Read my October Luton News article here:

Hard-working people in need of Government support

People in Luton, and up and down the country, need a Government that’s on their side more than ever this winter. The last twelve years of Tory rule decimating our public services has proven that, with the recent mini budget being just their latest failure. 

The biggest issues facing our country this winter are the soaring cost of living and the crisis facing our NHS. As people worry about how they’ll afford their energy bills, this Government is crashing the economy on a reckless pursuit of trickle-down economics. People are worried whether the NHS will be there for them when they need it, with waiting times on the up, resources stretched and staff at breaking point. Even after making healthcare a key commitment in her first speech as Prime Minister, Liz Truss MP is yet to set out any concrete plans. 

I wrote to the new Prime Minister on her first day in Downing Street, urging her to act on the cost of living crisis. People in Luton and beyond are seeing their living standards drop and hardworking people are in desperate need of government support. The Tories are choosing to make future taxpayers pick up the bill rather than tax the super profits of oil and gas giants. Labour is committed to buying, making and selling more in Britain, to rebuild our economy, so we can see well paid jobs in Luton South. We will also cut small business rates and support businesses and high streets through this crisis, enabling our town to thrive and jobs to be protected. 

In her first Prime Minister’s Questions, I asked Liz Truss MP why we should trust her to deliver on the NHS when she’s been part of and is now leading the Conservative Government that has brought it to its knees over the last 12 years. As a result of years of Conservative cuts, we’re already seeing bed shortages, delays to services and dangerously long ambulance and A&E waiting times; that’s before we face the increasing pressures that winter always brings. Labour in Government would properly resource the NHS so that we can guarantee access to treatment within 18 weeks, guarantee A&E waits of less than 4 hours, and end the scandal of slowing ambulance response times.