Dear Friend
I hope this finds you well, and I hope you had a lovely Christmas and are looking forward to 2026.
As you may know, at the beginning of the month I lost my beloved Dad. He spent his last days at Dove House Hospice. I’d like to thank everyone there for their kindness, care and professionalism. They are amazing people who a made a painful new year bearable. My thanks also go out to the staff at Hull Royal, particularly those in Resus, AMU and Ward 90.
I have received so many kind messages and lovely memories of him since. It’s meant so much to read about him as a teacher, friend and colleague. I couldn’t be prouder to have him as my dad.
NHS wating list falls by 86,000
The latest figures for the NHS out last week are a great way to start 2026, showing the second biggest drop in NHS waiting lists in 15 years! On top of the tumbling wating lists:
- Ambulances are arriving faster.
- Patient satisfaction with access to GPs has gone from 60% to 75%.
- Fewer staff are leaving than at any point in the past decade, outside of the pandemic.
As promised, we are turning the NHS around, thanks to the hard work of staff, our modernisation plans and our record investment – which the Tories and Reform both opposed (and continue to do so).
There’s so much more to do – but the latest figures show once again that your NHS is always safe in our hands.
A water system fit for future generations
Sorting out the mess our water system had become was a huge task, but we hit the ground running in 2024, securing £104 billion of private investment to transform our water infrastructure, passing the Water Special Measures Act to strengthen accountability, banning unfair executive bonuses and making pollution cover-ups a criminal offence.
Now I am proud to say that we have published the Water White Paper. It is a comprehensive set of major reforms to overhaul our water system, strengthen regulation and improve services for households. These changes include
- A new single water regulator, which will be given clear powers and tougher oversight, ensuring water companies are held properly to account. It will include a Chief Engineer to bring back hands-on checks of water, ending the days of water firms marking their own homework which has allowed the crumbling pipes and unreliable services we see today.
- An ‘MOT-style’ system of regular health checks on pipes, pumps and infrastructure will spot problems earlier, prevent leaks and outages, and stop water shortages before they happen.
- A new Performance Improvement Regime will force failing water companies to act quickly, protecting customers, the environment and long-term investment stability.
- Dedicated supervisory teams for each water company will give the new regulator a thorough understanding of how each company operates – and the ability to intervene before problems take hold.
- Stronger inspection powers, including no-notice inspections, will help prevent the kind of disruption that has affected communities across South-East England in recent weeks.
- Councils, water companies, farmers, and developers will be brought together to deliver joined-up local plans to tackle river pollution, water resources and housing growth. This will end the current fragmented, inefficient and expensive situation.
- A new Drinking Water Quality Advisory Group, made up of scientists and public‑health experts who will review evidence and recommend updates to drinking water regulations.
A 2026 Transition Plan will set out the path to this new system, which will transform our water system, bring together economic and environmental regulation and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.
Pavement Parking
Blocked pavements aren’t a minor inconvenience. They can force parents with pushchairs, wheelchair users, blind or partially sighted people, and older residents into the road, taking away independence and putting people at risk.
Back in 2019, I wrote the first of several letters (and Parliamentary Written Questions) to the then Conservative government about giving councils the powers they need to tackle pavement parking. The answer was always the same – it’s under review.
Well, it only took seven years, but persistence (and a change of government ) has finally paid off.
Local Transport Authorities will be given the power to prohibit pavement parking across their areas at the next legislative opportunity.
In the meantime, secondary legislation will be introduced this year to enable local authorities to enforce against unnecessary obstruction of the pavement where pavement parking is observed by uniformed civil enforcement officers. This means they can act where pavement parking is a real problem, while keeping flexibility where parking needs to work differently.
The Department for Transport will issue Statutory Guidance to support local authorities in using this power.
This is a practical step towards safer, more accessible streets for everyone, and another example of Labour delivering change that makes a real difference to daily life.
Backing Armed Forces Families in Hull & the East Riding
The Government’s new Armed Forces Bill represents a major step forward in delivering the respect, security and fairness that service personnel, veterans and their families deserve. At its heart is a renewed commitment to better housing, stronger protections, and improved support for those who serve.
Locally, the East Riding is home to 17,732 veterans, one of the highest proportions in the country, while Hull itself is home to over 10,000 veterans—many of whom will directly benefit from these reforms.
A £9 billion investment to rebuild and modernise forces accommodation nationwide, means 3,239 military homes will be upgraded with 2,890 already brought back into public ownership in Yorkshire and the Humber, with nine in ten military homes set for renewal nationally.
By extending the Armed Forces Covenant across all central and local government services, the Bill ensures that public bodies must consider the unique pressures faced by military families. This means fairer access to healthcare, schooling, housing, employment support and social care for thousands of veterans and serving families across our area.
The Bill also strengthens protections for those who serve, improving the Service Justice System, enhancing victims’ support, and introducing new measures to combat violent and abusive behaviour within the forces community.
Together, these reforms deliver meaningful, long overdue change. We are ending decades of under-investment and neglect, putting forces families first and renewing our national promise to those who protect us.
We’re fortunate to have the fantastic Hull4Heroes in our area, who do a vital job supporting veterans with the transition into civilian life, as well as housing, education, and job support at any stage of their journey.
