I hope everyone across Luton South and South Bedfordshire has been enjoying the summer, I know I have!
It’s been great to get to spend even more time in our constituency while Parliament has been on recess, attending community events, meeting with local organisations and businesses, and getting out to speak to residents.
Read on to see more of what I’ve been up to and hear about some new announcements from the Government. To stay even more up to date, follow me on Facebook at Rachel Hopkins MP and Instagram at @rachelhopkinsmp.
Welcoming the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to Luton
Brilliant to welcome Miatta Fahnbulleh, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, to Luton recently.
Alongside Leader of Luton Council Tahmina Saleem, Deputy Leader Umme Ali, and Portfolio Holder for Finance Yaqub Hanif, Miatta met with the team at the Utilita Energy Hub in our town centre to learn more about the support they offer with managing bills, improving energy efficiency, and switching providers
I’ve been pleased to see the Government take action to put more money back in the pockets of people here in Luton South and South Bedfordshire by removing VAT on electricity bills, taking £150 off energy costs in April, and bringing back the Warm Homes Discount for another year this winter.
Action on rough sleeping
When he became Prime Minister, Andy Burnham said he would end rough sleeping.
Now plans are underway to make that a reality, with the Government launching a national drive to give everyone a route off the streets before Christmas.
Luton Council has already done great work supporting people at risk of homelessness and preventing rough sleeping. A new £3.3 million multi-year funding settlement will help them go even further.
Find out more here.
Statement on Israel’s E1 Settlement Project
I was glad to see the Prime Minister’s strong stance against the Israeli Government’s launch of tenders for the E1 settlement project this month.
This is a destructive move which violates international law and risks the viability of a two-state solution.
I am very pleased to see the Government standing firmly against it, working to uphold international law and continuing to push for long-term peace and security in the region.
Find the full statement below.
Cost of living support for Luton South and South Bedfordshire
I know that the cost of living is the number one priority for so many constituents across Luton South and South Bedfordshire.
That’s why it’s been brilliant to see our new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, hit the ground running to deliver lots of meaningful, common-sense changes that will help make things more affordable in our constituency.
This includes:
- Capping bus fares at £2
- Removing VAT on electricity bills
- Changing railcard rules so 18-year-olds can access half price savings too
- Stopping subscription traps
- Cutting business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues
- Removing time restrictions on disabled bus passes
Luton Baako Festival 2026!
Another fabulous day at the 5th annual Luton Baako Festival!
Brilliant to come together and celebrate our Luton African and Caribbean communities and culture through music, food, dancing, art and more.
It was lovely to join guests including the Barbados High Commissioner and Luton’s own Colin Salmon!
Huge thanks to The Ghana Society and headline sponsor Luton Rising for putting on such a brilliant event.
Luton is one town of many voices. Unity as one.
New community mental health support for Luton
Great news that Luton is set to get a new community mental health centre and a mental health emergency department, part of the Government’s once in a generation redesign of adult mental health services.
These will mean that people struggling with their mental health in Luton can get help earlier and closer to home, offering support without a referral and without a months-long wait, and those in crisis have somewhere safe to go.
Given the sharp increase in demand for mental health services in our area and across the country, this is very welcome news.
Read more here.
Kashmir and Pakistan culture day
It was great to pop into the Kashmir and Pakistan culture day this month! There were lots of great stalls and it was good to chat with the team from local business Amee Jee, based in High Town, as well as the team from Nationwide!
Great to see families enjoying themselves, with performances and recitations from the main stage there was definitely something for everyone!
New powers to revitalise our high streets
I warmly welcome the Government’s recent move to give local councils new powers to revitalise our high streets and residents a stronger say in what businesses open in their area.
By scrapping the ‘Aim to Permit’ rule and requiring vape shops and adult gaming centres to apply for planning permission, councils will be able to more closely regulate which businesses are opening on our high streets.
As well as this, increasing the maximum length of Closure Orders will mean that police and local authorities have more time to investigate premises linked to organised crime and pursue prosecutions before they can reopen.
Read more on these plans here.
CYCD Summer School Presentation
So lovely to join the CYCD Crescent Summer School’s end of summer celebration recently!
I was very glad to present awards to the youth volunteers that help make the summer school possible, recognising the time they gave up over the holidays to give the participants a jam-packed summer of fun.
Brilliant to see this summer school, run by Luton’s young people for Luton’s young people, offering kids in our area the chance to get out this summer, make friends, and learn new skills!
Huge thanks to Firoza, the whole team at CYCD, and every volunteer who helps to make this this excellent annual summer school happen.
Action on fly-tipping and waste crime
This month the Government announced the toughest ever crackdown on waste criminals in England, as well as immediate action to clean up some of the worst illegal dumping sites.
This means:
– Fixed penalty notices issued by the Environment Agency will rise from £300 to £5,000
– Bigger role for the police and National Crime Agency in catching and punishing those who dump illegally
– Enhanced powers to confiscate cash, cars, and others assets bought with the proceeds of waste crime
– Stronger safeguards on waste permits
– New Waste Crime Crackdown Group
CaSE Summer Party at Lyons Community Centre
Lovely to join the CaSE Summer Party at Lyons Community Centre this month! Great fun was being had in the games room and another wonderful performance from Tom Speight – including everyone singing along to Wonderwall at the end!
Thank you to Kevin and everyone involved for putting on a lovely afternoon
The centre really is a hidden gem if you’ve yet to visit for one of the many activities throughout the week or to use any of the rooms for private hire.
Find out more here: https://casetrust.org.uk/lyons-community-centre/
Innovation to move away from animal testing
I know we have a constituency full of animal lovers in Luton South and South Bedfordshire, so it’s great news that the Government plans to ramp up the UK’s move away from animal testing through investment in cutting edge science and research
This will be delivered through:
- A new £20 million centre to grow miniature organs from human tissue – helping to deliver effective treatments for patients with more accurate testing.
- Backing for nine projects worth £2 million, including beating heart cells in a dish, lab-grown human ear models, and AI predicting how drugs move through the body.
