Westminster Life: Back to school and a helping hand for families this September
“my job is to keep fighting for the practical changes that make life easier for Peterborough families”
The start of a new school year brings some positive changes for families in Peterborough, writes Andrew Pakes MP.
As the new term begins, I want to wish every pupil, teacher and support staff member across Peterborough well for the year ahead. After a summer of scorching heat followed swiftly by flash flooding, even our seasons feel less predictable than they used to. Amid the unsettled weather, though, there is some settled good news for families this September.
Eleven more Peterborough schools are opening free breakfast clubs this term, part of Labour's Best Start programme. That means hundreds more children starting the day with a proper meal, while parents save up to £450 a year on food and childcare. My own mum was a dinner lady when I was at primary school, and I still remember how much that hot meal meant to me during the school day. It's why I care so much about making sure no child in Peterborough goes hungry at their desk.
That same principle sits behind another change landing this September: free school meals are being extended to every child in a household receiving Universal Credit, regardless of income. Up to 16,000 more children across Peterborough could now be eligible, so I would urge any family who might qualify to check with their school or the council. With nearly half of children in our city growing up in poverty, this expansion, alongside the new breakfast clubs, should make a real difference to family budgets and to children's ability to learn. I also had the pleasure of attending some of the Family Hubs events in the city over the school holidays. These hubs – modelled on SureStart Centres cut by the last government – are about giving families the support they need to get on in life.
The weather has been harder to plan for. Last week, intense rain swept through Peterborough, flooding streets across the city, closing shops and making roads treacherous. Around 43mm fell in just a few hours, roughly 70 per cent of a normal month's rainfall, and our drains simply couldn't cope, especially after such a dry summer. My thanks go to council staff, emergency services and neighbours who helped those affected.
This isn't a one-off. Hotter, drier summers followed by sudden, intense downpours are becoming the pattern, and we need to plan for it. That means the council and Anglian Water stepping up regular gully cleaning and drain maintenance, not just responding once the damage is done. It also means being honest about how we got here: years of cuts to council budgets and the failure of water privatisation have left us less prepared than we should be. I believe in a mixed economy, but our water companies must serve the public, not shareholders. I hope the government will begin to look at the rigged water system over the months to come.
Whether it's a hot breakfast, a fairer school meals system, or a city better prepared for our changing climate, my job is to keep fighting for the practical changes that make life easier for Peterborough families. That work continues this term, in Westminster and here at home.