From launching my annual Small Business Awards to this week’s budget, October has been another busy month in Parliament and across Luton South and South Bedfordshire.
Read on to see what I’ve been up to representing our constituency and follow me on social media to stay even more in the loop. Find me at Rachel Hopkins MP on Facebook and @rachelhopkinsmp on Instagram!
Small Business Awards 2026!
This month I was delighted to launch my 6th annual Luton South and South Bedfordshire Small Business Awards!
Small Businesses sit at the heart of our communities and are the backbone of our local economy. It’s been wonderful celebrating so many from right across our constituency over the last five years, and I can’t wait to recognise even more this year.
Nominate your favourite Luton South and South Bedfordshire small business for my awards below!
Budget 2026- Cost of living
I know that the rising cost of living is the number one concern across Luton South and South Bedfordshire. So I was incredibly pleased that Chancellor John Healey announced new measures in the budget to give working people more breathing space when it comes to the essentials:
- £100 direct payment to all households in council tax bands A-D to support with energy costs. That’s 46,400 households in Luton South and South Bedfordshire!
- Extending the VAT cut on electricity bills until July 2027.
- Removing standing charges from gas bills.
- 3.9% increase to the National Minimum and Living Wages.
- Extending parental pay to self-employed dads, partners and adopters.
- Extending the 5p fuel duty cut for 6 months.
- Increasing tax free mileage rates to support those who drive for work.
These will give some breathing space on the cost of living now, while we build towards a stronger economic future for everyone.
Love Luton Run Fest 2026
Another fantastic Love Luton Run Fest this month! Well done to everyone who took part whether running the half marathon or, like me, walking the 5k alongside Dave dressed as a chicken raising money for a good cause!
This is Luton at its best, our community out together, united, supporting each other – and don’t let others say otherwise.
Budget 2026- Housing
A safe, stable home is the foundation to a good life. That’s why the government is undertaking the biggest investment in council housebuilding in a generation – helping to give more people that security and freedom.
The budget strengthens that commitment, adding an additional £1.5 billion to bring total investment in the Social and Affordable Homes Programme to £40 billion. It also doubles funding for the commitment to end rough sleeping to £900 million, extending support beyond this winter right to the end of this Parliament.
As well as this, the Chancellor made moves to set our young people up for better futures with the new ‘Your First Home’ scheme which will help 70,000 first time buyers get on the property ladder, and a new First Time Buyer ISA.
Celebrating the University of Bedfordshire
The University of Bedfordshire is a hub of innovation, learning, and creativity in our town. This month we came together to celebrate its 20th anniversary- sharing memories and reflecting on its impact in our town.
We heard from speakers including Vice Chancellor Deborah Johnston MBE, Chair of Governors Simon Yun-Farmbrough, and former SU President Charlie Hughes, about their time with the university, and celebrated alongside its very first Vice Chancellor Sir Les Ebdon CBE.
Having both worked on the merger project that created the new UoB 20 years ago, and as a former mature student, I was delighted to mark this milestone and show my continued support for the university.
Raising Red Flying Green
Recently I was so glad to speak at this year’s launch of the Raising Red Flying Green campaign – an important campaign created by Women’s Aid in Luton and MediaZoo.
This year they are working to raise awareness across our town of the impact that domestic abuse can have on mental health and encouraging survivors and anyone affected by domestic abuse to recognise the signs and reach out for support.
Thank you to Gaby from Women’s Aid, Jodi from MediaZoo and the whole team for all your work on this, as well as Cllr Maria Lovell for your support as the former portfolio holder for Women, Equalities, and Community Safety.
Find out more about the campaign and where to go for support here: https://raisingredflyinggreen.co.uk/
Budget 2026- Support for young people
In this budget the Chancellor announced more ambitious targets for school readiness, £15 million funding for organisations including the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to give more children aged 0-5 access to books, as well as £60 million for PE and sports partnerships in schools.
Beyond this, the government has also committed £100 million investment over two years to local apprenticeship services- connecting young people with more well-paid, skilled opportunities in their area.
Further action on this will come next year after the publication of the Milburn Review, setting out the government’s plans to back young people currently not in education, employment, or training.
Black history month
Recently I was proud to sit on the frontbench in Parliament as MPs made some brilliant and heartfelt contributions to the annual debate on Black History Month.
This year’s theme is “Honouring our Communities” and I am immensely proud to represent our wonderful black community across Luton South and South Bedfordshire, who have contributed so much to our vibrant and diverse town!
That contribution can be seen everywhere – in our NHS and public services, in businesses and workplaces, in our local community, and across culture and sport.
You can read the debate in full here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-10-22/debates/B3B7734C-0D7D-414C-A4DE-B76B52692C7F/x
Caddington Scouts
Lovely to join the Caddington Scouts for an evening of interesting discussion and to answer questions about being their local MP.
We covered lots of topics from social media and lowering the voting age to the climate crisis.
Thank you to the whole group for a warm welcome and some great questions!
Beyond Luton Carnival 50
Brilliant to pop into Luton Central Library recently to visit the Beyond Luton Carnival 50 exhibition
A wonderful and timely celebration of our Afro-Caribbean communities in Luton during Black History Month, showcasing how they shaped our town’s carnival tradition over the past 50 years! Some amazing photographs on display, including our very own Luton Councillor Jacqui Burnett!
Budget 2026- Revitalising our high streets and local communities
It’s great news for Luton South and South Bedfordshire that in the budget the Chancellor announced new support for high streets.
Changes to business rates will mean all retail, hospitality and leisure properties will see their business rates either frozen in real terms or reduced, and over half of these will not pay business rates at all.
The government is ending business rates relief for vape shops and adult gaming centres, introducing new community funding and powers to bring neglected buildings back into use, and publishing the ‘Hope on the High Street’ strategy- all helping to breathe new life into the high streets at the heart of our communities.
Visiting Hillborough Infant School
Recently I was so glad to join Hillborough Infant & Nursery School for the official unveiling of their brand new playground pirate ship!
This exciting addition to their outdoor play area is named after the late Ian Ward, former Chair of Governors who gave so much to the school community throughout all his dedicated service.
It was brilliant to see lots of the students getting stuck in and enjoying playing on the ship already!
Thank you to Hillborough Infants for the kind invitation and once again welcoming me into your school community.
Parking charges- casework win!
I am regularly contacted by constituents who are being stung with unfair fines from private parking firms.
So this month I was very glad to see the government take action on this issue and introduce new rules which will protect people from unfair charges.
This includes:
- Freezing maximum parking charges at £100
- Capping charges when drivers forget a parking permit or enter the wrong reg number
- A guaranteed 5 minutes to decide whether to park and 10 minutes to leave without facing a penalty
Investing in our courts system
This government is serious about getting down the court backlog and making sure victims get justice.
After hearing a range of views, the Justice Secretary has decided to move away from the decision to scrap jury trials for some offences, instead shifting his approach to fast track the broader changes we need to see to reduce waiting lists.
- Record levels of investment, including £287 million for court repairs and new facilities
- New technology to modernise courts and reduce inefficiencies
- Uncapping sitting days