Once in a generation reforms to animal welfare
I know how much people in this country care for animals, whether they are in our homes, on the farm or living wild in our countryside. We are a nation of animal lovers, and in response to demands for the highest standards and protections, the government has published its Animal Welfare Strategy for England. This is a once in a generation transformation of animal welfare in England and sets out our plans to raise standards across the board. It includes:
- Banning trail hunting and snare traps and reviewing other wildlife traps to prevent unnecessary suffering.
- Ending puppy smuggling and puppy farming, tightening rules on pet breeding, sales, and imports through new legislation and enforcement powers.
- Consulting on phasing out cages and farrowing crates in farming, reducing confinement and improving welfare for hens and sows.
- Banning CO₂ stunning of pigs and improving welfare at slaughter, including new requirements for the humane killing of farmed fish.
- Introducing a close season for hares and improving protections for decapod crustaceans and cephalopods.
- Strengthening enforcement, improving consistency across local authorities, and increasing transparency in reporting non‑compliance.
The strategy addresses long‑standing gaps in legislation, enforcement, and oversight. It introduces stronger protections, closes loopholes, and commits to modernising regulation where evidence shows change is urgently needed.
Through coordinated action, better regulation, and strong partnerships with experts, charities, farmers, and enforcement bodies, this strategy will bring meaningful and lasting change and ensure England continues to lead the world in animal welfare.
Protecting our children online
We have a responsibility to do everything we can to keep children safe online. As a result of our recent Online Safety Act, Children encountering age checks online has risen from 30% to 47% and 58% of parents believe the new measures are already improving children’s safety online. Ofcom is holding platforms to account, with investigations opened into over 80 pornography websites in 2025 and fines issued to companies that fail to protect young people.
However, we know digital risks continue to evolve and that’s why the government is launching a consultation on proposals to ban social media access for U16s. The government’s plans include:
- Toughening up guidance so schools become phone-free by default – with Ofsted carrying out checks during every inspection
- Consulting on phone curfews and a potential ban for children under a certain age
- Starting a national conversation with parents, including nationwide events, on the impact of tech on childrens’ wellbeing
I believe this is another important step in our commitment to boosting children’s wellbeing online, and ensuring they have a healthy relationship with mobile phones and social media. More information can be found here.
Follow our progress
There were over 40 key policies in the 2024 King’s Speech announced as part of our manifesto promises and designed to put Britain back on track. So far, 21 bills have been passed into law, 5 bills are in the House of Commons and 9 bills are in the House of Lords.
If you are interested in following the progress of these key commitments, here is a really neat online tracker which has full details for each bill and further links.
Northern Powerhouse Rail
While I welcomed the announcement of the significant and long-awaited investment in the trans-Pennine rail route, the full electrification of the line out of Hull is something I’ve been fighting for since being elected and I’m certainly not giving up now.
I’ll be raising this directly with the Rail Minister as soon as possible and pressing for clarity on how the Government intends to support improved connectivity for Hull. I’ll make sure to update you all once that meeting has taken place.
It’s also worth noting that while parties debate the details of rail investment, some – including Reform – have publicly opposed Northern Powerhouse Rail altogether.
Hull Community Pub Society Wins National CAMRA Award
It was great to be a part of the celebrations of the Hull Community Pub Society receiving CAMRA’s Pub Saving Award 2025 for rescuing The New Clarence.
The New Clarence is Hull’s first community‑owned pub, and CAMRA praised the group for achieving what is often far harder in urban areas—saving a much‑loved local pub from redevelopment in the face of high city‑centre land values.
After The New Clarence closed in 2023 and developers applied to convert it into an HMO, residents united to form the Society, successfully fighting off planning applications and raising almost £250,000. Alongside £300,000 from the former Community Ownership Fund, they purchased the pub in early 2025. It opened in September after extensive renovations including roof repairs, upgraded kitchen and cellar, improved accessibility and a transformed beer garden.
CAMRA’s judges highlighted the campaign as an inspiring example of community action, demonstrating what local people can achieve when they come together to protect the places that matter most. Huge congratulations to everyone involved!
National honours for Hull College
When Debra Gray became Principal at Hull College in April 2022 it had just received its second consecutive ‘Requires Improvement’ from Ofsted. To say that it has been turned around since would be an understatement, with the College named ‘Centre of the Year’ at the National Education Awards in 2024, with the judges commending its “extraordinary transformation.”
Then, in November this year it received the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education, one of the highest national honours available to colleges and universities, for its innovative work in English for Speakers of Other Languages, digital inclusion, and transformative learner support.
Now, Debra has been personally recognised with an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list. But she wasn’t alone. As she said herself, “Leaders are only ever as good as the people they work with, and I have been privileged to stand alongside some of the very best in further education,” and Deb Millar’s work as executive director of digital transformation was also recognised with the award of an OBE,
A massive well done to everyone at the College. It’s a fantastic place and I’m looking forward to holding my Future Parliament Week there again this April.
And finally,
As always, I’m here to support you. I do a face-to-face surgery every week so you can always come and see me. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about how I can help, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Email me at emma.hardy.mp@parliament.uk or call my office at 01482 219211. Leave a message if I’m unavailable, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Best wishes,
Emma Hardy MP
Hull West and Haltemprice
P.S. Hull’s inclusion in the National Geographic’s Top 25 Place to Visit 2026 has continued to generate publicity. Here’s a piece in the Guardian this month, and Time Out has just chosen Hull as the only UK city to feature in its Greatest Affordable European City Breaks 2026 coming in third overall. Could be a busy summer!
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