Chris Webb MP: speeches

Speeches

• 11 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Last weekend I attended Waterloo Road’s first ever winter wonderland Christmas lights switch-on, which was a fantastic celebration in the spirit of small business Saturday in the most deprived ward in our country. Those businesses told me on Saturday, as they have done many times, that they have been left behind for too long, and that the high street is suffering. Will the Minister meet me to discuss what we can do to support our high streets in the most deprived areas of this country?

• 20 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Blackpool council has asked for the views of residents for the most ambitious and exciting regeneration project in our town’s history. In less than a week, more than 2,500 residents have signed my petition calling for Blackpool to build a world-class arena on the empty site in the Blackpool central area, which is backed by local industry experts and local artists. Such a venue could hold major concerts, e-sport tournaments and international sporting events and secure Blackpool’s legacy as a destination for world-class entertainment. Does the Leader of the House agree that a project of that scale could be transformational for my home town, which is in desperate need of an economic boost to tackle the highest level of deprivation in a place in this country?

• 20 Nov 2025 · Russian Ship Yantar · Hansard source

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  This reckless act from Russia demonstrates how important it is that the world stands united against Putin’s aggression. What discussions has the Minister had with his international partners about maintaining and galvanising that support?

• 20 Nov 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Yesterday in Parliament, I met a number of bus drivers who told me that in their research of 420 routes, 222 did not have any toilets on the route, and 155 of those had no procedures in place for drivers who needed to access toilets during their route. These drivers deserve toilet dignity in their workplace. Does the Minister agree that we need to ensure that those providers give their drivers toilet dignity, and will she meet me to discuss this matter further to ensure they get that access?

• 27 Oct 2025 · Prisoner Release Checks · Hansard source

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  On your advice, Madam Deputy Speaker, I withdraw that remark. To finish my question, will the Secretary of State ensure that there is a swift plan, so that when mistakes are made we can ensure that public trust in the justice system is retained?

• 27 Oct 2025 · Prisoner Release Checks · Hansard source

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  I thank my right hon. Friend for coming to the House today to address this serious issue. Many of my constituents raised it with me over the weekend. I notice that not a single Member from Reform is here, especially not the hon. Member for Runcorn and Helsby (Sarah Pochin). I am assuming that she is still running scared after her horrific racist remarks over the weekend. Can the Secretary of State confirm that the deportation of Kebatu will proceed unhindered and without delay—

• 21 Oct 2025 · Rape Gangs: National Statutory Inquiry · Hansard source

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  Blackpool continues to live with the scars of Charlene Downes and Paige Chivers, two young girls in Blackpool who never came home and were subject to grooming. Will the Minister confirm to my constituents that the grooming gangs inquiry will be thorough and comprehensive, and committed to a full and transparent investigation, ensuring that every avenue is examined to uncover the truth?

• 20 Oct 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  In Blackpool, too many young people needing SEND placements have been sent outside the borough, often an hour away. There is a proposal on the table for two new SEND schools in Blackpool with 120 places, but it seems to be in limbo. Will the Minister agree to meet me to discuss this and how we can get adequate support for our great young people?

• 16 Oct 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am sure the whole House would join me in expressing my deepest condolences following the sad passing of the people’s champion, Ricky Hatton—a man who inspired millions with his courage in the ring and his honesty outside it. My thoughts are with Ricky’s family at this time. In his memory, those closest to him have launched the Ricky Hatton Foundation, dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of current and former sportspeople. Will the Leader of the House join me in paying tribute to Ricky’s remarkable career and contribution to British sport, and in wishing the new foundation every success in building a lasting legacy for Ricky?

• 15 Oct 2025 · Pride in Place · Hansard source

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  In my area of Blackpool, the damning legacy of the Tories means that we now live in the most deprived borough in the country. High streets such as those in South Shore—Bond Street, Waterloo Road and Lytham Road—have been left to ruin. Will the Minister outline how the £1.5 million that can be used to restore high streets can be used quickly and efficiently in South Shore? Will she join me in Blackpool to meet residents and businesses in South Shore, and get some fish and chips along the way?

• 13 Oct 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  South Shore in my constituency is one of the most deprived areas in the country. It has just been named by the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods, which outlined 34 mission-critical neighbourhoods, as No. 1 for hyper-local need. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss how we can improve South Shore in Blackpool?

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I recently had the pleasure of attending this year’s switch-on of the iconic Blackpool illuminations, lighting up our promenade and attracting millions and millions of visitors each year since 1879. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Kate Shane, Richard Williams and all the people at Visit Blackpool, Blackpool council and Lightworks for delivering such an impressive event this year, and join me in encouraging more people, far and wide, to join us in Blackpool for the illuminations this year?

