Yesterday, following widespread disruption caused by icy and untreated roads across Newcastle-under-Lyme, I wrote again to Staffordshire County Council to raise serious concerns about how winter gritting and road safety were handled. I had already raised concerns about winter gritting and preparedness ahead of the festive season, precisely to avoid the situation many residents have experienced. You can read that earlier update here: Snow Across Newcastle-under-Lyme: Gritting

Ahead of the festive season, I wrote to Staffordshire County Council to ask what preparations were in place for winter weather and gritting across Newcastle-under-Lyme. While none of us can control how much snow falls, we can plan properly and respond properly. That is why I raised these concerns in advance, rather than waiting until severe winter weather arrived. On 18 December, I received a response from the Chief Executive of Staffordshire County Council outlining the Coun

At Home Office Questions, I raised the need for rural crime to be treated with the same seriousness as crime in our towns and city centres. For people in Newcastle-under-Lyme and across Staffordshire, a crime is a crime – wherever it happens. I welcome the Government’s approach to neighbourhood policing, but it is vital that rural communities see the real, on-the-ground benefits of it in practice.

The changes mean around 85% of estates are expected not to pay any more inheritance tax I welcome the Government’s announcement to raise the inheritance tax threshold for agricultural and business property – a change that will make a real difference for family farms here in Newcastle-under-Lyme, across Staffordshire and throughout the country. From April 2026, the threshold for Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief will rise from £1 million to £2.5 million

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