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Southampton Labour MPs secure £660k to tackle homelessness in the city

Satvir Kaur, MP for Southampton Test, and Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen, welcome the £660,000 package of new funding from the Labour Government to help support local people facing homelessness in Southampton.

The new funding, unlocked by the Labour government, and awarded to Southampton City Council, has been announced to coincide with World Homeless Day (10 October). It comes on top of the Labour government’s almost £1 billion investment to tackle homelessness this year and includes the largest ever investment in prevention services, helping councils intervene early and stop homelessness before it happens.

Children and families in temporary accommodation will be prioritised – with the funding to go towards helping families to cover the essentials like food, school travel and laundry.

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Energy Independence for Southampton

I am pleased to share a new paper by Alan Whitehead CBE, my friend and predecessor. He is a longstanding champion for clean energy, and as an MP, he was most recently the Shadow Energy Minister in DESNZ. His paper, Energy Independence for Southampton, outlines both the challenges and exciting opportunities we have to secure clean, reliable energy for our city. You can read Alan’s full paper, Energy Independence for Southampton, below.

Alan highlights that Southampton is facing an energy emergency. Research from the University of Southampton shows that by 2026, the city’s electricity substations could reach full capacity, particularly around the docks and city centre; this demands urgent action.

Alan presents several solutions to this problem, including bringing a new high-voltage cable from the National Grid’s Nursling substation directly into the city centre. This would take the pressure off our existing substations, keep the port and new developments powered up, and make sure Southampton’s energy network is ready for the future.

Continue reading “Energy Independence for Southampton”
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View from Westminster, my regular Echo column

It’s another busy time for MPs as proceedings in the Commons are paused for the party conference season. For Labour, it’s where party members come together to help shape policy, and we will no doubt see a number of positive announcements, many of which will directly impact us here in Southampton.

I also have a big announcement of my own. Since my last column, my husband and I have become proud parents for the first time. We’re thrilled to welcome our beautiful daughter into the world.

A huge thank you to the brilliant team at Princess Anne Hospital for their care and to everyone who has sent kind words and support. It’s been a rollercoaster journey, and now we’re looking forward to this new adventure – sleepless nights included!

Although I’m on maternity leave, you can still contact me as usual. I’ll be back in Parliament early next year, but in the meantime, I’ll continue to work remotely, and you’ll still see me around Southampton with my baby, attending a few events locally and catching up with residents, as well as always pushing for Southampton to be at the top of the government’s agenda.

Some recent highlights include successfully securing £11.5 million in funding for the Connect to Work programme in Southampton and the wider region. With one in four young people in our city not currently in employment, education, or training, it’s vital that we create opportunities for everyone to succeed.

I’ve spoken to many residents who want to do more but simply need the right support and opportunities. This funding will provide exactly that—whether through one-to-one mentoring, or by helping local businesses take on additional staff who may have greater needs. This is a vital and much-needed investment that will open doors for hundreds of people across Southampton.

I have also been campaigning hard for additional resources from the government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods programme. This will mean millions are allocated directly to the neighbourhoods that need it most. For Southampton Test I have secured £20 million of government funding for people in Millbrook and Redbridge to invest in their communities, and it will be those local communities who get to decide how and what it is spent on. It will be a real game changer.

Alongside getting extra national investment into Southampton, I’m also working to get local resources too! Particularly when it comes to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour. Everyone deserves to feel safe where they live and work. One of my ongoing campaigns is to open a face-to-face police counter in Shirley. Residents and businesses endured months of vandalism and abuse from a group of teenagers earlier this year and while the situation has seen some improvement, it’s clear Shirley and the surrounding areas need a stronger, more consistent police presence.

That’s why I launched a petition calling for the Shirley Housing Office on the High Street, which is currently lying empty, to be turned into a police hub with a face-to-face counter for residents. The response has been really positive, with hundreds of signatures showing just how strongly our community feels.

As a result of my petition, we’re already seeing some progress. Southampton City Council has offered the use of the housing office for the counter, we’ve backed a bid for permanent CCTV in Shirley to deter crime and catch offenders, and there are now more police patrols on the streets – all thanks to your support and pressure.