• 11 Sept 2025 · Transport: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  Taxis are an essential part of Blackpool’s transport network, yet the licensing scheme is failing both passengers and our local economy. Vehicles licensed outside the area continue to operate in Blackpool, undermining passenger safety, costing our publicly owned bus company nearly £1.5 million, and holding back wider economic growth. Will the Minister commit to urgently reforming the licensing scheme, so that vehicles and drivers licensed locally can operate in Blackpool, ensuring that public safety is protected and that vital taxi revenue supports our local economy?

• 11 Sept 2025 · Transport: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  3. What steps she is taking to ensure that the transport system supports economic growth.

• 8 Sept 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Young people in my constituency are crying out for decent, well-paid jobs, especially in the defence sector, so will the Secretary of State agree to meet me to discuss the Typhoon order that is desperately needed, not only for our country, but for jobs across Blackpool and Lancashire?

• 22 Jul 2025 · Sir David Amess Summer Adjournment · Hansard source

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  It is a privilege to speak in this debate in memory of Sir David Amess. My home town of Blackpool is full of character and resilience. Its people are proud, its communities are close-knit and, despite facing more than a decade of neglect, we remain hopeful for the future. A person does not have to spend long in my constituency of Blackpool South to feel the warmth and strength of our coastal spirit. But as the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods made clear in its recent report, our communities have been asked to bear more than their fair share of the country’s hardship, and nowhere is that starker than in Blackpool South, where we have 34 mission-critical neighbourhoods, which is more than any other constituency in the country. That represents nearly every part of our town, where 97.8% of our population lives, including me and my family. I see the impact of this daily: the exhausted public services, the empty shop fronts, the health inequalities and the frustrations that many feel when they see new developments, new initiatives and new opportunities as being for someone else. I am proud that this Government are working on a new child poverty strategy, which will benefit many of the young people in my constituency, but it must be backed by real, targeted action at a neighbourhood level. Crime is also concentrated. Over 40% of all antisocial behaviour incidents in Blackpool happen in just three areas. A 16-year-old girl told me recently that everyone she knows in the Claremont area carries a knife and is involved in drugs or gangs, and that it is nearly impossible not to get involved. She says: “Gangs make you feel like you have some sort of power. That’s the way it is. That’s Blackpool.” That is not the Blackpool that I know and love. It is the result of communities being left behind and let down for too long. In areas where we have focused, however, we have seen progress. In the Brunswick ward, thanks to the multi-agency Youth ASB working group there has been a 45% drop in youth-related incidents. The same applies to health. Research from the Centre for Coastal Communities shows that young people in coastal towns such as Blackpool suffer worse health outcomes on almost any measure. This is avoidable. Thanks to local charities such as Counselling in the Community, young people are getting support every day. Organisations like the Blackpool Boys and Girls Club already do vital work with our young people. This summer local boxing champion Brian Rose will be launching Box Park—a free summer boxing initiative in partnership with MaverickStars to stop young people from engaging in ASB in the summer. It is a free event and an initiative I will be taking part in. We all know where we need to focus and who needs the most help, and we know how to do it: by empowering these places, listening to communities and targeting support where it will have the greatest impact. Blackpool South needs the Government to invest in its future, because when Blackpool succeeds, Britain succeeds.

• 22 Jul 2025 · Orgreave Inquiry · Hansard source

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  It was alleged that Amber Rudd refused to hold an Orgreave inquiry because it would slur the memory of Thatcher. Can the Minister confirm that this inquiry will have a statutory power to compel witnesses to provide evidence, and that politics will not get in the way of uncovering the truth once and for all?

• 22 Jul 2025 · Music Streaming: Label-led Principles · Hansard source

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  indicated assent .

• 22 Jul 2025 · Music Streaming: Label-led Principles · Hansard source

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  Today’s news is great, especially for the artists and musicians in my constituency who regularly play at the Bootleg, a fantastic venue that we must ensure stays open for future generations to enjoy as my dad and I have enjoyed it. What plans are in place to engage with artists, representatives and the trade unions to ensure that today’s welcome changes deliver meaningful improvements for artists at all stages of their careers?

• 21 Jul 2025 · SEND Provision: Funding · Hansard source

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  8. What steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate funding for SEND provision.

