A WEEK may be a long time in politics, but it flies when your diary is stacked with constituency visits.
With parliament in recess for conference season, I’ve spent the past few days criss‑crossing Furness and Millom, meeting people who keep our communities moving.
Among the priorities was a roundtable in Ulverston with Westmorland and Furness Council, and local campaigner Anthony Jennings, drilling into how we make the town more accessible.
Earlier the week I visited a local farm. I have been critical of the failures in the recent Sustainable Farming Incentive window and have suggested changes to Ministers to improve the situation for next time.
Next came a meeting with United Utilities, where I pressed them on the recent water disruptions in Bootle and Waberthwaite. I am working to ensure that actions to address the problem are moved forward.
Midweek took me to the Freshers’ Fairs at Furness College and the Furness Sixth Form Campus. Both were buzzing – students crowding stalls, weighing up future careers. Some were interested to hear that Labour is putting apprenticeships and technical routes on equal footing with university. I was keen to ask their opinions on the news that the Government are introducing new vocational GCSE’s like building and construction and business management, and their views on what needs delivering locally and nationally.
Speaking directly with young people is always energising. Labour will introduce technical training earlier, expand practical skills and work experience linked to local employers, and better connect employment support with mental‑health services. I was proud to have campaigned for Furness College to be one of just five Defence Technical Excellence Colleges in the country as part of a £175m investment in training for priority industries.
Back in Ulverston, I toured the old police station with Building Design Northern. Their plans to turn it into offices, short‑stay accommodation and a food‑and‑drink courtyard will give the town a fresh, new, lively hub.
On Thursday, Michaelson Road Bridge lifted as if in salute as HMS Agamemnon, the sixth Astute‑class submarine, sailed from the yard for her new home with Royal Navy and later sea trials before joining the operational fleet.
This magnificent boat is a testament to BAE Systems’ world‑class workforce – people whose skills underpin our national security. This could not be done without the proud support of our entire community.
I also visited Tornado Wire in Millom for the National Day of Manufacturing, speaking with Year 9 pupils from Millom School about their ambitions, and was impressed with the way they engaged pupils on a tour of the business, learning about the different engineering jobs they have.
While in town, I met Millom Patients’ Participation Group to discuss the broken X‑ray machine at Waterloo House Surgery. I am delighted that the NHS trust has confirmed that it is funding a replacement and that the work is progressing to purchase and install it.
Later, I joined Women’s Community Matters in Barrow for their Menopause Café – listening to women’s experiences and discussing how politicians can better support those navigating menopause.
Cumbria’s suicide rate is higher than the national average, as highlighted by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Dave Allen. So, it was important to meet Every Life Matters, the county’s suicide‑prevention charity, to hear about their work.
Today I’m in Liverpool for the Labour Party Conference, where we’ll hear more about the government’s plans to make life better for working people.
Andy Burnham will address conference as prime minister for the first time, setting out how Labour will tackle the cost‑of‑living crisis and support ordinary families.
Andy has also announced a new unit to counter online misinformation, warning that hostile states – including Russia – are mounting an “industrial‑scale assault” on the UK. Security chiefs have been instructed to begin work on a National Centre for Information Defence to detect, attribute and disrupt these attacks.
He will be leading a Labour government determined to pair economic growth with real social progress and to devolve power away from London into communities like ours.
The slogan for this year’s conference is “Hope Again” – reflecting how Labour will make life more affordable, which will sit at the heart of Labour’s 10‑year plan, due later this year.