HAPPY New Year!
A special thanks to the emergency and key workers and those serving in our Armed Forces, who have been working over Christmas and New Year.
During December I was pleased to welcome Schools Minister Georgia Gould to Blackhorse Primary School in Emersons Green to discuss local special educational needs and disabilities best practice ahead of upcoming national reforms.
This follows my work listening to parents’ local priorities for improved support, which I shared with the Education Secretary.
With the Schools Minister here, council co-leader Ian Boulton and I raised the issue of local schools’ historic underfunding, and I arranged for local mum Christine Lote to meet her.
I support Christine’s campaign, following an incurable cancer diagnosis, for school admissions policies to factor in exceptional medical need.
The cost of living and NHS are the top issues raised locally, which I push on nationally. I was pleased the Budget focused on both. Energy bills will be cut by an average £150 from April and prescription charges frozen. Train fares will be frozen for the first time in 30 years.
The minimum wage and state pension will rise again, helping with the cost of living.
Scrapping the two-child limit on benefits will lift around 450,000 children out of poverty – around 1,640 locally. Alongside expanding free school meals, breakfast clubs, and funded childcare, this Parliament is set to see the largest-ever fall in child poverty.
There are new opportunities for young adults and small businesses too, with guaranteed six-month work placements for long-term unemployed 18 to 21 year olds, supporting them away from benefits. Apprenticeship training for under-25s will also be free for small and medium-sized businesses.
In Parliament, I was proud to vote for the Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, the biggest power transfer from Whitehall in a century, and the Railways Bill, bringing railways back into public ownership.
2025 marks my first full calendar year as your MP.
I’ve made 37 contributions in Parliament, my team and I have worked on 6,788 cases for residents and sent 12,890 emails.
I’ve been on 92 local visits, held 43 advice surgery appointments and 13 ‘Coffee with Claire’ and ‘Pub Politics’ events, and knocked on doors to hear your priorities.
I believe in doing politics differently, bringing people together.
In November, my team and I worked on 550 new cases to support local people. I held my regular advice surgery in Bradley Stoke and a festive ‘Coffee with Claire’ event, open to all, in Filton.
Thank you to everyone who has been in touch, joined events, or had a chat while I’ve been out and about.
I look forward to seeing and hearing from you throughout 2026.
As always, do get in touch anytime at claire.hazelgrove.mp@parliament.uk.