• 21 Jul 2025 · SEND Provision: Funding · Hansard source

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  The last Government left behind a SEND system that was failing children and families. Parents were made to fight for support, with education, health and care plans denied or delayed and vital services taken away. Tory cuts to early years support, rising poverty and extreme deprivation in Blackpool, as well as the pandemic hitting our children harder than most, have all combined to deepen the crisis facing our most vulnerable young people. What steps is the Education Secretary taking to ensure children in disadvantaged communities like mine, where the need is high and support often falls short, receive the targeted SEND support they urgently require?

• 21 Jul 2025 · Infected Blood Inquiry: Additional Report · Hansard source

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  I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement. Following the inquiry’s report, will the Government now speed up the current timelines of 2027 and 2029 for the payment of compensation to victims?

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  There have been numerous reports over the weekend about an alleged incident at the Metropole hotel, the asylum hotel in my constituency. The Minister will know that I have raised concerns about the hotel numerous times with the Home Office. Will she ensure that this incident is investigated swiftly and that I as the MP and the community get a report urgently?

• 21 Jul 2025 · Victory over Japan: 80th Anniversary · Hansard source

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  While we celebrate VJ Day on 15 August, as we should, does the Minister agree that we should also encourage schools to mark that anniversary when term resumes, so that young people remember the sacrifices that so many made and the stories of so many valiant veterans and armed forces personnel?

• 15 Jul 2025 · West Coast Main Line · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Connor Naismith) for securing this debate—although I feel it is slowly turning into that famous Monty Python “Four Yorkshiremen” sketch, with all of us declaring our woes with the west coast main line. My constituency was built by the railway. When trains first arrived in 1846, they transformed a small coastal community into a mecca of British tourism. By 1911, Blackpool Central station was the busiest in the world. By 1936, 650 trains a day moved in and out of our town. It was the golden age for Blackpool, and the golden age for rail travel. Since then, our train services have drastically changed, but our need for connectivity has not. Whether for access to tourism, education or jobs, Blackpool relies on a railway system that works. Our town welcomes more than 21 million visitors every year, from families to conference delegates and people looking for fun and escapism, as they always have in Blackpool. These people should be able to get to Blackpool without relying on expensive parking or wondering whether their train will arrive on time—or whether it will turn up at all. A reliable, affordable and frequent rail service would help us to cut emissions and grow the local economy, and it would give our visitors the experience they deserve. A reliable service is also essential for my constituents, especially Blackpool’s young people. Far too often, promising young talent is forced to move away just to access better work or education, in a significant brain drain that reinforces Blackpool’s many challenges. A functioning west coast main line would make a daily commute to Manchester, Liverpool or Preston a real option for them, instead of a logistical gamble. It would mean that our talent could stay in Blackpool and still have the world at their fingertips. That is not the reality today. Delays, cancellations and overcrowded trains have become a headache we just cannot shift. As someone who regularly travels to Parliament on trains from Blackpool, I am sadly all too familiar with the stresses of commuting from our town, which is literally and often figuratively at the end of the line. I hear from constituents every week who have been forced to accept and even expect delays, cancellations and overcrowding. They want action, and without delay. In 2024, some of the operators serving the west coast main line were missing their timetable targets by more than 20%. That is not a bad day in the office; that is a broken system. Yet under the last Government, contracts were renewed and dividends were paid, as we heard from my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Navendu Mishra). Passengers were told to settle for less. I am proud to say that this Labour Government are not willing to settle. Bringing our railways back into public ownership is a vital first step to fixing the mess—sending the clear message that this Government are on the side of passengers and staff, not private shareholders. Great British Railways will give us a single accountable body to run the system in the public interest—a railway run on a long-term plan, with fewer delays, better timetables and services that connect communities instead of cutting them off. That is what my constituents deserve and what this Government will deliver. I also welcome the immediate steps to fix the system we have inherited: restoring performance, updating infrastructure and driving electrification. These are the foundations of a better system that Great British Rail can build up. I hope it will deliver the passing loop on our south line; I know previous MPs for Blackpool South have been calling for that for nearly 20 years. Reform cannot be something that happens only in big cities or major commuter routes. As we upgrade transport in the north, we must ensure that towns such as Blackpool are not forgotten simply because they are at the end of the line. I ask the Minister to reassure my constituents that, while we work towards long-term rail reform, she will hold operators to account to ensure performance is improved in the short term. Will she ensure that Blackpool will not be left behind as decisions are made about infrastructure, investment and national strategy? Blackpool is a town with rich history, but also a town that, with the right investment, has a promising future. We have strong ambition and huge potential. Let us build a transport system that matches the aspirations of the people it serves, and let us make sure Blackpool is no longer seen as just at the end of the line, but at the beginning of something better.