Those who know me know that I never set out to become an MP. After studying at Keele University, I began working at one of our local Sure Start centres because I wanted to do my bit to give our children the best start in life. It was there that I first saw, up close, the difference a Labour government could make. I met mums who had been let down by the state for years; with Labour, they were finally being offered a way forward, not just a way out.
That experience shaped me. From there, I joined our local YMCA. There, I helped to set up training schemes for people who’d been written off by many. I secured funding to reopen youth clubs shut under Conservative austerity. I also supported young people into safe, affordable housing, because I know that without the secure foundation of a roof over your head, people cannot fulfil their potential. Youth work wasn’t my job; it was my cause.
But as the years passed, that cause became harder to pursue. Under a Conservative government, we saw youth services in Stoke-on-Trent and Kidsgrove cut by 97%. Our Sure Start Centres were hollowed out. Vital services disappeared. And with them, so did opportunity.
These cuts had consequences. Research shows that youth club closures lead to a decline in GCSE results, half a grade in some cases, a grade and a half for the most disadvantaged children. That can be the difference between passing or failing English or maths. When youth clubs close and training schemes are axed, we don’t save money, we cut off the ladder to work, skills and self-belief.
I know that these cuts didn’t just hurt young people; they put enormous pressure on families. I speak to so many parents who felt that they were being punished for trying to do the right thing: build a successful career, care for their children, and contribute to their community. As Sure Start centres were closed and childcare became unaffordable for working families, it became harder for parents to work, harder for children to thrive, and harder for families to stay afloat.
That’s why I am proud of what Labour has delivered in just one year. Over 2,300 new teachers recruited. More than 1,000 more teachers in training. School absence is down, with three million extra school days gained. Free school meals have been extended to half a million more children. Free breakfast clubs will be rolled out in every primary school; these actions will start to help lift children out of poverty right here in our local area.
And we are not stopping at the school gate. Labour’s new Best Start Family Hubs, backed by £500 million, will reach 500,000 more children across the country. They are a bold, modern reimagining of the Sure Start ethos: practical help for families, rooted in prevention, not crisis management.
But I know that building a fairer society doesn’t end in the classroom. It means good homes, safe streets and decent public transport for everyone. It means bringing back pride to our towns, restoring the places where people live, shop and spend time. It means access to healthcare without months and sometimes, years of waiting. And it means mental health support when people need it the most.
This is what change looks like. It’s early days, and I know things are still tough for so many people. But the direction is clear. Every young person deserves a fair start. Every family deserves a government that wants to ease the burden for them, not make life more difficult. I’ll keep fighting to make sure every family in Stoke-on-Trent and Kidsgrove feels the difference: in their schools, in their streets, and in their everyday lives.