Sureena Brackenridge MP: speeches

Speeches

• 19 Jun 2025 · Water Safety Education · Hansard source

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  Austerity hit access to swimming lessons, as evidenced by the fact that 35% of children from low-income families are able to swim 25 metres unaided compared with 82% from affluent families. Does my hon. Friend agree with me that mandatory requirements for swimming and water safety should be in the national curriculum for all primary schools?

• 7 May 2025 · Automotive Manufacturing: Employment · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir John. I thank the hon. Member for Reigate (Rebecca Paul) for introducing this timely debate, particularly in the light of the turmoil and uncertainty caused by US tariffs. As on many occasions, I rise to champion a flagship site of the UK automotive sector: Jaguar Land Rover’s engine manufacturing centre at the i54, which is just outside my constituency. That world-class facility employs 1,700 people, with many of them living in my constituency. I welcome the 100 more roles recently announced as part of JLR’s drive towards electrification, which is part of an additional £18 billion investment over the next five years. The UK automotive sector is a cornerstone of our manufacturing economy, generating £93 billion in turnover last year and supporting hundreds of thousands of skilled jobs. Yet, today, the sector faces serious uncertainty following the announcement of a 25% US tariff on automotive imports. I am therefore here to seek urgent clarifications. First, what progress has been made in negotiations with the US to remove or reduce those damaging tariffs? Secondly, in the worst-case scenario—the absence of a deal—how will the Government act to support the industry through the immediate and longer-term challenges? The US is a crucial market for JLR, accounting for around a quarter of its global sales. A prolonged 25% tariff would hit the business and the UK auto sector disproportionately. We need a deal that prioritises reducing those barriers. I support the calm, clear and statesmanlike leadership of our Prime Minister amidst the turbulence and erratic policy shifts from across the Atlantic. However, if a deal cannot be secured, the Government must act swiftly to protect jobs, sustain investment and safeguard our industrial base. In the west midlands, we are talking about a potential £6.2 billion hit—the biggest regional impact in the UK. The support announced at JLR’s Solihull site in April is welcome. To support the transition to net zero and the automotive sector, the Prime Minister has introduced pragmatic changes: easing EV targets, allowing cleaner petrol cars to count towards quotas and extending hybrid sales to 2035. Those realistic steps back innovation, while keeping our ambitions intact. We must now fully deliver on our promise to protect British industry from global shocks. That includes supporting time to pay arrangements, to help manage cash flow; cutting energy costs; and creating a new advanced manufacturing partnership with the west midlands to bolster supply chains and drive growth. Finally, I want to highlight another reason why JLR is such a vital employer in my constituency: its outstanding commitment to skills and apprenticeships. With 350 new places across BTEC and T-level routes, from engineering to electrification, it is building the workforce for the future that we so badly need. It is a powerful example of how business and education work in partnership, hand in hand, to secure long-term prosperity. I again ask the Minister, what progress has been made in securing a deal with the US? If one cannot be reached, what specific support will the Government provide to protect this vital sector and ensure that world-class facilities such as JLR’s i54 site can continue to thrive?

• 24 Feb 2025 · Crown Estate Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  The Bill is not just about numbers on a spreadsheet. Ultimately, for my constituents, it is about jobs, opportunities and a better future for places like Wolverhampton North East. Right now, the Crown Estate is held back by outdated rules that limit its ability to invest. It is forced to sell assets just to raise capital. That is not sustainable, and it is stopping us from reaching our full potential. The Bill changes the game, giving the Crown Estate the power to borrow, invest and back long-term projects that deliver real benefits for our communities. Wolverhampton North East is ready to seize those opportunities. With our forthcoming green innovation corridor, world-class manufacturing industry and skilled workforce known for its true graft, we are perfectly placed to drive the UK’s green economy. The Bill means more funding for renewable energy, more investment in advanced manufacturing and more demand for the products we make in Wolverhampton and Willenhall. More investment means more jobs, more apprenticeships and more chances for young people to get the skills they need to build a career in the industries of the future, whether in engineering, fabrication or high-tech manufacturing. The Bill will help us to build more, make more and sell more in Wolverhampton and Willenhall, right in the heart of the Black Country. The unprecedented £60 billion partnership between Great British Energy and the Crown Estate will supercharge offshore wind development, creating huge opportunities for our local businesses. This is not just about turbines on land or at sea—we know that Wolverhampton and Willenhall are not geographically suitable for offshore wind—but about the supply chains, the manufacturing and the innovation that we can drive in towns and cities like Wolverhampton and Willenhall.

• 8 Oct 2024 · Job Creation: Industrial Communities · Hansard source

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  22. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Great British Energy on job creation in industrial communities.

• 8 Oct 2024 · Job Creation: Industrial Communities · Hansard source

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  Does the Minister agree that GB Energy is a fantastic opportunity for Wolverhampton North East to capitalise on the opportunities for research and start-ups on our forthcoming green innovation corridor and to put Wolverhampton North East back where we belong: at the heart of industrial growth and British industry?