THE work of the last few weeks has seen the Government deliver its first budget and take significant steps forward in fixing the failures of the last government.
No one said it was going to be easy, due to the mess and mismanagement of the last 14 years.
Case for investment
In advance of the budget I joined borough MPs Lisa Nandy and Josh Simons in meeting with ministers to put forward my case for continued investment in the Leigh and Atherton constituency, to help bring about the much-needed regeneration that our communities deserve.
Despite the many difficult decisions facing this Government because of the £22 billion black hole left by the Conservatives, I welcome this Government’s commitment to the Towns programme, which will see Leigh receive up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade.
I remain focused on tackling crime, revitalising all our high streets, improving transport infrastructure, and ensuring that residents have access to affordable homes for the future.
It was also great news to see the Government bring an end to the Miners Pensions Scheme injustice, which will see £1.5 billion returned to ex-miners, boosting the annual pensions of 112,000 former mineworkers.
I want to give a special mention and congratulate local campaigner, Derek Doherty, for all the hard work and tenacity that he has shown to end this injustice
NHS and SEND
My inbox is constantly filled with updates on two key areas: the NHS and SEND. Last week’s budget saw the government commit an additional £22.6 billion to the day-to-day health budget, to clear the waiting list backlog and enact the reforms that the NHS desperately needs.
In addition to these important investments, one of the most exciting pieces of legislation is the Employment Rights Bill.
This means that when the economy grows everyone benefits – not just those at the top. It’ll bring an end to fire and rehire, give protection from unfair dismissal from day one and guaranteed hours.
One issue raised constantly is the problem of potholes, so it’s fantastic to see this Government exceed its manifesto commitment to fix a million more potholes a year, by investing almost £1.6 billion to maintain and renew the nation’s roads, an increase of £500 million on 2024-25.
Christmas card competition
Now that the Halloween decorations are packed away – our focus now turns to the Christmas period. To celebrate, I recently launched a Christmas card design competition for pupils at primary schools across the constituency - which will see the winning entry produced and delivered across Leigh, Atherton, Tyldesley, Lowton, Golborne and Astley.
Locally, my team and I are here to support the you and I would urge anyone who needs assistance to please contact the constituency team at my office.
If you’d like to get in touch, please email jo.platt.mp@parliament.uk Jo Platt
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