When people take on a social tenancy, many are handed an empty box and must find the money for carpets, furniture and essential appliances such as a cooker and fridge. These are necessities, but the cost of providing them can be overwhelming for those with very little. This month I hosted a Housing Summit in Truro with social housing providers from across Cornwall, advice services, charities and campaign groups to discuss how to tackle furniture poverty and reduce the costs p

From January, this Government will cap single bus fares at £2, making it more affordable to travel across Cornwall. I know there is more to do - particularly on transport for people at college and in training - but this cap will help and is a good first step. On 23 July, I held a Bus Summit in Falmouth for those whose apprenticeship, work experience, training or studies have been disrupted by a lack of transport. The system across the country in rural areas to travel to compu

Despite attracting millions of visitors with its beautiful beaches, restaurants, gardens and unique culture, Cornwall remains a place where many local people struggle with unaffordable housing, insecure and seasonal employment, limited access to healthcare, and expensive or unreliable transport. In a Westminster Hall debate on Coastal Communities: Isolation and Hidden Deprivation, I, alongside Cornwall’s other Labour MPs, argued that Cornwall’s beauty can often hide the har

Earlier this year, a court ruling put at risk the hourly payments that help cover the costs volunteers incur when they drop everything to rescue people in trouble at sea. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency had planned to remove those payments from September. But after intervention by the Coastguard volunteers, who have been brilliant, MPs for coastal areas including myself, the Maritime Minister, Keir Mather, has stepped in and paused the change. Volunteers will continue to r

Great news: Falmouth Ambulance Station is set to save £70,000 in energy costs thanks to the state’s energy company GB Energy paying for solar panels for the roof of their station. GB Energy are also funding solar panels on Falmouth Hospital. This is a great way to save the NHS and schools money as well as to help the climate.

Those that know me will be aware of the campaigning that I have been doing on the possible link between military helicopters (particularly the Sea King) and rare cancers like multiple myeloma. I have been struggling for two years as an MP to get information from the MOD about how many serving personnel and veterans have contracted these cancers, and it has been challenging. Hence, I am pleased that this study has, finally, been set up. It will look in totality at how many peo

This month I held an online workshop with constituents navigating the personal independence payments system (PIP) to feed into the Timms Review. The experiences people shared made it clear that the system is not working. I’m very grateful to everyone who attended, and for the courage and articulacy they showed in recounting very difficult experiences. What they told me completely backs up the initial interim review findings that the process is fundamentally flawed and dehuman

I recently attended Cornwall Council meeting to receive the Dowr Glan petition and talk about water regulation, ownership and South West Water. Thames Water has been teetering on the brink of special administrative receivership and being taken under government control for months now. As part of the membership of the Environment Food & Rural Affairs Committee, we interviewed them twice. Andy Burnham has talked about public control of water companies. Thames would be a great te

The Government has taken British Steel into public ownership to protect the future of steel production in the UK. The Bill to do this came into force on 16 July. Steel plays a really important role in the UK economy; it is used in critical infrastructure and national security. Including marine and renewables, which are so important for us in Cornwall. The steel industry supports around 33,000 jobs in the UK. This follows wider support for the UK steel sector, such as the UK S

In Parliament, I hosted a drop-in event for Citizens UK on this Government’s new Named Community Sponsorship programme. Brilliant volunteer organisations such as Falmouth and Penryn Welcome Refugees are already doing great work and have shown how this model can work nationally. It reflects the best of the Great British spirit, with communities coming together to welcome refugees and help them build their future. When people arrive through schemes such as these, they are sup

My priority is to make sure the people of Truro & Falmouth and the rest of Cornwall feel the benefit of this Labour government no matter who is leading it. Since 20 July, Andy Burnham has been our Prime Minister. He is the first Prime Minister to belong to the Labour and Co-operative Party and it’s good to see more Co-operative representation at the top. I have already started to work with Andy Burnham regarding Cornwall - what we need for our economy, our young people, our N

I am concerned that Cornwall Council has turned nighttime street lighting off in some parts of Falmouth. The town has a busy nighttime economy, and I want everyone to feel safe getting home after midnight. I have asked Cornwall Council to reconsider their decision to turn off the lights unless the Town Council pays – because lighting provided by the local authority should fit the area. I have launched an online petition asking Cornwall Council to reconsider its decision to tu

Across the country, more communities are stepping in to take ownership of places that matter to them, from pubs to sports clubs and youth centres. Many of these projects are flourishing, but too often it has been against the odds. Over the past decade, thousands of valued local assets have closed, leaving big gaps in community life. That is why the Government’s recently announced £61 million Community Right to Buy Fund is so important. It is there to help communities step in

Due to popular demand, I’ve decided to extend the Cubert Crossroads petition. The new deadline is September 29th – this extension will help us maximise the reach and get as many signatures as possible. The petition declares that the visibility at Cubert Crossroads falls below national standards for a 60mph road and puts road users at risk of accidents and fatalities. During the summer months, traffic volumes increase significantly due to seasonal visitors who are unfamiliar w

I led a Parliamentary debate on ports and port connectivity, where members from all the edges of the country came to talk about their very different ports and their potential. As an island nation, our prosperity is closely connected to the strength of our ports. Our towns flourish where ports thrive, and decline where harbours have silted up, and trade moved on. Supporting our ports and making sure they are well connected is vital to our national success and resilience, yet t

It has been 10 years since the tragic death of Jo Cox, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, who was killed in her constituency during the EU referendum campaign on 16 June 2016. Her death shocked across the political spectrum. Jo made an impact in Parliament. She was a strong advocate for many causes, campaigning on the rights of women and girls and standing up for the marginalised and vulnerable in society and across the world. She was driven by her belief that a fairer, kinder a

I was sad about Keir Starmer’s resignation. The Keir I know is a decent and honourable person who cares very much about this country and the people in it. In the first four of his six years running the Labour Party, he stabilised and turned around our party, made it fit to govern and won an election. In the last two years he has stabilised and turned around the direction of the country. He has a long list of achievements as Prime Minister - from rebuilding the NHS, restorin

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