Southampton’s two Labour MPs, Satvir Kaur and Darren Paffey, alongside the Leader of the council, Cllr Alex Winning, have called on the government to give Southampton the funding it needs after 14 years of austerity following a shake-up of local government funding allocations.
Autumn has arrived in Southampton. The clocks have gone back, Halloween has been and gone, and the air has turned crisp — so what better way to spend an afternoon than in one of our local libraries? And that’s exactly where I headed with my newborn daughter, to celebrate Green Libraries Week with the team at Southampton Central Library. Green Libraries Week recognises the role libraries play in promoting sustainability and community action.
Taking my daughter, who’s now proudly one of the city’s youngest library users and has her very first library card, was incredibly special to me, as I grew up attending the very same library (a place I still love!). We all know libraries are so much more than bricks and books; they are great spaces for people of all ages, with the most dedicated and welcoming staff and volunteers. Huge thank you to everyone who works there and helps out, you enrich lives and help our communities thrive.
I fought hard to keep our local libraries open while on the council, and now as the MP for Southampton Test, I have been supporting a campaign led by Southampton’s young reading ambassadors, calling for libraries to be in all schools. I was pleased to advocate for them and proud of their contribution in getting this government to commit to a library in every primary school. A great local and national win!
Another great Southampton win has been the additional funding our city has received recently from the government. Fair funding for Southampton is something I am constantly fighting hard for. For too long places in the south, like Southampton, have been overlooked, but it’s good to see the government recognising our acute needs and ensuring we have the funds to make a difference.
This includes an incredible £20 million for Redbridge and Millbrook, as part of the government’s Pride in Place programme, that I fought hard to secure. That’s £2 million every year for the next decade on projects that create jobs, improve community facilities and green spaces, and make our streets cleaner and safer. This is a great opportunity for the community to get involved, decide what improvements their area needs and how this money should be spent.
I’m excited to get this going and want as many local people as possible to play an active role in the decision-making. It’s why this week letters should be dropping onto the doorsteps of residents in the area, asking for their views. And I’ll also be hosting a series of drop-in sessions across the area, starting on Saturday 29th November 2025, so I can hear directly from you about what matters most.
Other exciting funding announcements for our city include £6 million towards a new urgent treatment ‘walk-in’ centre at Southampton General Hospital. We all know the local A&E department is bursting, as the hospital often issues warnings about “very high attendances” at its emergency department and urges residents to attend only when “absolutely necessary”. This new facility is being created to help relieve pressure on A&E and will treat patients with minor illnesses and injuries, allowing the emergency department to focus on those who need urgent, life-saving care.
Southampton General is one of the best hospitals in the country, with outstanding staff who go above and beyond every day. But we all know how tough things have been — longer waits, higher demand, and increasing strain. That’s why this investment matters. It’s part of a wider plan to strengthen our NHS, from improving access to GPs to investing in community health services.
Southampton also received £660,000 of government funding to help tackle and prevent homelessness. Helping to secure this funding was important to me, as we have brilliant local charities like the Society of St James and Two Saints who do a great job, but it’s clear they need more resources, as well as more help to tackle the root causes of homelessness. That’s why not only is this extra money important, but the recent Renters Rights Bill finally becoming law has been crucial, which bans no-fault evictions (the main contributor to homelessness in Southampton). This, alongside national investment to build more affordable and social housing, will hopefully help end homelessness for good.
If you need help, want to share your thoughts about policy, or book an appointment, please contact me on satvir.kaur.mp@parliament.uk or 02382 546 357.
Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur has launched a brand-new competition to celebrate the city’s entrepreneurial spirit — the Southampton Test Small Business Champion 2025.
The initiative aims to shine a spotlight on the amazing small and independent businesses that help drive Southampton’s local economy—from creative cake decorators and family-run shops to accountants, cafés, and tech start-ups.
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.
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.
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.
Satvir Kaur, Labour MP for Southampton Test, has welcomed the government successfully making sure every community in their constituency and across the country has a named, contactable police officer. This marks a major milestone as the Labour Government continues to deliver on its Plan for Change.
As part of Labour’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee which will see 13,000 extra neighbourhood officers and PCSOs patrolling local communities over the next 4 years, people living in Shirley, Portswood, Redbridge, Millbrook and across the city will now have a direct link to their local police force, with dedicated anti-social behaviour leads and new visible patrols in town centres.
In addition to bolstering police presence in our communities, the Labour Government has also announced the rollout of ten new Live Facial Recognition (LFR) vans to seven forces across the country, equipping officers with targeted, cutting-edge technology to help catch high-harm criminals.
