June 2026 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.
With the very first We Love Westcliff Impact Day, helping an incredible and inspirational constituent meet the Prime Minister, and supporting a great campaign led by Fatima Whitbread MBE, it was a busy June!
Here's what I got up to recently!
My June Roundup!
As always, June was a very busy month with work in both Westminster and Southend West & Leigh. Here are SIX highlights of this month's work!
Making An Impact
1
On 19 June, we held our very first Impact Day of the #WeLoveWestcliff campaign, which was an incredible success.
Supported by local councillors, fabulous local organisations and groups and the kindness of Westcliff Library and Westcliff Free Church, it was a brilliant display of community activism - especially with council officers from many departments and Southend Police in attendance too!
2
With A Sporting Legend!
As well as being an Olympic legend and I'm A Celebrity star, the fantastic Fatima Whitbread MBE is also a dedicated campaigner for care leavers. Fatima's UK Campaign is a brilliant initiative working to have local authorities across the UK adopt a standardised Care Leavers' Charter to ensure that care-experienced young people get a better start in life.
It was a privilege to host Fatima and her campaign in Parliament on Monday 29 June.
3
Raising Awareness
The inspirational Angie Long and incredible Natalie Amos from the charity Open Road came to Parliament on Wednesday 10 June to meet with the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and raise awareness about the dangers of drug use in the name of Angie's son, Ryan, who tragically passed away last summer.
I look forward to working further with Angie and Open Road to continue and amplify her incredible campaign.
Coming Together
4
From 19th-21st June, it was the Great Get Together weekend, organised by the Jo Cox Foundation in her memory, even more poignant this year as we marked ten years since Jo's murder.
Earlier that week, I joined Jo's sister, the amazing Kim Leadbeater MBE, other members of Jo's family, and colleagues in Parliament to mark Jo's life and legacy, celebrate what we have in common, and watch the England game together!
5
Marking Armed Forces Day
On 27th June, Southend and the rest of the country marked Armed Forces Day 2026. Armed Forces Day offers an opportunity to think of all those who have served our country past and present, including the incredible people I've met through my work as a Member of Parliament and on the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme.
As part of my role, I was honoured to be able to be a part of the commemorations at Victoria Plaza alongside local councillors, the Mayor, my colleague Bayo Alaba MP, and veterans, other members of the Armed Forces, and of course the public. It was a very well-attended and fitting tribute, even in spite of the sweltering heat and weather warnings.
6
Casework Wins
In June, my team and I helped constituents with over 835 new cases and answered more than 1,760 emails. Particular highlights included supporting local arts endeavours, holding the first We Love Westcliff Impact Day, and resolving arboricultural concerns by working with the relevant authorities.