Councillor Alex Winning, Leader of the council and Shirley Ward Councillor, is fully backing this campaign, and together we’re determined to make Shirley safer, more welcoming, and vibrant – while ensuring crime is taken seriously across every community in our city.

To support the petition, head to the campaigns section of my website, www.satvirkaur.info. As always, if you need my help – on this or any other issue – please get in touch. Email me at satvir.kaur.mp@parliament.uk or call 02382 546 357. I’m here to help.

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Millbrook and Redbridge to get £20 million from government fund – and locals are to decide how to spend it

Steve Reed MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, share the news

Satvir Kaur has secured £20 million of government funding for people in Millbrook and Redbridge to invest in their communities.

As part of the Labour government’s new Pride in Place Programme, these areas will receive £2 million per year over the course of ten years, and will be pioneering a new way of deciding how to spend public money on local projects.

The money can be spent on anything from local park improvements to fixing up empty buildings and high streets, but it is up to the residents to decide what to do with it.

The fund relies on locals from across the Millbrook estate and Redbridge coming together to submit ideas for how to spend the £20 million total, and a call has gone out for people to volunteer to sit on a local board that helps coordinate the project.

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University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust delivers more appointments with this Labour government 

Patients in Southampton Test are benefitting from access to quicker care with this Labour government, with over 44,523 extra appointments delivered in just one year – part of over 5 million extra appointments delivered across England since Labour was elected.  

Local Labour MP, Satvir Kaur, described the news as ‘a huge step in the right direction for patients in our community’ and that ‘once again it is a Labour Government fixing our treasured NHS’.  

Thanks to Labour’s turbocharged efforts across the country – including more community care than ever before, stronger working between GPs and clinicians and record funding into the NHS – the government is reversing more than a decade of decline and poor access to services under the Conservatives.  

The Government’s recent Ten Year Health Plan promised a shift from hospital to community, with more care in local areas like Southampton. For families, this means quicker and more convenient appointments, closer to home and more time focusing on treatment and recovery. The increased capacity across the country has also meant that despite ongoing pressures on the health service, local patients have continued to receive the urgent care they need.  

The government inherited an NHS with some patients waiting as long as 18 months for treatment. It has set an ambition to cut the longest waiting times to 18 weeks by the end of the Parliament, as part of its Plan for Change.  

Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur said: “For too long, patients in our community have been stuck on the Tories NHS waiting lists or struggling to get that healthcare that they need. There’s so much more to do, but these figures show clearly that this Labour Government is delivering for our community and, step by step, I hope that local residents begin to see and feel the benefit.”  

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “One year ago, I made a promise that we would deliver 2 million extra appointments in our first year – not only did we do this in just 5 months, but we have obliterated that target, carrying out over 5 million.  

“That is testament to the relentless efforts of NHS staff across the country, alongside key reforms and the extra £26 billion we’re investing to get waiting times down for patients.

“Our 10 Year Health Plan will go even further for people in Southampton, driving care out of our busy hospitals and into local communities as we deliver the radical transformation required to fix our broken health service.”  

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Satvir Kaur MP appointed as junior minister

Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur has been appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office. The appointment comes shortly after she welcomed a baby girl at Princess Anne Hospital in August.

Satvir said, “There’s nothing like feeding your two-week-old newborn and suddenly getting a call from No. 10. It is hugely humbling and a real honour to be asked to join Darren Jones MP and the Cabinet Office team to help deliver our plan for change. Enormous thanks to Josh Simons for stepping in while I complete my maternity leave.”

Satvir succeeds Georgia Gould MP and Abena Oppong-Asare MP, who have served as junior ministers since July 2024.

While Satvir is on maternity leave, constituents can continue to contact Satvir in the usual way. She will return to Parliament early next year, working remotely in the meantime with her team continuing business as usual.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch; email satvir.kaur.mp@parliament.uk or call the office on 02382 546 357.

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🍼 Baby news! 👩‍🍼

This week my husband and I became very proud parents for the first time and are over-joyed to welcome our beautiful new baby daughter into the world.

