Here are some of my 2025 highlights for our area. Lots of progress in so many areas but, of course, lots still to do!
£22 million additional annual funding for our local hospital trust to recognise its unique geography
Free School breakfast club pilots at Waberthwaite and Lindal & Marton Primary Schools – with more to come
New £5m Brilliant Futures Fund for local primary schools
Multi-million investment to rebuild Sacred Heart Primary School in Barrow
17% reduction in the number of people claiming out-of-work benefits in Barrow and Furness
33,000 additional hospital appointments provided by our local hospital trust
Improved SME access to defence contracts
Defence spending increase to 2.5% of GDP
500+ military homes upgraded in the North West
Largest pay rise in decades for armed forces personnel
£28.6m investment in carbon capture and storage project creating hundreds of local jobs
Barrow Hydrogen project employing ~200 people during construction
21,000 homes/businesses added to superfast broadband rollout in Cumbria
Shared Rural Network mast upgraded for better 4G in Duddon Valley
£2.6m for rooftop solar at local hospital, saving £500k annually
First-ever Tenant Farmer Commissioner appointed
£20m Pride in Place fund for Barrow Central ward projects
New bus route Whitehaven–Ravenglass–Millom–Barrow + more funding for local buses
£7.8m for 45 new ambulances for North West Ambulance Service
£4.3m to fix local hospital buildings
Additional licensing of HMOs in Barrow as first step toward Article 4 direction
Minimum wage up 7% (2024–25) and further 4% in 2026
State Pension rising 4.8% from April 2026 under triple lock
Funded childcare offer + protections from extra charges
Dentist contract changes for easier urgent NHS appointments
£200m for fixing roads across Cumbria (including potholes) £11m/year for Cumbrian Investment Fund
Campaign to devolve farming & nature recovery budget to Cumbria
New Workers Rights Bill
Barrow Town Centre deep clean + new CCTV funding Barrow & Furness part of first wave of national neighbour health programme £7m upgrade for Alfred Barrow Health Centre Abolition of two-child benefit cap, helping 1,600+ local children
Vehicle excise duty scrapped for volunteer search & rescue vehicles £5bn over two years for farming budget £5.8m community diagnostic hub opens at FGH
Up to 12 new SSN-AUKUS boats to be built at Barrow shipyard
Investment boost for QinetiQ (local defence firm)
Steps toward new nuclear power generation at Pioneer Park near Sellafield
£11.7m for employment support for 2,750 sick/disabled people in Cumbria £213m to fix potholes in Cumbria £1.1m Homelessness Prevention Grant for Westmorland & Furness 12% rise in local schools funding grant
Operation Enhance – £1m secured for tackling anti-social behaviour in hotspot areas