The Government has set out the biggest package of animal welfare reforms in a generation. I support these changes because they are practical, long overdue, and rooted in a simple principle – that how we treat animals reflects who we are as a society. Last week in the House of Commons, I spoke about why this moment matters – the ambition of these reforms and the way they are delivered. Raising animal welfare standards should go hand in hand with supporting farmers, rewarding t

My Personally Speaking column in The Sentinel (18 December 2025) Christmas has a way of revealing who we really rely on to keep daily life moving. When pressure rises, deadlines tighten and expectations are high, it is the same groups of people who step up – often without fuss, and often without recognition. At Christmas, more than at any other time, the country leans on shop workers, delivery drivers and postal workers, carers, NHS and social care staff, cleaners, warehouse

Debate in the House of Commons (18 December 2025) Yesterday, I took part in the Christmas Adjournment Debate – an opportunity to reflect on the year in Parliament and to set out the priorities that matter most to people in Newcastle-under-Lyme. I used the debate to highlight the progress that has been made over the past year, including the real and tangible improvements since the closure notice was issued at Walleys Quarry, and the long-overdue action delivered on pension jus

Debate in the House of Commons (18 December 2025) Animal welfare and farming go hand in hand. As the Government prepares to publish its long-awaited animal welfare strategy, I made clear in Parliament that it must support – not hinder – farmers who already operate to the highest standards. Our farming community in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire deserves clarity, confidence and a strategy that works in practice.

Over the past week, many residents have contacted me about proposals to install fencing around College Fields, the field next to Madeley School. The field forms part of the school estate and has been used informally by the wider community for many years. Recent instructions for fencing to be installed would restrict public access, which has caused significant concern locally given the long-standing community use of the land. Last Friday, during my constituency surgery, I met

'Quarries: Planning Policy' Debate in Westminster Hall (16 December 2025) Earlier today, I raised Walleys Quarry during a Westminster Hall debate on quarries and planning policy. What happened there exposed serious failures in the planning system and had a devastating impact on people in Newcastle-on-Lyme. While the site is now closed, the lessons must be learned – and the system fixed – so no community is ever put through this again. Read my Recent Walleys Quarry update for

It has now been over a year since the closure notice was issued at Walleys Quarry – 147 days after I was elected. While it is sobering to reflect on how long local people were forced to live with the impacts of the site, the position today is significantly better than it was before the closure notice was issued. The closure notice has delivered a clear improvement for those who live, learn and work in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and there is no doubt that it was necessary. Latest P

Staffordshire will receive an additional £54.8 million in incentive funding to tackle potholes and improve road conditions, as part of Labour’s record investment in fixing Britain’s broken roads. This is a major boost for our county, and it will make a real difference to the everyday journeys people make to work, to school, to local shops and to see family and friends. This extra funding is on top of the £147 million in baseline roads funding already allocated to Staffordshi

I am delighted to announce the winners of my Christmas Card Design Competition. Pupils from across Newcastle-under-Lyme sent in their submissions, and with so many thoughtful and creative designs, it was incredibly difficult to narrow the entries down to just three. Seeing the imagination and talent of pupils from across our community has been a real highlight, and I’m grateful to every school that encouraged their pupils to take part. The top three designs were: 1st Place –

Watch my speech in Parliament on the Budget (27 November 2025) During the Budget debate in the House of Commons, I set out why the announcements in the Budget matter for people across Newcastle-under-Lyme – from long-overdue justice for former miners, to lifting nearly 1,800 local children out of poverty, making progress on support for our family farms, backing our NHS staff, and marking one year since the closure of Walleys Quarry. This Budget won’t solve every challenge ove