Stoke Nub News is introducing a regular opinion column written by Stoke-on-Trent's MPs. This week, hear from David Williams, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North and Kidsgrove.

I am delighted to be writing this first monthly column for Stoke Nub News. I am grateful for the opportunity to share regular updates with you, and I look forward to using this space to continue the conversation about how we can make our area stronger, fairer, and more confident in the future.

Some people want to divide us. They tell us nothing can change, that our best days are behind us. I believe the opposite.

Here in Stoke-on-Trent, I see pride and resilience every single day – from parents working hard to give their children the best start, to volunteers who keep our community going and entrepreneurs who keep the doors open and keep the kilns lit.

That spirit is what will make our city stronger. Politics should not be about running people down. It should be about lifting people up and building a country we can be proud of.

Real renewal is not built on empty slogans or quick fixes. It is built brick by brick, step by step. And it has already begun.

Just last month, Stoke-on-Trent secured £1.5 million of Pride in Place funding – money that will revitalise our high streets and breathe new life into local spaces. It is a clear sign that, after years of neglect, investment is finally returning to our city.

And unlike the Conservative gimmicks of "Town Deals" and "Levelling Up", this funding will be locally-led and determined by the people's priorities, not those of civil servants in Whitehall.

But safer, stronger communities are about more than money. They are about respect and trust. That is why Labour is putting more police into neighbourhoods and ensuring every area has a named officer.

That is why Labour is tackling knife crime and making sure people feel safe again. I see the difference when residents feel protected and when police work hand-in-hand with local people. That is real security.

And renewal must mean dignity too – secure housing through stronger Renters Rights, and a rebuilt NHS with a ten-year plan to cut waiting times and get doctors back in theatre. These are the building blocks of a fairer, healthier society.

Step by step, the rot is being cleared away. We are rebuilding this country – safer streets, stronger schools, secure homes, a renewed NHS. Each step takes us closer to a Britain that feels like itself again: creative, resilient, and proud.

And let me be absolutely clear: Labour is patriotic. I am patriotic. It is nonsense to suggest otherwise. I respect our flag deeply because of what it stands for – a country that is welcoming, inclusive and tolerant. But right now, our country is also fed up. Fed up with empty promises. Fed up with gimmicks like the Conservatives' Rwanda scheme.

What we actually inherited was an NHS on its knees – waiting lists at record highs, patients left on stretchers in corridors, satisfaction at record lows. That is why Labour has committed £29 billion more every year for the NHS, to cut waiting times and restore dignity.

People are fed up with the crisis at our borders, too – and let's be honest, those who promised that Brexit would "take back control" failed miserably. Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage told people it would mean control. Instead, both legal and illegal immigration went up after we left the EU.

That is why Labour is committed to doing what actually works: striking proper returns agreements with our European allies, rebuilding links with our neighbours, and making sure those who have no right to be here are returned swiftly.

This is patriotism in action – not flags waved for show, but pride in our people, in our work, and in our future together.

I am more determined than ever to ensure our community feels safer, stronger and more confident in the years ahead. If I can help with any issue, please do get in touch at [email protected] or 01782 950484.

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