Hello and welcome to my September newsletter

It’s hard to believe that as we speak, recess has ended and Parliament has returned in Westminster.

It’s been a very busy summer, with glorious weather on the whole, and I have enjoyed meeting lots of you, taking up invitations to visit various businesses and organisations throughout the constituency and pressing on with the things that matter most to you.

I am pleased to congratulate Liz Truss as Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party. There are some very real challenges facing our country currently including high inflation rates and cost of living and energy price challenges and we all need to get behind our new Prime Minister to get on deal with these issues as well as continuing to deliver on the election promises made in 2019 including the levelling up agenda.

Commiserations go to Rishi Sunak and all the other candidates who put themselves up for the leadership election in the initial stages, demonstrating what a broad range of talent we have within the Conservative party.

Liz Truss has my full support and I look forward to continuing to work in the best interests of Carlisle.

Despite disappointment in the Cumberland local elections, we move forward as the new local authority is formed and I continue to press both locally in Cumbria and in Westminster for a strong devolution deal with local decision making and a financial package to match, that will benefit us all. This Autumn I will be laying down amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, that will urge Government to go one step further and use reserve powers to impose devolution on areas where there may be unnecessary opposition in certain quarters but broader support more generally. That is the only way we will truly transform our cities.

In terms of case work, passport applications and visas have dominated the work in my constituency office and alongside representations to the Home Office on timescales and efficiency, my team have successfully dealt with 130 applications that had become ‘logjammed’ in the system.

One of the most memorable events of the summer has to be the drop in at Carlisle College to meet many of the Ukranian nationals who have now made a temporary home in Carlisle. Some of the stories of separation were truly humbling, however the resilience and positivity of the people attending was remarkable. It was good to see our local Job Centre Plus staff there offering advice, guidance and signposting and local recruitment agencies discussing ways to help people find work. One fact that came across loud and clear, was the warm welcome and positive reception many of the Ukranians had received from the people of Carlisle and that was not unexpected, but wonderful to hear.

Here are some of my other summer highlights –

Welcoming News of a New Graduate Entry Medical School for Carlisle

The University of Cumbria and Imperial College London are working together to launch a new graduate entry medical school in Carlisle.

The new school, which aims to enrol its first students in autumn 2025, will train new doctors for Cumbria and North-West England to transform healthcare in local communities.

Imperial’s medical school is one of the best in the world. This partnership aims to unite that strength with the University of Cumbria’s expertise in the education of nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to improve the region’s access to world-class clinical care.

The partnership is the result of a shared vision to educate more medical professionals to serve their local communities, in regions with the greatest need. The school will be situated in an area of England where the recruitment and retention of medical staff remains a significant challenge.

Celebrating the Success of the Government’s Kickstart Scheme

Recently, in partnership with Job Centre Plus Carlisle (JCP), I held a celebration event for local employers and young people who have gained work through the Kickstart scheme, at Carlisle College.

The Government’s Kickstart Scheme was designed to give young people at risk of long-term unemployment a future of hope and opportunity by creating high-quality, government-subsidised jobs across the UK, supporting them into work.

Over the life of the scheme, Carlisle JCP were successful in facilitating 259 starts in employment for young people and achieved a retention rate of 80%, which are excellent results.

Remembering the Falklands Conflict 40 years on

It was a huge honour to be part of the organising team for a Falklands 40 event which took place in Carlisle in the early Summer. We saw the Falklands flag being presented to the people of Carlisle, a parade of over 100 veterans, many of whom laid wreaths for those friends and colleagues who were not able to return from the South Atlantic, and a service of remembrance at St Cuthbert’s Church.

It was a particularly wonderful moment to watch the veterans as they marched from the city centre to St Cuthbert’s Church to spontaneous applause from those that had come to watch. Many had travelled miles to be with us.

Everyone I spoke to on the day and since has agreed it was a wonderful and poignant event.

Supporting Carlisle’s Young People at Carlisle Youth Zone

It was great to be asked along to present prizes at Carlisle Youth Zone in the Superhero Card compeition. The young people had been involved in designing cards for purchase to give to those in the community who had been superheroes over the pandemic.

It was not an easy task either - there was very stiff competition!

Visiting the Great North Air Ambulance Service at Langwathby

It was a pleasure to visit the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) at its Langwathby base and see first hand their life-saving work

The GNAAS is not NHS funded and relies on income from the general public to fund its operations and currently needs to raise more than £6.7m a year to keep flying – each emergency callout costing an average of £4,135 and in 2021, there were 1,620 call outs.

