Rosie Wrighting MP column: Looking ahead to 2026
At the start of this new year, I am looking ahead at the changes we can expect to see in our local communities, as a result of the work of this Labour Government.
For families, hundreds of children will be able to have a free breakfast at school before they start learning and hard-working parents will be able to rely on a higher national minimum wage.
The Government will be publishing our plan for SEND provision, after parents and children have been let down for too long. I am glad that local parents have been able to feed into the Government’s work through my SEND survey.
Local healthcare is an issue at the top of my inbox, and 2026 will be a big year for Kettering General, with work continuing on the Energy Centre as part of the New Hospital Programme and on removing RAAC from the Rockingham Wing.
Waiting lists at KGH have come down by over 2,000 since the election in July 2024. I will continue to fight for our hospital, which was so badly let down by the previous Conservative government.
As a driver in Kettering, I know how bad the state of our roads are, which is why this Government has granted record funding to fix potholes – with more than £12m going to North Northamptonshire Council including £3.2m of new funding. I will keep holding our local Council to account on spending this money to repair our roads.
I know that things have been difficult for families across Kettering for some time, and this Government has made some difficult decisions so that we can put money into our public services and support working people.
I will continue to represent Kettering, Rothwell, Desborough, Burton and the villages in Parliament and stand up for what matters to our communities.
If you have an issue I can help with, please email me at [email protected].