Voice of the MP - Rochester and Strood

Rochester and Strood MP Lauren Edwards on her recent work in parliament.

Editor’s note: Each month, we publish a guest column from one of Medway’s elected representatives, rotating between our MPs, council and opposition leaders, and the Police and Crime Commissioner. Today, we welcome Rochester and Strood MP Lauren Edwards for the first time, who discusses her recent work in parliament.

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Voice of the MP

by Lauren Edwards, MP for Rochester and Strood

It has been a busy 9 months since being elected as the MP for Rochester and Strood.

The best way to keep up to date with my work is by signing up to my newsletter through my website, which, as well as having the stamp of approval from Local Authority as “a very nice website”, also has details of how to contact me for help, including at my regular advice surgeries across the constituency.

Meeting the AI Minister to talk about the AI Growth Zone bid.

But first, the key question people are right to ask me:

How is Labour delivering for Rochester and Strood in the first 9 months?

I am determined to ensure that by the next election, residents feel better off and see a positive difference in their community because they have a Labour MP and government.

There are improvements already, with Rochester and Strood benefiting from some of the government’s national programmes and new funding:

• One of the first free breakfast clubs will be opening soon at St Helen’s Church of England Primary School in Cliffe. It is estimated this will save parents up to £450 a year.

• Two new nurseries will also open at All Faith Children’s Academy and Cedar Children’s Academy in Strood, to help deliver government-funded free childcare commitments, again saving parents thousands of pounds.

• MidKent College in my constituency has just been awarded £1.7m in capital funding to upgrade its facilities. Further Education is finally getting as much focus as academic routes under the new Labour government.

• Medway Council has been given £5m to fix the potholes that have blighted local roads for years. Rather than patch up jobs that do not last, I am urging the council to commit to a proper road resurfacing programme.

• The Government recently bought back over 300 military homes in my constituency. These were sold off by the Conservatives in 1996, and renting them back has cost taxpayers more than owning them outright, with many in poor condition too. Brompton is home to a close-knit military community, and they deserve decent housing. By taking back ownership, we can ensure their homes are warm and safe while saving money.

Potholes announcement with Ministers.

Since being elected, my team and I have supported 3500 cases where residents have been in touch for help; and in March alone we opened 501 cases and closed 453. There have been some significant wins – such as resolving a dispute between residents and their housing management company to restore heating and get residents financial compensation.

Taking constituency issues to Westminster

As I said in my maiden speech in the House of Commons, I will work hard every day to ensure that residents’ voices are heard. So far, I have used my voice to advocate for more support for women entrepreneurs, better mental health services, improved SEND training for teachers, more GPs in rural areas, help to regenerate high streets, support for renewable energy projects in the Hoo Peninsula, better conditions for those in the private rented sector, more social and affordable housing, and better workers’ rights.

I had a campaign win early on when, following my adjournment debate on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in which I highlighted Medway’s fantastic grass-roots approach to support local businesses and community groups, Ministers agreed to extend funding for another year while they worked on a new, improved scheme. Medway Council recently launched this Year 4 round of funding, and I encourage everyone to look and consider applying if they have a project idea.

I have been lobbying Ministers to designate Medway as an Artificial Intelligence Growth Zone. Rochester and Strood is well-placed to take advantage of this opportunity, with renewable energy projects planned, three innovative universities, and an AI-accelerator programme to support local businesses. This would be a big boost to our local area, and I hope to have positive news on this soon.

I have also joined up with other Kent MPs on issues that will support regional growth, such as bringing international rail back to Kent and supporting the Lower Thames Crossing, which recently got the green light. The latter will need careful management of traffic and environmental projects to mitigate its impact, but with 200 local businesses already registered in the supply chain, it is a huge opportunity for growth and jobs.

Like others, I was disappointed that Medway and Kent were not on the priority list for devolution, but I will continue to put pressure on Ministers so that we are at the top of the list for the next round given the extra powers and funding it could give to our area, particularly for much-needed improvements to our bus network.

I am pleased that nationally we have been able to deliver 2m more NHS appointments ahead of time, thanks to the record £26bn investment in our health services at the last Budget. But Medway Maritime Hospital continues to face challenges, including long waiting times in Accident & Emergency. I have used my voice in Parliament to urge the Government to back a new surgery for elective procedures at the old Debenhams building on Chatham High Street in my constituency. This would alleviate pressure on our local hospital and reduce waiting times. I have also had productive meetings with local GPs and pharmacists in Strood, as well as local health leaders and Ministers, about addressing the fact that Strood does not have a Healthy Living Centre. My campaign to secure a Banking Hub in Strood also continues and I recently lobbied the Minister while we were both speaking at an event on banking and access to cash.

A large part of my time in Parliament is spent on helping shape the skills agenda under the new Labour government, particularly in my role as Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Skills, Careers and Employment. Skills underpin everything the Government wants to achieve – from building homes to transitioning to green energy – and I want local people to benefit. A few weeks ago, I urged the Prime Minister to better fund colleges so that we can meet our election promises and deliver the change the country needs. I was delighted when, just a few days later, the Chancellor announced an extra £600m to train up to 60,000 more construction workers.

I am also concerned about the high numbers of young people, both locally and nationally, who are not in employment or training and so I am co-chairing an inquiry with the Skills Commission and Policy Connect into how we can better support more young people into work. I recently sat on the Bill Committee that is setting up Skills England, and I am working hard to make sure that the new streamlined and more flexible apprenticeship system it is developing is one that will work for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This is important because over 90% of Medway businesses are SMEs.

Being visible and taking part in community work

I continue to volunteer with the Friends of Rochester Churchfields and Esplanade (FORCE) to keep the Suffragist Sensory Garden looking colourful and tidy and helping with foreshore cleanups. Every year, I take part in the Great British Spring Clean, and this year, I joined councillors and volunteers in Strood to collect rubbish and fly-tipping from the car park opposite the train station. The amount of cigarette ends I collected was alarming and prompted me to look at health data for the area and consider what more I can do to help people in the area to stop smoking.

Strood litter pick last week for the Great British Spring Clean.

I am a staunch supporter of the UK defence sector and work closely with BAE Systems in Rochester, which provides excellent quality employment to many of my constituents. While meeting the business recently to discuss their welcome £220m investment in a new facility that will create 300 more highly skilled jobs, we also chatted about their involvement in The Great Tommy Sleep Out and how I could support it.

The Great Tommy Sleep Out is organised by the Royal British Legion Industries to raise awareness about homeless veterans and money to support them. I slept rough for a night with 80 other volunteers, including ex-services personnel and representatives from Medway businesses, including Richard from the Chatham Maritime Trust and Shaun from local accountancy firm Kreston Reeves. I was delighted to meet my £1000 fundraising target and would like to thank everyone who donated.

Morning after the Great Tommy Sleep Out with the RBLI Chair Steve Rowbottom.

I know it is a challenging time for businesses and charities, and I will always make myself available to meet and see how I can help. I recently hosted a business roundtable at Ascend, the council’s fantastic new co-working space in Chatham, with the local Barclays branch. As you may expect, the hot topics were financial challenges from employer national insurance contributions and energy costs, as well as local transport connections and recruitment. We had good discussions about what the Government’s Industrial Strategy means for Rochester and Strood and how I will be making sure Government policy will benefit local businesses.

I am looking forward to continuing this work to deliver for my constituents throughout the remainder of 2025 and beyond.

Lauren Edwards is the Labour MP for Rochester and Strood.