Welcome to my July newsletter. Parliament has now adjourned for the summer recess, and it’s been a busy few months in Westminster and in Luton South.
Opposing the closure of Luton Station Ticket Office
On 5 July, a public consultation was launched regarding the proposed closure of over 1000 station ticket offices – including at Luton Station.
There’s now only days left to oppose the proposed closure of the ticket office, as the consultation will end on Wednesday 26 July. It is important that as many local voices are heard as possible. You can find out how to respond to the consultation and a suggested draft response here.
You can also sign my petition calling on the Secretary of State for Transport to save Luton Station’s ticket office below.
I wrote about these proposals in this month’s Luton News article, which you can read below, or read it here.
Celebrating Luton Town’s Promotion to the Premier League
It was fantastic to go to Wembley and be part of the celebrations of Luton Town’s historic win and promotion to the Premier League. I can’t wait to see Luton welcoming Premier League football clubs to our historic Kenilworth Road in just a few short weeks.
I am proud to have tabled a motion in Parliament to celebrate this brilliant achievement. The motion recognises the achievements of the players, manager Rob Edwards, CEO Gary Sweet and the club’s officials, and club staff. It also acknowledges how important this promotion is to the building of the new Power Court Stadium and the future success of the club and town. You can read it here.
Supporting the Future of the Automotive Industry
In a recent debate on the automotive industry, I spoke about Vauxhall Motors and the importance of the automotive sector to Luton. The automotive sector is a jewel in the crown of British manufacturing and critical to the economy in Luton and across the UK. We need a long-term strategy from the Government to safeguard the industry and jobs in our town. You can watch my speech below.
I continue to press the Minister on this issue, this week where I asked about investment available for existing automotive businesses in the UK. You can watch this here.
The automotive industry faces serious challenges, Labour’s plan for the automotive industry will part finance the battery gigafactories we need to build electric vehicles, accelerate the rollout of charging points, secure an agreement on rules of origin and prevent tariffs, and make the UK a clean energy superpower by 2030.
Anthony Nolan Supporters Awards
I was honoured to be nominated for the Political Supporter of the Year Award at the Anthony Nolan Awards, held at the Tower of London.
I have been proud to support Anthony Nolan’s campaigns to get more young people signed up to the stem cell register, particularly donors from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
You can learn more and join the stem cell register here: https://www.anthonynolan.org/…/join-stem-cell-register…
Pride in Luton
June saw the return of Pride in Luton in the Hat District, and I was proud to see such a strong turnout for the event and was delighted to be invited to speak. It is important to stand together against discrimination and intolerance. The event highlighted that while Pride is a celebration, it is also a protest.
Commemorating the Windrush Generation
Windrush Day 2023 marked 75 years since the HMT Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury. I joined community events across Luton South commemorating the Windrush generation’s contribution to our town and the UK.
I was pleased to attend the United Luton Caribbean & African Committee’s reception at Luton Town Hall, it was inspiring to see the next generation of young leaders hosting the event.
I was also honoured to attend the Windrush Thanksgiving Service at Restoration Revival Fellowship which saw contributions from the Jamaican High Commission, and the New Testament Church of God civic reception at St Mary’s Church which celebrated the contributions made by the Windrush generation to rebuilding Britain after WW2 and serving our NHS.
Celebrating Eid al-Adha
It was lovely to take part in Eid celebrations at the Inspire FM Eid festival at Lewsey Park, where I joined Sarah Owen MP. It was great community focussed event where everyone was enjoying celebrating Eid together.
Visiting Schools in Luton South
I always enjoy meeting staff and talking to pupils whilst visiting schools in Luton South. I was delighted to recently visit Stockwood Park Academy and Ramridge Primary School, and was also honoured to be asked to raise the flag at Someries Junior School’s Golden Anniversary Fete.
Politics East’s Luton Special
I was pleased to take part in filming of Politics East’s Luton special at Stockwood Discovery Centre, which aired recently. In the discussion, I championed Luton Town Football Club, the importance of Vauxhall to our town, and our communities coming together during the Covid-19 pandemic.
You can watch the episode here.
