County Durham MP Luke Akehurst calls to support communities

Labour MP Luke Akehurst started his parliamentary career in the House of Commons this week by urging the Government to support communities impacted by a lack of investment. 

The North Durham MP raised the condition of local schools, saying he was “horrified” to see unusable classrooms and ceilings held up by scaffolding joists on a recent visit to Sacriston Academy. He also called local public transport “not fit for purpose” and called for economic regeneration of North Durham’s town centres.

Mr Akehurst also called on the new Labour government to implement “fairer distribution of public spending”, calling for changes to the local government funding formula in particular which he said was currently “unfair and removed resources from authorities such as Durham County Council”.

Speaking in the House of Commons, he described North Durham as a “rural constituency with urban problems” and told how many of the communities have been “left behind”. 

“Levelling up, if it reached anywhere, did not reach the proud communities that elected me,” he said. 

Mr Akehurst used his maiden speech as an opportunity to set out his priorities for North Durham. 

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Former MP Kevan Jones (left) and Luke Akehurst (Image: Luke Akehurst MP)

He said: “North Durham needs economic stability and growth. It is a travesty that there are so many families dependent on food banks. It needs new skilled and well-paid jobs in the industries of the future. It needs investment and project decisions by the Government to be targeted at creating jobs where they are most needed. 

"Public transport in the constituency is not fit for purpose. We need more frequent and reliable buses and more trains stopping at Chester-le-Street. We also need the economic regeneration of local town centres. The once thriving Front Streets of Chester-le-Street and Stanley are run down and need new life.”

The Labour MP also paid tribute to his predecessor Kevan Jones, who was North Durham MP for 23 years, describing him as “an extremely tough act to follow”.

He recalled that “countless voters and local organisations have told me how much they have been helped by Kevan.”