be no more doubting that our place as the great city of Stoke-on-Trent is firmly at the top of the Government’s agenda.
I know that we have a lot of work still to do, in some respects this is only just the start. Residents rightfully want to see the funding secured over the last few years properly spent and multiplied even further. That is why I am continuing to work to ensure the City Council deliver on what we have secured, and we don’t lose focus on the essential seps forward we must make.
Parliament is now in the summer recess period, and this means I have more time in Stoke-on-Trent. As well as enjoying some family time with my wife and two young children over the summer, I will be meeting with residents, businesses, and organisations throughout Stoke-on-Trent South. If you see me out and about throughout summer, feel free to say hello and have a chat.
Originally published in the Stoke Sentinel 07/08/23
