Westminster Life: A summer's week in Peterborough

I’ve really enjoyed seeing much of what Peterborough has to offer during August whilst Parliament has been closed for the summer recess. Normally my life is what I imagine boarding school would be like, getting the train to Westminster on a Monday and returning later in the week.

Being home for the summer means I have been able to do even more community events, visits and surgeries. As an MP, there are many ways I like to get out and about meeting residents and listening to their concerns. Over the last few weeks, I’ve held coffee mornings and pop-up surgeries in some of our supermarkets, as well as my usual advice surgeries. It was great to be able to chat to constituents just out and about doing their shopping as well as getting suck into some important bits of casework from residents.

Last week, I was lucky enough to host my first workshop with local parents to discuss one of the most important issues facing families across the city – SEND provision. The sad reality is, the SEND system is broken. It isn’t working for students, or families, and it can place immense stress on everyone involved. I heard this first-hand last week.

I will be holding more of these events over the coming weeks so I can make sure the voices of as many parents, young people, teachers and support staff as possible are heard.

I’ve also enjoyed the sunshine and some of our summer treats, which brings me back to the Beer Festival. I’d like to thank all of the organisers and participants for their hard work in putting on such a fantastic event, especially Mike Lane, who this year celebrated his 39th year as Organiser. CAMRA do great work promoting real ale in Peterborough and around the country.

It was a privilege to join veterans, civic leaders and the public last Friday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Japan Day. It was a poignant moment where we were able to honour the bravery and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation. I want to thank everyone in Peterborough and across the country who came together to pay tribute to this remarkable generation and our veterans.

Peterborough is a patriotic city and we are always at our best uniting in our shared pride and support for our Armed Forces, veterans, and their families. T

o finish off the week, I made my way over to the fantastic Kathmandu Lounge to a meeting of the Peterborough Tourism Collective.

From regular events like the Beer Festival to year-round assets like the Cathedral, Railworld and Flag Fen, we have a lot to offer. The teams on the ground at these organisations are putting in the work to promote our brilliant heritage and all the attractions we have to offer. Yes, we have challenges as a city, but we also need to do more – working together – to promote the good things we have as well.