Aylesbury MP Laura Kyrke-Smith's column: What does the Burnham Government mean for Aylesbury and the villages?

It’s a pleasure to be writing my latest column for BFP. Since my last contribution, I’ve been getting to know our new Prime Minister and making sure that the issues affecting Aylesbury and the villages are firmly on his radar.

At the beginning of September, I joined the Prime Minister for his first address to Parliament, to hear him lay out his plans for growth in every postcode. I took the chance to lay out the challenges we face in Aylesbury and the villages and ask how the Prime Minister’s plans to get more power and opportunities into the hands of local communities will benefit us. He laid out his ambitions for everything from improving rural bus routes to uplifting high streets with more localised investment strategies. I will be watching this space carefully for opportunities for our area.

The following week, I was also lucky enough to be granted a question in PMQs. I shared my campaign for ‘Sophie's Law’, which would ensure that every pregnant woman gets a mental health check-in. Sophie’s Law would only be one part of the expanded support that pregnant and new mums and their families need, as I learnt so cruelly after losing my dear friend Sophie to suicide. I was so pleased to hear the Prime Minister acknowledge the urgent need for better care for those who need it.

Listening to the Prime Minister speak at the Labour Party Conference, I thought there were several key takeaways on issues that I know affect many of our local residents.

The vision for a ‘National Care Service’, free at the point of use, and where “everyone contributes and everyone is covered” will transform lives in our community. No one should go bankrupt trying to secure the right care, whether it’s for themselves or for a loved one, and I will be engaging closely with government as these plans are developed.

The Prime Minister also spoke about our relationship with the EU, and I am pleased to see him speak confidently about the opportunities that closer ties could bring. For example, re-forging our relationship with the EU could help reduce barriers for local exporters and manufacturers. Household bills are currently at unacceptable levels due to global factors outside of residents' control, and I believe that means we need to seriously consider a range of options for strengthening and safeguarding our economy. Crucially, stronger EU ties would also support our young people with study, work and travel opportunities in Europe.

The Prime Minister is also very focused on our broken and insecure energy system, which results in such high and predictable energy bills for businesses and consumers. He has pledged to set up “GB Grid”, which would be a publicly owned company that would challenge private sector operators and help stabilise household energy costs. VAT on household electricity bills was abolished from October, which is expected to cut

£45 from the average household’s energy bills, a small but important step in the right direction, but there is so much more to do.

I was also pleased to see the government’s announcement about regulating the heating oil industry, which has serious gaps in consumer protections compared to mains gas and electricity. Many of our rural residents rely on heating oil and have been hit by global price spikes and even potentially unlawful order cancellations. The new regulatory framework will allow for priority support for vulnerable households, stronger supplier accountability, clearer standards on prices and cancellations, and easier access to independent dispute resolution. Finally, an update on an issue very close to my heart, which is support for parents and young families. The Health Secretary, Yvette Cooper, set out expanded support for the Healthy Babies programme, which explicitly includes a commitment to perinatal mental health and will benefit families nationally, including in Aylesbury.

Locally, it was a true joy to attend the opening of our new Best Start Family Hub, located in Elmhurst, a project that I’ve been pushing for a long time.

This the greatest example of what politics can and should achieve. Across this lovely shared space, there were pregnant mums getting advice from experts, new parents visiting the midwifery team with their tiny babies, interactive play resources, library teams, and parental support for everything from breastfeeding to toothbrushing to homework.

Perhaps most importantly, there is a community network being built, allowing new parents to feel less alone. If you’d like to find out more, visit this link:https://directory.familyinfo.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/service/1097?keywords=FAMILY%20LEARNING&page=.

As always, I will feed back constituents’ experiences and viewpoints as parliament debates the new measures announced by the Prime Minister in recent weeks. If there’s anything you’d like to get in touch about, please email [email protected].