April Roundup!
Every month, I'm out and about across Southend West and Leigh as well as working hard in Westminster as your voice in Parliament.
As well as voting on new legislation to improve people's lives here at home and across the country, I'm also meeting brilliant local people and championing local voices.
Here's what I got up to in April 2025!
My April Roundup!
As always, April was a very busy month with work in both Westminster and Southend West & Leigh - and even Wembley! Here are SIX highlights of this month's work!
A Day at Downing Street
1
So many of us plugged into the local community here in Southend and Leigh know Bob Mays and the incredible work he does for people with Parkinson's. I wanted to show our appreciation for Bob's dedication by inviting him and his wife to join me at Number 10's St George's Day party! I know that Bob and Teresa had a great time, and I did too.
2
Tackling Knife Crime
I sat down with Julie Taylor, who set up the Liam Taylor Legacy in memory of her grandson, at my Leigh Office this month to talk about how we can raise awareness of knife crime and how to tackle it, as well as save lives. I'll be installing a bleed kit on my office, and more work will be done to install more across the community.
3
Like A Record, Right Round!
April 12th was Record Store Day! I have many many fond memories of rushing out to buy new vinyls of my favourite bands and artists (Oasis were a particular favourite!) and I'm so chuffed that we've seen a resurgence in record sales in recent years. Vinyl sales jumped 10.5% in 2024! To celebrate, I visited Save Our Souls Record Shop on Leigh Broadway to check out their exclusives for the weekend's sales - a special edition of the Wicked Soundtrack and the 15th anniversary edition of Oasis' ‘Time Flies… 1994-2009’ caught my eye!
Supporting SEND Schools
4
One of the best things about being an MP is visiting schools and meeting the incredible staff and young people we have locally. This month, I visited Kingsdown School, The St Christopher School, and Lancaster School and I gave them all my assurances that I will do everything I can to champion their work and help them every step of the way.
5
Southend Meets Malta!
It was an honour to meet the High Commissioner of Malta, Prof. Stephen Montefort, and welcome him to Southend this month. It proved a fantastic opportunity to tell the High Commissioner all about the brilliant things Southend has to offer, and I'm very pleased to hear the rest of his visit was incredibly successful and enjoyable!
6
Casework Wins
In April, my team and I helped constituents with over 475 new cases and answered more than 1,000 emails. Particular highlights included raising disrepair concerns on behalf of constituents in private and social homes, assisting constituents with PIP and benefit applications, and helping constituents achieve overdue compensation in bill disputes.