October Newsletter
Hello and welcome to my October newsletter!
October has been an incredibly busy month in terms of local visits, casework enquiries and business in the House of Commons. I would like to take this opportunity to update you on the work I have been doing across Stockport and in Westminster.
Labour’s £5 billion Pride in Place programme is proof that Labour is serious about rebuilding Britain from the ground up, including in Stockport. The £20 million investment in Brinnington will make a real difference to people in our town who were ignored and neglected by the Conservatives.
This month, Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill received Royal Assent, securing a fairer future for 11 million private renters in England. This Act will rebalance the relationship between England’s 2.3 million landlords and 11 million tenants, ending a system that has left renters vulnerable to unfair treatment and insecurity. It grants renters the most significant increase to their rights in a generation.
Macmillan Cancer Support’s Coffee Morning is a brilliant annual fixture in the parliamentary calendar. I was delighted to host the event this year and celebrate the 35th anniversary of the nation’s biggest, and much-loved, gathering in support of people living with cancer.
This week, I hosted NHS Blood and Transplant in Parliament. I am grateful to Minister Zubir Ahmed (Department of Health and Social Care) for joining us and, as always, I am grateful to all NHS Blood and Transplant staff. I have been donating blood since 2016; if you can please join the NHS Blood Register: https://www.blood.co.uk/
I also hosted The Fertility Alliance and British Fertility Society in the House of Commons to brief MPs. Infertility is one of the most prevalent reproductive health challenges in the UK and affects around 1 in 6 couples. Currently, access to IVF cycles varies by area. In Stockport, residents are fortunate to have access to 2 NHS-funded IVF cycles, while in some neighbouring boroughs only 1 cycle is available. I will continue to raise this inequality with the Government.
Many older residents in Stockport are facing increasing difficulty accessing essential public services such as NHS appointments, council tax, benefits, and Blue Badge applications as they struggle to use the internet, or they do not have access to a device. I have written to the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care about maintaining accessibility in the NHS as services digitalise.
Arc (Arts for Recovery in the Community) does incredible work for the people of Stockport.
I have tabled an Early Day Motion to congratulate Arc on its 30th anniversary which you can view here: https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/64333
Liz travelled from Stockport constituency to Westminster to raise a number of concerns regarding animal welfare. It was great to meet with her to discuss these important issues.
The Plaza Stockport celebrated its birthday this month and I had the pleasure of learning more about the Mighty Compton Organ from Mr Charles Brown, who started at the Plaza in 1984. My thanks go to all the volunteers, staff, and supporters who help keep this wonderful venue alive.
Network Rail and Murphy Group updated me on the work schedule at Greek Street Bridge as well as on the opportunities created with Stockport College, local businesses and hundreds of people working on this project. More information on this project: https://shorturl.at/2Wsib
I had the insightful opportunity to meet with Safiya and Matilda from Stockport’s Youth Council. Safiya is also the elected Stockport representative for the Youth Parliament. We discussed the need for votes at 16, discriminatory age bands for the national minimum wage, and provision for youth services in Stockport.
Thank you to Friends of Heaton Chapel Station for inviting me to speak at this month’s meeting. My gratitude to all members for a warm welcome and putting forward questions. I will continue to press the Department for Transport as well as private train operators on a range of issues.
Every month tens of thousands of motorists park at the Peel Centre in Stockport. I receive regular correspondence regarding the management of Peel Centre Car Park. As such, I met with Ocean Parking as well as the CEO of International Parking Community. This meeting was a valuable opportunity to raise concerns constituents have regarding this car park.
It was great to welcome the Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, to KNDS Stockport. This follows on from a previous visit I organised for the then Shadow Secretary of State for Defence John Healey MP in February 2022. KNDS is a key employer in Stockport with more than 400 workers on their books; this site manufactures tactical military bridges and armoured vehicles, like the Boxer which you can see behind us.
It was an honour to attend the renaming of Thompson Street Bridge in Edgeley in tribute to local train driver John Axon G.C. It was a moving ceremony, with John Axon’s family present as well as Lord Hendy (Minister for Rail).
I met with Paula who is the founder of Fika Welie (Caribbean & African Mental Health CIC) who work with lots of health organisations across Greater Manchester.
As we come to the end of Black History Month, it is important that we continue to take action to address inequalities and improve access to mental health support for Black communities.
October also marked Baby Loss Awareness Week- my thoughts have been with all parents and loved ones who have experienced the heartbreak of baby loss. I caught up with Councillor Karl Wardlaw who has done so much to raise awareness of this issue.
This year’s NHS winter vaccination campaign is now well underway and it was great to join NHS staff at Westminster Vaccination Day to hear more about what the NHS is doing to improve vaccine uptake.
Book your vaccination here: https://digital.nhs.uk/.../vaccinations-national-booking…
October was another busy month for my constituency office, with my team and I supporting residents from across Stockport on a wide range of issues. Above is a breakdown of the cases we have taken on.
Thank you for reading my October newsletter and happy Halloween to everyone celebrating today.
My constituency office is open to visitors from 10:00am to 3.30pm on weekdays (excluding public holidays). I hold regular constituency surgeries as well as coffee mornings across our constituency. Please get in touch with me if you wish to discuss any issues.
You can contact me with the details below:
Email - navendu.mishra.mp@parliament.uk
Telephone - 0161 480 0833
Website - www.navendumishra.co.uk
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NavenduForStockport/
Kind regards,
Navendu Mishra MP