I was pleased to attend the 60th anniversary celebrations of both the Lillington Youth Centre and St Patricks Irish Club this month. The Youth Centre in Lillington has been a real hub for the community for decades and it was abundantly clear at the celebrations how valued it is by residents. We need centres such as this and it has been disappointing to watch their demise over the past 13 years due to cuts. So a huge amount of credit is due to all the volunteers and team at the centre who make it what it is and Council officers who believe in retaining it.
So many of us locally will have enjoyed the hospitality of the Irish Club over its 60 years and it was a real pleasure to take part in the anniversary event over the weekend. The community is a hugely valued part of our towns and the club has done a brilliant job at keeping the community spirit going over so many years.
Some of you will have seen that last week was Labour Party Conference up in Liverpool. I returned home last week feeling encouraged and optimistic about what we are offering people up and down the country, so many of whom feel understandably let down by the current Government.
Whether it is the massive waiting lists facing people when they need treatment on the NHS, the soaring bills that are piling up month by month, or the state of so much of our infrastructure that we should be able to rely on, it is clear to so many that change is needed.
I was proud to hear my colleagues lay out our plans that will deliver the mission-driven government to end the short-term sticking-plaster politics we have seen so much of in recent years. We have set out five missions to make this a possibility, starting with getting Britain building to deliver the much-needed housing we need to address the crisis facing so many people who simply cannot get on the housing ladder.
An issue that I know has affected many residents moving into new developments in the area has been the lack of infrastructure built to support the new homes. We have committed to not allowing housing developments to be built without providing the infrastructure they need, such as GPs and schools. The massive difficulties so many families have faced in this area, particularly with the complete failure to deliver Oakley School on time as promised, would not be allowed to happen. Our plans would put residents first, not the developers.
Our remaining four missions outline our plans for Great British Energy, getting the NHS back on its feet, making our streets safe and breaking down the barriers for opportunity. I look forward to sharing more about these plans with our communities over the coming months.
As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any issues or concerns you would like to raise with me. I can be reached on [email protected] or on 01926 882006.
Matt Western
MP for Warwick and Leamington