With plans to expand the rapid response vehicle service and night service, GNAAS will need to raise £8m to make this happen. Like a number of charitable organisations, concerns over the cost of living have had a significant impact with a downturn in participation at fundraising events and regular giving whilst at the same time organisations are facing rising in terms of utilities, petrol, and jet fuel.

During the visit, I also had the opportunity to inspect one of the charity’s, specially-equipped helicopters, The Pride of Cumbria II and to meet members of the medical and flight crew.

Opening the Northern Research Group Conference in Doncaster

It was an honour to open the inaugural Northern Research Group (NRG) conference in Doncaster, with over 300 delegates including over 30 Conservative MPs many of whom were elected to represent constituencies in the north of England, Wales and the Scottish Borders in the 2019 General Election, and local business leaders, councillors, policy experts and representatives from the third sector.

The theme for the conference was Levelling Up the North and discussion was focussed around the opportunities that the levelling up agenda presents for communities, across many different themes, for example, education and skills, economic growth and jobs, health, transport, green energy and housing.

Walking the City Centre with Local Police Officers and the Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner

It was great to join the Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall, alongside local police officers, for a walk around Carlisle to discuss and see some of the great work they are doing and find out how I can help with their various challenges.

Having locally based police officers, who can listen to communities, understand and address local problems and help people feel safer is pivotal to successful policing in the city.

Visiting Prism Arts

I was delighted to visit Prism Arts in Carlisle and even more so to take part in an actual live workshop. It was evident how much people enjoyed the session and were able to practice and learn skills in a safe and welcoming place with the focus being on ability and not disability. I look forward to seeing the organisation progress and expand in the future.”

For more than 35 years, the charity, that’s strapline is ‘Art Without Barriers’ has created opportunities for participants to make excellent art, develop skills, and showcase their talents, whilst at the same time, boosting their confidence and wellbeing and tackling loneliness and isolation.

In Cumbria there are more than 100,000 people living with a disability and Prism Arts currently help over 4,500 people each year through a programme of events, workshops, projects and outreach work. The Arts Without Barriers strategy provides many of those people with meaningful progression routes that use artistic tools to build essential skills and relationships for life.

Welcoming city centre progress in investment and regeneration

It was wonderful to welcome railways, walking and cycling Minister, Wendy Morton to Carlisle to look at the exciting development plans for Carlisle railway station to be funded by the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. In addition, plans were passed for the redevelopment of the Grade 1 Citadel Buildings into a state of the art University of Cumbria campus with a shared public realm space. Plus £16.6m of Government funding was granted for the Town Deal Investment Plan which will see projects at the Market Hall and Tullie House come into fruition.

At the beginning of the summer I was delighted to be re-elected as Chair of the Food and Drink All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), and the Family Business APPG. We have many great family run businesses and food and drink manufacturers in Carlisle and it is important to me to be able to work alongside them and represent their interests in Parliament.

In addition, I sit on the Nuclear Energy APPG an industry crucial to the national economy boosting growth and energy security, the Government's energy strategy and the future of our own Cumbrian economy. I am also a member of the Public Affairs and Constitutional Affairs Committee and the 1922 Committee, which has had a pivotal role in the recent election of the Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party.

As Parliament restarts, I will continue to make representations, ask questions of Government and have discussions with Ministers to ensure Cumbrian voices, such as yours are heard at the very highest level.

Breaking News:

I am very proud to have been elected as the Northern Research Group (NRG) Chairman, during this crucial period for the north.

I am pleased that the PM signed up to the NRG pledges during the leadership election.

Our job is to assist her and her cabinet in delivering on them, thereby ensuring the best opportunities for everyone across the North of England.

Now the leadership election is behind us, we must refocus our efforts on delivering for every region across Britain. As chairman of one of the largest groups of MPs in Parliament, I will ensure that the voice of people across the North is heard.

I would like to thank Jake Berry for all the work he has done. He tirelessly kept the NRG agenda at the centre of political discourse, and I wish him well in his new role.

For information, the NRG is one of the largest and most influential groups of backbench MPs. More details here www.northernresearchgroup.uk.

Last week I wrote to Cumbria County Council asking for the authority to consider creating a permanent memorial to HM Queen Elizabeth II that would be open to the public in Cumbria.

I am interested in your opinion on this.

As always, if you are a constituent of Carlisle and you need my help, please contact me on the email address below and I will be happy to do just that. If you would like to keep up to date with my work, then please follow all or any of the social media links below or take a look at my website or my weekly column in the News and Star.

John Stevenson MP
Member of Parliament for Carlisle