In May, the Labour Party suffered a resounding defeat in council and local elections across the country. As I said in my resignation letter to Keir Starmer shortly after those elections, the message from constituents was clear: the Labour Government had not acted with the vision, pace and ambition that our mandate for change demanded of us. That was a message that I had heard time and again across Peckham. Whether it was parents worried about the cost of living, young people looking for opportunities, pensioners anxious about their energy bills, or small businesses fighting to stay afloat, people did not feel the government was providing the hope or delivering the change that they needed. People need a government who listens to their concerns and acts boldly on them. I felt I had no option but to resign and call on the Prime Minister to deliver a transition to an administration who could deliver for people in Peckham.
That is why I was so pleased to hear our new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, stand on the steps of Downing Street on 20th July promising that moment would be a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest political change in the last forty years. The two weeks since have felt transformative: a renewed hope, and renewed unity in the country, and the beginning of a new era of delivering for people in Peckham.
No one expects the challenges facing our country to disappear overnight. When the damage has been done over the last forty years, there are no quick fixes. But this is a moment to change both the direction and the pace of travel, and that is what our Prime Minister will do. That means anticipating the pressures people face, from rising energy bills to the everyday cost of living, and offering support before people are forced to make impossible choices.
The Prime Minister is clear; creating good jobs, building more genuinely affordable council homes, helping more young people into work, and creating an economy that works for every part of the country, is the only way to achieve success.
Big ambitions only matter if they’re reflected in the everyday decisions government makes. That means backing local businesses, helping families with the cost of living and investing in the communities that have too often been overlooked. Over the past two weeks, we’ve started to do exactly that.
Pubs, clubs and independent venues are at the heart of our local economy and community, but too many are operating on incredibly tight margins. I’ve spoken with the team at Prince of Peckham – a real pillar of our community – about the pressures they and so many others face. That’s why cutting business rates by 20% for eligible pubs, clubs and live music venues is such an important first step. Business rates can be the difference between keeping staff on or making cuts, investing for the future or simply staying afloat. Across London, around 500 clubs and 3,620 pubs and bars will benefit from the reduced rates, helping local businesses protect jobs, invest with confidence and continue bringing our communities together.
Anyone who spends time in Peckham and across Southwark knows that rough sleeping remains one of the starkest reminders that too many people have been left behind. The Prime Minister has pledged to tackle this issue with the bold policy ambition that we can expect from him: pledging an additions £340 million investment to address this issue on his first day in office.
National investment must be matched by local action, and that’s exactly why I am committed to working with the Mayor & Southwark Council to deliver inPeckham.
Although winter may still feel some way off, many households are already thinking about what the colder months will mean for their finances. The government shouldn’t wait until energy bills arrive before offering support. That’s why further help with energy costs, including removing VAT from electricity bills for six months alongside continued support for 6 million households who will benefit from £150 off their energy bills through the Warm Homes Discount, will give families greater certainty before winter arrives. Together, these measures will support around 72,000 people across Peckham.
I am delighted to have been appointed the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero but my job as Peckham’s MP remains the same. National decisions only matter if they improve life here at home. Every policy I support is one I’ll judge by a simple question: will it make a meaningful difference to the people I represent?
Trust in politics has been damaged over many years, and I understand why many people remain sceptical. Trust cannot be rebuilt through words alone. It will be rebuilt by meeting the difficulties of the moment with bold and ambitious plans, and by delivering on those ambitions. We must be honest about the challenges ahead and show consistently that government can improve people’s lives.
That’s the standard this government intends to be judged by one that I believe our new Prime Minister can live up to. I look forward to the work ahead.
