Today marks two years since the 2024 General Election - and together we've managed to make some real progress in that time.
When I was elected, I knew trust in politicians was low, and I was determined to be a local MP who was open, accessible and focussed on local priorities.
That's why I've been working hard with local people, from councillors, to businesses, to campaigners and many others to deliver for Mid Beds.
I've been pushing for step-free access at both Flitwick and Harlington stations, and I'm delighted that Network Rail say that Flitwick is now back on track after funding was agreed. We will continue to campaign for step-free access at Harlington.
The new GP surgery for Wixams should have been delivered years ago, but I'm really happy that things now seem to be heading in the right direction after funding was finally secured from the NHS earlier this year.
Giving young people the opportunity to thrive has been another priority of mine, so it is fantastic to see a technical college announced for Bedford, focussed on construction. And it has been really great having so many young people spend time in my office gaining work experience.
I've also been working with local resident Tracey Hanson to secure changes to the Unduly Lenient Sentencing Scheme, which now includes more rights for victims to appeal sentences.
And I can't fail to mention the incredible news that Universal Studios is set to make Mid Bedfordshire the home of its first ever theme park in Europe. It will deliver huge benefits for our local area, but my focus now is on the infrastructure needed to support not just Universal UK, but the cumulative impacts of development in the area, including from East-West Rail and planned housing developments.
That's not all. When the Government announced plans for new towns across the country, there was a real risk they would not count towards a local council's housing targets, with areas like Mid Beds facing a housebuilding double whammy. But after plenty of lobbying, the Government has agreed that new towns such as Tempsford should be included in housing targets.
I've also been doing a lot of work on flooding and continue to push the Government to do more to protect our local areas most at-risk. We should not be building houses on floodplains. That campaign continues.
Alongside this work, I'm supporting campaigns to expand the Forest of Marston Vale and the Chilterns National Landscape Area, which would both protect and enhance our beautiful countryside.
On roads, Junction 13 of the M1 desperately needs an upgrade, especially with the impending arrival of Universal UK, and I'm going to be pushing for this over the coming weeks and months. And we still need the long-promised M1-A6 link road!
One of my big new campaigns is to secure a rural Neighbourhood Health Centre, either in Flitwick or Ampthill. This would reduce the need to travel to Milton Keynes, Luton, or Bedford for some treatment and checks.
These are just some of the local issues I've been working on since I was elected as your MP. And there have of course been national campaigns too, such as pressuring the Government into delivering a social media ban for under 16s, forcing a u-turn on Winter Fuel Payments and the Family Farm Tax, and ending loopholes in the UK's visa system.
This is just the start, and as always you can get in touch by emailing blake.stephenson.mp@parliament.uk.