Huge thanks to the wonderful team at Princess Anne Hospital and everyone’s support and best wishes during what has been a rollercoaster journey.

We’re looking forward to this new adventure (not so much the sleepless nights!) as I officially go on maternity leave to spend time with my new baby.

Whilst I am on maternity leave, you can still contact me as normal in the usual way. I will be returning to Parliament sometime early next year but will be doing some things remotely in the meantime. I will also be around and about Southampton with my new baby and will still be attending to important constituency duties.

My team will be working as normal throughout and are, as always, ready to help. Please do get in contact if you need us.

Thank you all so much for your understanding and kindness during this very special time for me and my new family.

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View from Westminster: My regular Daily Echo column

I truly value local journalism and our freedom of the press, so I was delighted, and very grateful, to be asked by the Daily Echo to write a regular column. Here’s my latest article, where I discuss the run-up to recess, Southern Water, crime and how I’ll be spending summer in Southampton…

The run-up to the House of Commons summer recess has been a busy time, both in parliament and here in Southampton. In Westminster, there’s been lots going on relevant to us in the city, with legislation progressing and announcements made in areas that hugely effect Southampton.

Following the Royal Assent of Labour’s Water (Special Measures) Act earlier this year, which legislated to change how we regulate the water industry, the government has announced plans to reshape regulation entirely. We know the current system isn’t working and something fundamental needed to change. Right now, our water industry is policed by four separate regulators in a system that’s more about passing the buck than taking responsibility.

Continue reading “View from Westminster: My regular Daily Echo column”
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View from Westminster: My regular Daily Echo column

I truly value local journalism and our freedom of the press, so I was delighted, and very grateful, to be asked by the Daily Echo to write a regular column. Here’s my latest article, where I look back on my first year as the MP for Southampton Test…

It’s been exactly one year today since Southampton Test residents elected me to represent them and our incredible city, Southampton, in Parliament. It’s been a whirlwind year. At the time I said it was the honour of my life, and it still is! This is my home – the place I was born, where I grew up and where I have always lived.

It’s been my life experiences in Southampton that have prepared me for parliament. From being an inner-city kid and the daughter of a market trader to my family relying on public services and learning how to work hard while valuing community, it’s all set me up for life in Westminster – a place I have often described as Hogwarts meets Mean Girls. 

Every day I’m humbled and grateful for having this opportunity to serve my home city, and every day I try my best to help as many people as I can; take up what matters most to you; champion and fight for Southampton. Most importantly, I want to ensure local people are helping to shape and influence changes made in Parliament, and in return, our communities are benefiting from new and emerging national legislation.

Here’s some of what I have been up to: Locally, I’ve handled over 5,000 individual pieces of casework, helping to advocate for residents and do all I can to address their needs. I have held regular surgeries, speaking to hundreds of you about the problems you face and seeing what I can do to help. I have hosted coffee mornings throughout the constituency, from Bevois and Redbridge to Shirley. I’ve been bringing people together to influence national policy areas, from how we fix our NHS to how we help small businesses thrive, and even discussed important issues like parental leave. 

I love regularly attending community events and have been to many across the year – so please keep inviting me. But my favourite thing has been visiting local schools and hosting young people in Parliament. I’ve been so inspired by their enthusiasm and cannot wait to do more with young people so that they’ve got every opportunity to reach their potential. 

Nationally, I am fully aware that this time last year, many voted for change. This is why I’ve been working hard to ensure Southampton has been benefitting from the tens of billions of pounds being invested in our public services under Labour. From £7.3 million given to Southampton General Hospital and Princess Ann Hospital to deliver vital maintenance work, preventing appointments and operations from being cancelled due to issues with poor-quality buildings.

We’ve also seen our schools’ benefit from recent announcements to invest in their buildings, as well as the rollout of free breakfast clubs. We’re doing more to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, as this is often an issue residents talk to me about. I’m pleased to see the extra investment in local neighbourhood policing, especially with a focus on extra police powers to tackle issues like retail crime and anti-social behaviour, which for too long have been a problem here in the city. We inherited public services on their knees, but Labour is determined to fix this, and we’ve made a good start.

