11 July 2025
‘A week is a long time in politics,’ former Labour Prime Minister – and proud Yorkshireman – Harold Wilson said.
He wasn’t wrong – but a year is even longer!
Twelve months ago, after 14 years of Tory decline, Britain voted for change and handed Labour a historic mandate to deliver it.
We’re not claiming the job’s done – far from it. But, despite the grumblings you might see on social media, I’m proud of the progress this Labour Government has made in its first year. Here in Barnsley, it’s already making a positive difference.
Let’s start with pensioners. We protected the Triple Lock – the same policy the Tory Shadow Chancellor called ‘unsustainable’ and Nigel Farage wouldn’t back. That means 47,346 pensioners in Barnsley have seen their pensions rise. Many will be £470 better off this year and £1,900 better off in 2029.
We’ve also ended the long-standing injustice of the MPS scheme, putting an extra £29 a week into the pockets of 3,161 ex-miners in our town.
So when you hear Tory and Reform politicians criticise Labour for taking a tough decision on the Winter Fuel Payment – which three quarters of pensioners will still receive – don’t be taken for a fool: the Triple Lock they wouldn’t back is worth much more.
We’ve delivered for working people too. In just 10 months, wages grew more than they did in the last 10 years. I’ll say that again: more in 10 months than 10 years! And we’ve raised the National Minimum Wage, boosting wages for 7,500 workers in Barnsley.
Remember Liz Truss crashing the economy and mortgages soaring? Under Labour, interest rates have been cut four times – easing the pressure on homeowners.
We’re also backing Barnsley’s kids. Children in Brierley and Royston are among the first to benefit from our free breakfast clubs – which we’ll later roll out to every primary school in the country. In Shafton, a new government-funded nursery opens this September. And across Barnsley, 5,630 extra children will now get free school meals.
Older students aren’t left behind either. Barnsley College is getting over £2.2 million to upgrade its facilities – part of our investment in skills, training, and apprenticeships.
We’re not stopping there. Everyone in our town will benefit from our ten-year plan to rebuild the NHS. We’re also putting 13,000 more police and PCSOs on the streets, investing in regional transport, opening new Best Start hubs, hiring more teachers and GPs, building more prisons, and boosting workers’ rights with our Employment Rights Bill.
The list goes on – but column space runs out.
Have we got everything right? No. But we’re listening, learning, and delivering.
So thank you to everyone who put their trust in us last year. Because of you, Barnsley – and Britain – is turning a corner.
This is what our Labour Government is all about: service, not slogans.
A week might be a long time in politics – but just imagine what we can achieve in four more years.