Welcome to my April update! Here is a snippet of what I have been up to this month to represent the people of Luton South & South Bedfordshire, both in Westminster and here in the constituency. 

Closure of Luton’s Vauxhall Plant 

I wanted to show my support for the workforce and their families at Luton’s Vauxhall plant as the final vans rolled off the production line at the end of last month, following the devastating decision by Stellantis to close the plant. 

Vauxhall will always be a part of Luton’s proud 120-year automotive heritage, and I pay tribute to the workers for their dedication until the very end. 

With the announcement this month that Goodman had purchased the plant, I was keen to highlight in Parliament the vital role that local government plays in regeneration projects such as these. You can view this here.  

Goodman have committed to working with Luton Council and the local community to understand the needs of our town when bringing these plans forward. I will continue to work closely with Luton Council, trade union representatives and the Labour government to ensure the creation of well-paid, highly skilled jobs to drive economic growth in our town. 

Welcoming the Education Secretary to Denbigh Primary School to mark the free breakfast club rollout

I was delighted to join Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson MP, at Denbigh Primary School this week to celebrate their free breakfast club as part of the Labour government’s nationwide rollout.

Every child in Luton South and South Bedfordshire deserves the best start in life and free breakfast clubs are van important step in making this a reality- giving children a healthy start to the day, supporting families & breaking down barriers to opportunity.  You can read more on the this here.

Co-hosting a Youth Engagement Workshop with Sarah Owen MP

I was very pleased to host a youth engagement workshop at Tokko Youth Space this month alongside Sarah Owen MP!

We were joined by some fantastic young people and youth organisations from across our town, providing an opportunity for them to tell us the biggest issues they face, their hopes for the future and what changes they’d like to see. I was keen to highlight their contributions in Parliament, which you can view here.

This feedback will be used to directly feed into the Labour government’s new ten-year National Youth Strategy. This will aim to tackle the challenges facing young people in their communities, handing power back to them to shape the services they need and deserve.

Read more on this event here.

Participating in the Great British Spring Clean with Whipperley Infant Academy!

The sun had its hat on as I joined Whipperley Infant Academy alongside Luton Council and ABCD in Luton for a litter pick as part of the Great British Spring Clean.

A big thank you to the team at ABCD for organising a programme of community clean ups across the town, working to keep our local areas tidy and our local environment green.

Celebrating Hillborough Infants and Hillborough Junior Schools’ 50th birthday!

It was a pleasure to be invited to join Hillborough Infant and Junior Schools for their 50th birthday!

I joined their assemblies and heard from past headteachers about the schools since they began. A wonderful occasion to celebrate the schools and their pupils, staff, parents, carers, governors and wider school community.

Thank you for inviting me and here’s to another 50 years!

Department for Transport approval of London Luton Airport expansion

This month, the Secretary of State for Transport approved London Luton Airport’s expansion plans, which includes building a new terminal, new taxiways and increasing capacity in the existing terminal.

This announcement marks a significant moment for our town and region. The growth of London Luton Airport will boost Luton’s economy by creating jobs, enhancing skills development, and supporting our charitable sector.

It is a clear example of how a Labour Government will stimulate economic growth in communities like Luton, while remaining firmly committed to meeting our environmental responsibilities.

Debate on the impact of knife crime on children and young people

Unfortunately, we know all too well the tragic impact of knife crime in Luton South and South Bedfordshire. It destroys lives, devastates families and leaves lasting trauma on communities.

That is why I am extremely glad that the government has been ambitious in their mission to get knives off our streets and ensure people across our towns and communities are safe from violent crime. Ownership of zombie-style knives and machetes has already been banned, and the flagship Crime and Policing Bill will go further to crack down on knife crime.

I participated in a debate on this topic last week and wanted to highlight the brilliant work being done locally by organisations to deter young people from violent crime and inspire positive choice.

You can watch my full speech below.

Rachel Hopkins MP – General debate on knife crime among children and young people | Full speech

Bedfordshire Police awarded £7.3m in special grants funding

This month, the Labour government awarded £7.3m in special grants funding to Bedfordshire Police, allowing them to undertake vital work to target serious and organised crime.

I was proud to work alongside the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner, John Tizard and other Bedfordshire MPs on this.

I am pleased that the government has recognised the importance of ensuring our police force have the resources they need to keep our communities safe.

Celebrating our Irish diaspora in Parliament

I was very proud to celebrate our Luton Irish community in Parliament month during a debate on St. Patrick’s Day and Northern Irish affairs.

This was a great opportunity to highlight the positive impact our Irish diaspora have had on our town – from contributing to our economic growth, to the wonderful influence of Irish arts and culture.

You can watch my full speech below.

Rachel Hopkins MP – General debate on St. Patrick’s Day and Northern Irish Affairs | Full speech

Universal Studios gets the green light in Bedfordshire!

I welcome the Prime Minister’s fantastic announcement that Universal Studios will be coming to Bedfordshire.

This will create thousands of jobs, deliver a huge boost to the economy and put our county on the map as a tourist destination across Europe and beyond. Read more on this announcement here.

Government action on fly-tipping in our communities

Fly-tipping is a scourge on our communities, be they urban or rural, with over 10,000 fly tipping incidents recorded in Luton alone last year. I was keen to raise this issue in Parliament, which you can view here.

I am pleased that the Labour government has taken a joined-up approach to tackle this issue, co-ordinating multi-agency groups to share good practice.

Taking action to save British Steel

This month, Parliament was recalled for only the sixth time since WW2, as our Labour Government took urgent steps to secure Britain’s steel production.

I was proud to support the Labour government in Parliament to vote for the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 and watch it receive Royal Assent in the House of Commons.

The Labour government has taken swift and decisive action in the national interest, protecting British industry, jobs and workers.