Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash welcomes Andy Burnham as Prime Minister, but says town remains his focus
I’m writing this at 1pm on Monday and I know much will have happened between now and you reading this.
Politics has turned another page. Andy Burnham is now our country’s Prime Minister, and I want to congratulate him and wish him every success.
The challenges facing Britain are significant, but so too is the opportunity to build a country that works better for ordinary working people.
What particularly encourages me is where his focus lies. His first instruction, to end rough sleeping in our country, speaks to his fundamental British values.
For too long, families have felt like they’re working harder only to stand still. So, I welcome the new Prime Minister’s determination to cut household bills and ease the pressure on family finances.
When I knock on doors across Hartlepool, people don’t ask me about Westminster gossip or political point scoring. They ask why everything seems to cost more than it used to.
I also welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to fixing social care. Anyone who has watched a loved one struggle to get the care they need, or who has cared for a parent, partner or family member themselves, knows just how badly the system needs reform.
Getting social care right isn’t just good for those receiving care; it’s good for families, good for our NHS and good for the country.
And I believe there is real merit in bringing essential services like water back under public control. Public services should serve the public first, and accountability should always come before shareholder dividends.
But while there may be a new Prime Minister, there is one thing that will never change. My focus.
I didn’t stand for Parliament because I wanted a career in Westminster. I stood because I love the town that raised me. Every decision I make begins with one question: is this good for Hartlepool?
That means fighting for more investment, better jobs, stronger public services, fairer taxes and lower bills.
People sometimes ask me whether a change in leadership changes my priorities. The answer is simple no.
Because my priorities have never been Westminster. They have never been party politics.
They have always been, and will always be, Hartlepool. Hartlepool first. Hartlepool second. Hartlepool third.
Everything else comes after.