Stephen Morgan MP and Amanda Martin MP have welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Portsmouth during his first week in office, as the Government begins delivering its plan to decentralise power, tackle the cost of living and drive growth in communities across the country.
The Prime Minister’s visit marks the start of a new approach to government, focused on devolving power to local communities, supporting economic growth, improving public services and ensuring every town and city benefits from investment and opportunity.
The Government’s first announcements include action to end rough sleeping, support local businesses through lower business rates, introduce a £2 bus fare cap across England from January 2027 and provide immediate help with the cost of living through a temporary VAT cut on electricity bills this winter.
The visit also follows the launch of No10 North and the Government’s commitment to ensuring decisions are made with local leaders, putting “Power in Every Postcode” at the heart of its programme for government.
Commenting, Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“The Prime Minister’s visit demonstrates this Government’s commitment to Portsmouth from day one. We’re focused on delivering practical improvements that make a real difference to people’s lives.
“From ending rough sleeping and supporting our high streets, to making buses more affordable and creating the conditions for sustainable economic growth, this Government is putting people first.
“Working closely with ministers and local partners, we’ll make sure Portsmouth benefits from the opportunities this new approach brings, so every neighbourhood shares in our city’s success.”
Commenting, Amanda Martin, MP for Portsmouth South,said:
“It was fantastic to welcome the Prime Minister to Portsmouth in his first week in office, sending a clear signal that our city matters and will play an important role in this Government’s plans for national renewal.
“For too long, communities like ours have felt that decisions were made somewhere else, without local people having a real voice. This Government is determined to change that by putting power back into our communities, helping tackle the cost of living, supporting local businesses, investing in better transport and ensuring economic growth is felt in every part of the country.
“People in Portsmouth want a government that gets on with fixing problems and delivers real change. That’s exactly what this new plan is about.”
The Prime Minister said politics “hasn’t been good enough” and pledged that his Government would “choose hope, build a fairer country and get Britain believing in itself again”, with a new ten-year plan centred on devolving power, strengthening public services and ensuring economic growth reaches every postcode.
Stephen Morgan MP and Amanda Martin MP have said they would continue working with the Government to ensure Portsmouth continues to secure the investment, powers and opportunities needed to build a stronger local economy and improve the lives of residents across the city.
