During the General Election, political parties put forward their plans for government to the public, who then chose Labour to get Britain back on track. Labour’s plans are outlined in the King’s Speech, detailing the legislation the new government will be focusing on. I am proud of this King’s Speech; it is one of delivery. I am honoured to have been elected as South East Cornwall’s first Labour MP and to begin putting those plans into action in government.

In my first votes in Westminster, I supported the King's Speech to start implementing the changes the public voted for. I met with the Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa and participated in a briefing with the Secretary of State and Ministers at the Department for Work and Pensions to raise the concerns of constituents directly with them ahead of the votes.

Labour has introduced Great British Energy, our new publicly owned energy company. The UK needs to transition away from fossil fuels, towards cleaner energy. This is essential for our energy security, the upskilling and job creation for residents, and vital for climate and nature. We cannot make a lasting and equitable transition to clean energy if it is not a just one. Therefore, all affected parties must be involved in decisions, and their feedback genuinely considered before projects are implemented.

I attended several events in Westminster this week to meet new colleagues and forge new relationships focused on delivering improvements for South East Cornwall. One of these included a reception held by Labour Coast and Country. It was great to bring our special corner of Cornwall into national conversations and discuss how to best manage coastal and rural communities locally. I believe local government like councils, parish councils, and councillors understand what their communities and local areas need most. Labour’s plans to transfer powers out of Westminster will be crucial for South East Cornwall.

I have received a lot of correspondence about the Lostwithiel footbridge, and I have organised a meeting to discuss this project with Network Rail to better understand the situation and will provide an update on this soon.

As mentioned in last week’s article, I will be running regular roaming surgery events so that I can reach as many areas as possible and speak with you face-to-face. Please contact me via email to register your attendance or express interest.

Now that schools have broken up for summer holidays, I encourage you to explore hidden gems, try something new, and support local businesses within South East Cornwall. We have so much on offer here, so make sure you take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities. As always, you can get in touch with me via email at [email protected] if you have any issues. I am still in the process of setting up my offices, so response times will be slightly longer than usual, but I will respond as soon as possible.

Anna Gelderd, Labour MP for South East Cornwall