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.
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.
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.
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.
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.