In the leadup to the last election, I spoke to so many of you that were calling out for change. People who had been let down by over a decade of Tory austerity. 

The Prime Minister has set out his goals for 2026: to make sure every one of us feels the changes this government is making and turn the corner on the cost-of-living crisis. Over time, even more people here in Crewe and Nantwich will see the benefit of Labour’s policies. 

We’re taking action on getting more police on our streets, cutting waiting lists, reducing energy bills by £150, boosting the minimum wage up to £12.21 per hour and lifting over half a million children out of poverty with the removal of the two-child limit.  

Last year also gave us an insight to what the alternative looks like, with Reform Councils wasting thousands of pounds taking flags up and pulling them down and run council tax bills in excess of £1 billion, while the Tories complain about the lack of white faces in Birmingham and the Greens flirt with the idea of withdrawing from NATO. 

We’re definitely not finished yet. I know some are frustrated at the pace of change – and that many of us are not feeling it fast enough. Facing 2026 with a renewed focus on reaching every household with the positive steps this government is taking, I am confident we can make that happen. 

From the global financial crisis, through Brexit, the pandemic, and war in Europe, we’ve faced huge challenges in recent years. But we are determined to turn things around. Not by managing decline, but by putting our country back on a stable footing. 

At the local level, I’ve been focusing on town centre regeneration, working with independent businesses and the local authority to bring more people into our high streets and ensure a strong offering is there to meet them.  

Following a number of alerts being raised regarding mobile phone signal in the Haslington area, I lobbied each of the major networks to improve their offering in the vicinity. I’m delighted to say that after extensive talks between my office and VodafoneThree, they are in the final stages of planning with their infrastructure provider to deliver additional mobile connectivity in Haslington. 

I’ve campaigned for stronger anti-social behaviour measures in Nantwich, meeting with our Cheshire Policing and Crime Commissioner to discuss the importance of the SWAP Fund, and just last month registered my strong opposition to cuts to the Cheshire Police cuts to PCSO roles. 

We’ve worked with constituents on housing estates to hold management companies to account, by setting up a residents’ group for open lines of communication between the homeowners and provider. I am proud to say this issue is also being tackled at the national level, with the government launching a consultation into unadopted estates last month. 

I made sure polluters were held to account over the incident in the River Weaver which resulted in hundreds of fish dying. Also in Nantwich, we are continuing to hold Royal Mail to account over extensive delays to post being delivered, which resulted in missed medical appointments and invitations arriving after events have occurred.  

We’ve also seen wins regarding the quality of our roads on key arterial routes like West Street and Stewart Street in Crewe; an issue which impacts the daily lives of residents and those passing through. 

Going into 2026, I’m determined to build on the progress we made last year and to make sure that I am delivering on the 5 pledges I made to you before the last general election. I look forward to taking all of you on the journey with me, and I’m sure I’ll see many of you in the constituency to discuss our plans in more detail.