Milton Keynes MP sets out priorities as Parliament returns from summer recess
Emily Darlington outlined some key priorities, including better protection for women and girls
Last updated 2nd Sep 2024
A Milton Keynes Member of Parliament has set out her key priorities ahead of Parliament returning from summer recess today.
Emily Darlington was elected as the Labour MP for the new seat of Milton Keynes Central in the July General Election.
Having previously worked as Deputy Leader of Milton Keynes Council, her role as an MP is very much focused on carrying through existing work being done at the local authority level, while inspiring national change.
At the top of the agenda for her will be to tackle issues including poverty, rough sleeping, social care, and violence against women and girls.
Poverty and Creating Opportunities
Ms Darlington highlighted her commitment to addressing both the cost of living and what she described as the "poverty of aspiration" affecting young people in Milton Keynes.
She said: "A lot of young people feel they're not able to get the same job opportunities, the same housing opportunities.
"We need to build up those opportunities again."
Rough Sleeping Reduction Model
One of the standout achievements during her time on the council has been the development of a new model to tackle rough sleeping.
She said: "Milton Keynes is the only local authority where rough sleeping numbers are actually going down, and so I led the creation of our new model on how we will work together across statutory services and I really think it's a model that the entire country would benefit from."
Social Care
Amongst the top issues raised in her inbox is the accessibility of social care, which she told Greatest Hits Radio she will be working to improve.
She said: "how we take care of our elderly, particularly those with dementia and support, not only those with dementia but their partners, who are often their main carers.
"And how we ensure that end of life has the same choices that people can have a good death."
Violence Against Women and Girls
A significant part of her agenda is her work on making Milton Keynes the first White Ribbon city, a campaign focused on ending violence against women and girls.
"For me, it's such an important issue. Every single one of us as women has a story," she said.
"Wouldn't it be great if there was a generation that never saw those limitations, never had that fear?"
She will be pushing for businesses, services and organisations to take a white ribbon pledge in the hope to set an example on safety nationwide.
For her, changing societal norms and behaviours, particularly among men, to ensure safety and respect for women, is something we can all learn to do on an individual scale, while she assured she will be working with colleagues at a government level to implement policies.
As Parliament resumes, Ms Darlington is expected to continue her efforts both locally in Milton Keynes and on the national stage, with a focus on delivering meaningful change for her constituents and the broader community.