The 5p fuel duty cut will now continue until the end of 2026. This means many people in rural areas like Cornwall who rely on their cars will be able to breathe a sigh of relief as they now have some certainty until the end of the year. Additional support is also available for those who use their vehicles for work, with increased tax-free mileage rates this year. This is particularly important for sectors such as health and social care in Cornwall who travel further than the

Good news on the economic front, inflation has fallen to 2.8%, and the rate of economic growth was higher than expected at the start of the year, which is the highest in the G7 – one of our manifesto pledges. This has allowed targeted support to ease the cost of living and to boost the economy this summer. For Cornwall, these measures will be particularly helpful. A temporary VAT reduction from 20% to 5% on children’s meals and eligible children’s activities over the summer h

We live on a peninsula surrounded by sea on all sides. It is essential that our children can navigate the sea safely and understand how their coastline is changing. Crantock Surf Life Saving Club has around 190 members, mainly young people, and a long waiting list. It plays an important role in the constituency teaching beach safety, training future lifeguards and providing a space for the RNLI to operate. Plans for a new, more resilient clubhouse have now received planning p

I was in the House of Lords for the State Opening of Parliament, watching & listening closely. The ceremony is steeped in centuries of tradition and can feel distant, but its focus is firmly on the future. It brings together the Commons, the Lords and the Crown so the Government can outline the legislation it plans to introduce. There is a lot we aim to do. We are stepping up work to fix our broken water and sewage system, which matters greatly here in Cornwall, as well as ra

Earlier this year, Cornwall faced a growing crisis in septic tank waste disposal following severe storms and heavy rainfall. Treatment works struggled with capacity, forcing companies to transport waste long distances up to Bristol. This was costing a great deal of money and time. There were even cases of sewage overflowing onto streets. In response, I coordinated a joint letter from Cornish MPs to the Water Minister, Emma Hardy. This led to a roundtable with the Environment

I have been working hard to bring rail freight back to Falmouth Docks. Funding has now been secured for a feasibility study, which is an important step towards reopening the line. Making better use of rail will be key to a more resilient and sustainable future for Cornwall. If successful, this could remove up to 77 lorries from our roads per train. It would also unlock significant benefits for Cornwall’s economy, supporting some of our new mining companies to transport Cornis

Since I came to Parliament, I have been a member of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Scrutiny Committee. The Committee has published reports on the future of farming, the water industry, biosecurity at the border and fishing, amongst other things. I am honoured to have been promoted to Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). As a PPS, I will join Defra to support Secretary of State Emma Reynolds and o

Cornwall Council has been allocated a capital cash injection of £9.19 million in High Needs Provision funding for 2026–27, as part of a national investment to increase specialist school places and strengthen specialist support in mainstream settings. This funding will support improvements to SEND provision across Cornwall and help more children receive the right support closer to home. The funding comes at a critical time, with demand for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC

I know that a lot of families and businesses in Truro & Falmouth are feeling the impact of global energy pressures as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. I was pleased that this Labour government announced a series of steps to help end our dependence on international fossil fuel markets and move towards cheap, clean power that’s in our control, whilst bringing our energy bills down for good. And it’s what we need to do for the planet. Win-win. Steps being taken:

South West Water have started fixing combined storm overflows in Falmouth. This month, I visited Gyllyngvase Beach to see the new stormwater storage tank they’ve built under Gylly carpark. This will cut sewage spills massively from when it is connected next month until at least 2050. Other investment work across Falmouth will follow, including Stack Point, Prince of Wales pier and 14 other sites, so that sewage overflow will be greatly reduced within 2 years. Falmouth is firs

Cornwall Council has received around £10 million in Government funding for 2026–27 to help households cope with the rising cost of living, among other measures. A majority of this (£8.25 million) will be used for the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, which is there to support households struggling with essential costs such as energy bills, daily living expenses, food, and emergency housing needs. It replaces the Household Support Fund, which was due to end, and will continue fo

Access to a banking branch is so important. The big banks have been pulling their branches out of our towns and cities at great speed post-Covid. While online and mobile banking work well for some, they don’t work for everyone. Lots of people still need face to face advice and want to be able to pay in a cheque or get help with their account. Local businesses also rely on physical banking services to deposit cash and withdraw money for a float. Around 70% of small businesses

We are improving the council tax system so that it is fairer for taxpayers. This will be the first change to the administration of bills since 1993. The current system means that missing 1 monthly payment can have devastating financial consequences as households become liable to pay their entire annual council tax bill just 2 weeks later. This Labour Government are putting an end to practices that push households into unnecessary financial distress. From next year, households

Education Education Education has always been so important to Labour governments and me particularly as a teaching assistant for 7 years. The SEND system has been failing since austerity and covid and the 2014 changes did not work as planned. That’s why we are reforming the school system so that young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities get earlier support when they need it. After 18 months of extensive consultation with families, schools, experts, and gove

With the support of £1 billion from GB Energy, the UK’s new state energy company, we can generate and benefit from energy produced in our own communities. As we transition to clean power, we have the chance to build an economy that works for local people and the planet rather than rich oil companies. The Co-operative Party has long campaigned for publicly owned and community-controlled power, and this made it into the Labour manifesto. The Government’s Local Power Plan is t

One of the Prime Minister’s ambitions is for 2/3 of young people to be in higher or further education or in an apprenticeship. And apprenticeships are traditionally the best way for young people to access and learn new skills while also earning a wage. Education should lead us to decent and rewarding jobs. The Government is backing apprenticeships with funding for training and I am working with Government to see how we can put more into them from the Apprenticeship Levy – par

It’s great that Falmouth Primary has been awarded funding for a Free Breakfast Club from April 2026. In Truro and Falmouth, we already have Free Breakfast Clubs at Tregony Community Primary School and St Francis CofE Primary School. These clubs give young people the best start to the day and support parents at the same time. So far, 7 million breakfasts have been served. Applications just opened for 1,500 schools to join the programme in September. See how to apply here:...

My son will attest that I don’t have much of a grasp of technology, and I know many parents feel the same. Most of us don’t have a full awareness of what our children are doing online or the reality of the content they’re seeing. Change is needed to keep young people safe online, which is why the government’s consultation launched in January is so important. We are taking action to make the online world safer by: Considering and debating the introduction of a minimum social m

Recently, I visited Crantock Beach, a beautiful surf spot and holiday destination, but also a coastline vulnerable to powerful Atlantic swells and storms. I met members of the Crantock Surf Life Saving (SLS) Club, who are fundraising for a new clubhouse, as their current building is deteriorating and now sits close to the cliff edge. The club has 160 members, many of them local children training to become lifeguards. With several rip currents caused by shifting sands, their s

As a backbench MP, it is rare to see one of your Bills make it into law. That’s why I’m so pleased that the Armed Forces Bill 2026 has incorporated the proposal from my Ten Minute Rule Bill to bring Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) personnel within the remit of the new Armed Forces Commissioner. The Armed Forces Bill will also contain improvements for terms and conditions for service personnel, particularly in their housing, which was privatised under a Conservative government. Th