This week I was pleased to welcome the Culture and Tourism Minister, and the Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms, Chris Bryant MP, to Newcastle-under-Lyme for a day of visits across the constituency. It was a great opportunity to showcase the strength of our local visitor economy, cultural life and the innovation taking place at Keele University. Tourism roundtable at Brampton Museum We began the day at Brampton Museum, where the Minister toured the museum and joined a

My Personally Speaking Column in the Sentinel (28 August 2025) Where we live, whether there are enough school places for our children, if GP surgeries and NHS services can meet local demand, how we improve transport connectivity across the community and how we protect the green spaces that make Newcastle-under-Lyme special – all of these things are shaped, in part, by the Local Plan. Earlier this year, Newcastle-under-Lyme District Borough Council submitted its draft Local Pl

Full interview with Susan Hanks on Radio Stoke Yesterday, I joined BBC Radio Stoke to talk about the news that Deakin’s Yard, the new student accommodation development in Newcastle-under-Lyme, will not be opening as planned this September. In the interview I explained how I first became aware of the situation, the steps I have taken since, and why serious questions now need to be answered about planning, oversight, and the developers’ responsibility to deliver the project saf

In Theatre at the Royal Stoke Hospital This week I had the opportunity to visit Royal Stoke Hospital to see a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedure carried out by the cardiology team. TAVI is a minimally invasive treatment for heart valve disease – a common but serious condition in which one or more heart valves stop working properly. Left untreated, heart valve disease can be fatal. But with procedures like TAVI, patients are able to return to living activ

Earlier this week, I was delighted to host a coffee morning at Betley Village Hall, bringing local people together over a cuppa and a slice of cake. It was wonderful to see so many of you there and to have the chance to listen to your thoughts, ideas, and concerns. As your Member of Parliament, I want to make sure I’m spending the Summer Recess out and about across Newcastle-under-Lyme, meeting people face-to-face and hearing directly from you. This kind of event is exactly w

My full speech in the House of Commons (21-07-2025) It was an honour to speak in Parliament in the debate on Victory over Japan Day, held shortly before the summer recess. The anniversary is a poignant moment to pay tribute to the men and women from Newcastle-under-Lyme, from Staffordshire, from across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth who served in the Eastern theatre of the Second World War, and to the veterans and families to whom we owe so much. This year’s mileston