A year of campaigning and delivering for people across our area...

It's been one year since the General Election, and I was privileged to be elected to represent you as your MP, working here and in Westminster to tackle your issues.

It has been an incredible 12 months, and I would like to thank everyone who has written to me, who I have met, and who I have spoken to.

So here's my year in numbers, and just 12 of the key issues and areas which you have brought to me, and which I have been working on over the last 12 months.

Stepping Hill Hospital

The first issue I raised when I got to Parliament is the most pressing – the reported £130+ million repair bill for Stepping Hill Hospital.

It is frankly incredible that this is the state that our hospital has been left in, and the Government has not yet taken decisive action.

I have raised this multiple times in Parliament, met with the Health Minister, had ongoing meetings with the chief executive of the hospital and the NHS Trust that runs it, and written more letters to Wes Streeting than I care to remember.

This is a fight to deliver the care that you need, in the place that you need it, to the standard that you deserve. And it is one that I will continue to fight for until you get that care.

Tackling Sewage Dumping

In June, I put forward a proposal to make water bosses liable for failing to hit pollution performance commitments – sadly, one which was not supported by the Government. 

Across the year, I have met with United Utilities, the local water company, and pushed them to deliver real investment to stop sewage dumping in local rivers and brooks. 

And I have stood with you, protesting the companies who are failing to protect our environment. I have challenged the regulator, OFWAT, to hold these companies to account. I am proud to stand with my Liberal Democrat colleagues who have exposed the environmental scandal of our times, and we will continue  to fight to change the law so that it is ended.

Fighting for Fair Support

We all know that the previous Government left the new one with a steaming pile of problems to deal with. But to say that I am underwhelmed with the way that the Government have responded to this is, putting it very mildly. 

I am stunned to see a Government which says it is for the people aiming its fire at the most vulnerable in society. We all want to see people be able to get the most out of their lives, but you do that by giving people a platform into work, not by stripping away so much that they will take anything out of desperation. 

From the Winter Fuel payment debacle, to the current threats to Personal Independent Payments, this Government seems to be lurching from one misguided approach to another. 

I will work with anyone to get the right things done, but all too often, I have been forced to vote against this Labour Government, as they are letting down the people who trusted them to make a difference.

Helping you

I am fortunate to have an excellent team of caseworkers who work with me to answer your questions, respond to your problems, and help you find solutions.

In the first year as an MP, we have handled more than 9,000 different cases, ranging from potholes to pensions, and from sewage to social care.

Often, it is cases that you have brought to me that have the most impact – our fair adoption campaign started with an email from a resident asking for help.

We've run MP surgeries online, in churches, supermarkets, and even in McDonalds. I'm here to help you, and if you need help, just get in touch.

A World Heritage site

The speed with which the campaign to make Marple Locks a world heritage site took off really highlights the impact that an MP can have. 

I raised the idea as part of a debate on funding for the Macclesfield and Peak Forest canals, and by the next day, it was the top story on the BBC news website, and within a week was even making headlines in Australia. 

It was a lesson on how an MP can highlight the incredible things that our area has to offer, and was the start of a long-term campaign to bring even more benefits of well-managed tourism to our area, and showcase our industrial and our natural heritage.

Off road bikes and antisocial behaviour

I hear the same message from everywhere in the constituency about illegal off road bikers – Heaviley, Offerton, Woodley and Marple alike. They are threatening, dangerous and criminal.

I have raised the issues repeatedly in Parliament, and have been fortunate to use my position as Home Affairs spokesperson to be able to put pressure on the Home Secretary to make changes to the legislation.

And we have seen the first steps forward recently, with Greater Manchester Police announcing that they were doubling the size of their off-road bikes team, and running a targeted operation in our area to get them off the streets.

This is only the first step. We need to see a return to proper Neighbourhood policing, where people know their local policeman, and know they aren't far away. These thugs need to know that they will be caught, and that there is someone nearby to do it.

Getting everyone on the train

Over the winter months, the problems with our local train services were starkly laid bare, with cancellations and delays decimating our services.

I went to Parliament, and fought for change, and met with the bosses at Northern rail, to ensure that they were putting plans in place to deal with the crisis.

As this eased in the New Year, I was able to turn to longer term issues, and was delighted to meet with local rail access campaigner Nathaniel Yates at Woodley Station, one of all too many in the area sadly lacking in access for people with access needs, whether that's people with disabilities, or parents with prams and buggies.

Not only have I been able to amplify his voice, and his excellent campaigning, but I have continued to work on getting better public transport options from Stockport into our area – and the Stockport Metrolink which you can read about below, can be the first step in that process.

Community theatres

We are incredibly lucky to have some wonderful theatres across our area – not just the Forum Theatre in Romiley, near my home, but the likes of the Carver Theatre, Romiley Little Theatre, and slightly further afield the likes of Hyde Little Theatre. 

These places are thriving centres for our communities, and a place where people can learn, enjoy and be part of something spectacular. 

Sadly, all too many of them have been hit by the impact of the RAAC crisis, not least the Forum. As a councillor, I managed to identify critical funding to get temporary repairs done, and as an MP, I have led a parliamentary debate on getting support for community theatres across the country. 

I'm continuing to work with national arts organisations, and our local theatres, to get their voices heard, and to make sure the next generation of actors, singers, dancers and technicians – and the audiences that support them – get their chance in the spotlight.

A fair deal for self-employed adopters

I was staggered to learn, when I was approached by one of my constituents, Kirsty, to discover a massive unfairness in our adoption system, where simply by being self-employed, new adoptive parents were not entitled to the same pay and leave as others.

I immediately questioned this unfairness in parliament, and was granted a debate on this issue, which was supported by many from across the range of political parties – there are many in parliament who have been adopted, or who, like me, have adopted family.

So far, the signs have been positive, with the Government promising to review the legislation in their forthcoming pay review. I am continuing to push them, so that this stark divide can be removed, and many more new, loving adoptive families can be created.

Stockport Metrolink

I was delighted by the news at the start of June that the Metrolink is to be extended to Stockport. 

This is something I have campaigned for for many years, and in my first month as an MP, we saw progress, as a potential route was announced by Transport for Greater Manchester.

A great deal of work went in to the announcement, particularly from my colleagues at Stockport Council, delivering the new transport interchange – Metrolink ready – and making it an obvious decision to extend the line here.

I am looking forward to seeing spades in the ground. This is a great development for Stockport – with work, it can be a great development for the whole constituency, if it links up with new public transport through Offerton, Bredbury, Romiley, and across to Marple, Mellor and High Lane. 

Stepping Hill Hospital

Stepping Hill was the first thing that I did in my first year as an MP, and it was also the last thing that I did.

I want to say thank you to the more than 6,000 people who signed our petition, to fund the repairs that are so desperately needed at Stepping Hill Hospital, and to get a new, additional site in the centre of Stockport. We presented this to Number 10 in June.

Like all of the campaigns I work on, we can only achieve success if we work together. I am here to represent you, and to make sure your voices are heard.