My Personally Speaking Column in The Sentinel (20 November 2025) One of the best things of being our local Member of Parliament is getting out across Newcastle-under-Lyme to meet the people and businesses that drive our local community and our local economy. In recent weeks, that’s included visits to Meighs & Westleys in Holditch and Broxap in Chesterton – two examples of the many long standing businesses rooted in our community. At Meighs & Westleys, or the Westley Group, I

Following the recent announcement about the future of Betley GP Surgery, the NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent has opened a consultation to gather views from patients registered at the practice. The current contract for Betley Surgery ends in March 2026, and the ICB must decide how patients will access GP services in the future. They are asking patients to complete a short survey to share their priorities and experiences. Responses are confi

Last week, Newcastle-under-Lyme said goodbye to one of its longest-standing independent businesses: Farmer’s Shoe Shop. For fifty years, Farmer’s Shoe Shop has been a fixture on our high street – providing quality footwear and friendly service to generations of local people. First opened by Frank and Sylvia Farmer in 1975 on Merrial Street, and later based on Bridge Street, the shop has played an important role in the life of our local economy for half a century. To recognise