We’re now into the final session of Parliament before a general election, with the State Opening of Parliament and the King’s Speech happening last week.
Written by Government, the King’s Speech is an opportunity to set out what bills they intend to pass for the next 12 months or so leading into the general election.
I’m pleased that the Prime Minister is continuing to take a long-term view of things. We’re continuing the work to address the underlying issues in the way our country is run, continuing to implement the change we need in the wake of two unprecedented crises in Ukraine and the COVID pandemic.
The PM’s vision for our part of the world is also becoming clearer, with recent announcements that bring billions more investment our way in transport and Levelling Up funding.
We’ve already got £4.7 million to improve bus travel across Nottinghamshire, and in Mansfield alone, over £72 million of Levelling Up funding to improve our town, with spades already in the ground in Warsop for a new leisure hub.
Even more devolved transport funding is coming our way too, with £1.5 billion extra for the East Midlands Combined Authority, which will be game-changing for our region, helping to finally secure many long-awaited road and rail projects.
This funding will deliver major economic benefits to places like Mansfield by extending the Robin Hood line and re-opening the Maid Marian line just as two examples, bringing new connections across North Notts.
Having historically been one of the most underfunded regions in the country, Government’s commitment to us both this year and the next is massive!
Our area continues to become a hub for the high-skilled jobs of the future, with our country’s Energy Security a core piece of the Government’s long-term agenda.
Our region is to become a global hub for energy security, not only with our world-first £20 billion STEP Fusion power station, but also in the manufacturing of small modular nuclear reactors and research into hydrogen technology happening right on our doorstep!
The jobs and education opportunities off the back of all this investment will be life changing, and firms like Gene Haas Engineering are already setting up shop just down the road, delivering high-quality training in advanced manufacturing with West Notts College.
Government’s long-term plan for the NHS is also being delivered in Mansfield. Once open, our new Community Diagnostic Centre will cut waiting lists and deliver better outcomes for patients with an extra 117,000 routine appointments a year. Work will being in a few months time.
We’re already seeing the benefits of this investment with our existing Community Hospital doing more tests and our lung cancer screening programme well underway.
On some of the more national stuff, it’s great to see action to stop the boats beginning to have an effect, with numbers down by a third and migrant hotels across the country now being emptied too.
Rishi is on track to halve inflation, the economy is growing and our region is seeing record investment into public services. It’s brilliant to see Government’s continued long-term investment into our town and across the East Midlands as a whole.