Housing will always be an issue close to my heart and one that is often raised with me as your MP. I want to use my position to fight for residents, which is why I called out bad landlords in the House of Commons after families at Compass Point were severely let down with substandard living conditions. I also helped residents at Fullerton Place after communication broke down with their local housing association. I’ve pushed for better quality and rights for renters and leaseholders, and for many in Southampton, Labour’s Renters Rights Bill cannot come soon enough – especially as it also bans no-fault evictions, which is the biggest cause of homelessness in our city. That, with a pledge and more investment being announced for more new, affordable and social housing, I hope will help to address the housing crisis we’re in. 

Like so many residents, I care deeply about our environment. It’s why I’ve loved backing Southampton’s ambition to be the first UK city outside of London to officially gain National Park City status. It’s why I’ve been working with companies like DP World to reduce the number of trucks on our roads and encourage more travel by rail. I have been holding companies like Southern Water to account and backing community campaigns for bathing water status so we can have rivers we can enjoy and be proud of again. Labour’s new Water Act and measures like banning water bosses’ bonuses are welcome. I’ll keep pushing for more to be done. I will continue to hold them to account.

It has been a busy year with so much done, yet so much more to do. Whatever this next year brings our way, I’ll keep fighting for my home, our home, Southampton.

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Southampton united for nature 

Southampton came alive in the most inspiring way as the first Urban Wild Festival took place in early June— a fantastic milestone organised by the tireless team behind Southampton National Park City. From the buzzing atmosphere across the city to the inspiring conversations taking place in our green spaces, it was a fantastic reminder of how our community comes together to protect, preserve, and celebrate our natural environment.

Whether it’s the volunteers gardening at St James’ Park, the litter-pickers out in all weathers, or the residents who plant pollinator-friendly flowers in their front gardens — Southampton has a lot to be proud of. These efforts, big and small, show that our city has green credentials rooted in community spirit, passion, and action.

The Urban Wild Festival was a true team effort — bringing together a host of green groups, community organisations, and local changemakers. Across venues and parks, the week long festival celebrated the city’s beautiful parks, open spaces, rivers and lakes, while championing local voices, creativity, and environmental identity.

One personal highlight for me was the Urban Wild event on Southampton Common. Ice cream in hand, I wandered between the stalls, chatting with passionate people who were generously sharing their knowledge about wildlife, conservation, and sustainability. I now know how to build a bat box — and I even learned how to identify some species that call the River Itchen home! I absolutely loved it.

The festival is part of the YouCAN (Youth for Climate and Nature) initiative, made possible through a Climate Action Fund grant from The National Lottery Community Fund. This scheme empowers young people aged 11 to 25 to lead community climate and nature projects. It was also great to meet the Guardians of the River Itchen, a group of young people who are passionate about protecting the wildlife of the river, they told me all about their citizen science which was very impressive. As someone deeply committed to tackling the nature and climate emergencies, I fully support these projects, and I’m looking forward to hosting the Guardians of the River Itchen in parliament next month.

The timing couldn’t have been better either — with World Environment Day taking place a few days later, it was a week full of awareness, action, and appreciation for our natural world. I was proud to stand up in Parliament and formally thank Christelle Blunden and everyone locally who worked so hard to help Southampton gain National Park City status, while Executive Director of the National Park City Foundation, Mark Cridge, looked on from the viewing gallery. Their efforts were nothing short of herculean, and I’ve loved being part of and supporting this journey which has been many years in the making for Southampton to become the UK’s first National Park City outside of London.

Mark Cridge commented on how great it was to hear how Southampton is inspiring other cities to follow our lead. We’re showing the UK what’s possible when a city comes together for people, nature, and the climate. Southampton’s parks, green and blue spaces are among my favourite things about our city, I grew up in the inner city, with no garden, and having access to parks and green spaces was so important to my wellbeing growing up. I’m dedicated to ensuring they are properly protected and looked after for generations to come!