This technology will now be deployed to forces in Thames Valley and Hampshire (jointly), Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire and Surrey and Sussex (jointly). Police forces including the Metropolitan Police and South Wales have already seen success with their own live facial recognition deployments. The Met reported that in 12 months they made 580 arrests using LFR for offences including, rape, domestic abuse, knife crime, GBH and robbery, including 52 registered sex offenders arrested for breaching their conditions.
The new units will operate according to strict rules, which ensure they are only deployed when there is specific intelligence to warrant its use.
Neighbourhood police patrols were decimated across 14 years of Conservative Government and communities were badly let down as a result. The number of PCSOs was slashed by half, while Special Constable numbers were cut by two-thirds.
The number of people who regularly see police patrolling in their local area has halved in the past decade, and under the last Conservative government, shoplifting soared to record levels - with a staggering 70% increase in their last two years in office alone.
Through Labour’s Plan for Change, the government is determined to put communities first. There are set to be 3,000 new police officers and PCSOs embedded into forces across the country by the start of 2026, with 65 set to join the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary - thanks to a £200 million funding boost from the Home Office. This marks crucial progress towards the government’s commitment to boost neighbourhood officer and PCSO levels by 50% by the next General Election.
This announcement is part of the government’s core mission to deliver safer streets for communities across the country. and follows the launch of the Safer Streets Summer Initiative, which is delivering increased patrols and enforcement in over 500 town centres nationwide.
Labour’s Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, said: “Neighbourhood policing was decimated under the Tories, but through our Plan for Change, this Labour Government is bringing the bobby on the beat back. Already this summer, 500 towns and city centres have got extra neighbourhood police patrols, as part of the 3,000 additional neighbourhood officers and PCSOs we are investing in this year. At the same time, we are bringing in new powers to tackle off-road bikes, shop theft, street theft. For too long under the Tories, town centre crime was treated as low level. Instead, we’ve made it a priority because communities need to feel safe.
“We are extending targeted facial recognition, alongside clear safeguards, to help the police catch wanted criminals and suspects for serious crimes.
“The 10 new vans, across 7 police forces, alongside the new legal framework we are developing means that new technology can be trialled alongside clear safeguards to better keep communities safe.”
Satvir Kaur, Labour MP for Southampton Test, said: “The Conservatives dismantled neighbourhood policing as crimes like shoplifting and street theft rocketed out of control. That is the Tory legacy on law and order, and communities like ours paid a heavy price.
“I know having a named, contactable neighbourhood police officer and increased street patrols will make a huge difference to my constituents from Portswood to Millbrook. The number of people who see a bobby on the beat has halved in the past decade, but we all deserve town centres and high streets free from crime and safe for the public.
“I’m proud that the Labour Government’s Plan for Change is delivering for our communities, putting 13,000 new neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs back on the streets over the next 4 years.”
Each month, I have the pleasure of writing a column for our local paper, the Daily Echo here in Southampton. Local journalism plays such a vital role in our community, and I’m proud to support it. I always enjoy the chance to share what I’ve been working on with Echo readers. Here’s my column for May:
We all know that Southampton is a proudly international city — a place where the world meets Britain. For centuries, we’ve played a key role in shaping this global perspective. So, it’s no surprise that many residents, organisations, and businesses speak to me about how the government is responding to today’s turbulent international landscape.
This week has been particularly significant, with the announcement of new trade agreements with the US, India, and the EU — all of which are major milestones. These deals will bring real benefits to jobs and livelihoods here in our city. In my additional role as Parliamentary Private Secretary for the Cabinet Office, I’ve been working closely with Ministers — particularly on the UK EU reset — to help secure the best possible deal for our country. Too many people felt constrained by previous arrangements, and I’m incredibly proud to have played a part in delivering positive change.
The Government launched Change NHS to hear your views, experiences, and ideas, which will shape a new 10 Year Health Plan for England. Since then, the biggest-ever conversation about the future of the NHS, with over 220,000 contributions from the public and health and care staff, has taken place.
I was proud to host a workshop at Oakley Road in Southampton, bringing together colleagues from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Southampton and South West (SSW) division, along with our incredible local community, to hear how we can best protect and future-proof the NHS for everyone who works in it and uses it right here in Southampton.
Having heard heart-breaking stories from a number of resident groups in Southampton, I have joined a group of MPs working together to stand up for leaseholders.
As part of this work, I have signed a joint letter to property management company RMG demanding better for residents. Sadly, too many leaseholders and renters continue to face substandard living conditions, all while paying sky-high service fees for work that either doesn’t get completed or is poorly done.
I have been holding landlords and property management companies accountable for constituents, and I will keep pushing for change. From calling out bad landlords and freeholders in Parliament and achieving rent freezes for Compass Point in Redbridge, to holding Abri to account and securing an action plan for residents in Portswood, I’m fighting hard on this issue.