My Personally Speaking column in The Sentinel (3 August 2026) Parliament is in recess and so I get to spend even more time back home in Newcastle-under-Lyme. As it does each year, Recess gives me the opportunity to visit local businesses, meet with community groups and, most importantly, speak to more residents about the issues that matter to you. It also comes at an important moment nationally – with a new Prime Minister and a new chapter beginning for our country. It’s a chapter that...

I have campaigned hard on road safety right across Newcastle-under-Lyme and I'll be bringing my Road Safety Bill to Parliament on the first day back after recess. Although being our MP means I don’t have operational powers, I have the power of my voice, and yours too, and I won’t stop speaking out and demanding a final resolution to this major safety issue for residents and commuters alike. In recent months, I have continued to hold Staffordshire County Council and National Highways to...

Today I responded in Parliament to the announcement of the proposals for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Staffordshire Before today's announcement, I had already made clear – in every meeting with Ministers and every debate in Parliament – that the voices of the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme must be heard and respected in decisions that affect our community. The proposals put forward today on Local Government Reorganisation are completely unacceptable. They do nothing to address the...