Ashford’s First Ever Labour MP Gives Maiden Speech in The House of Commons

Sojan Joseph, the first Labour MP to be elected in Ashford; a Kent constituency which covers the towns of Ashford, the surrounding villages, and following recent boundary changes, the town of Hawkinge.

Mr. Joseph’s speech was largely focused on the issue of public services in his Kent constituency, notably the lack of investment in the William Harvey Hospital and the damage done to mental health services, an issue Mr. Joseph saw before entering Parliament in his job as a mental health nurse. Mr. Joseph stated: “It is clear that our public services are in decline. The NHS faces many problems. Staff lack morale, and mental health services, in particular, are deteriorating. My career background is in the NHS and mental health, so this is close to home.”

Transport around Kent was also flagged up in Sojan’s speech – touching on the benefits of HS1, which has created a good connection to London but the lack of investment in the community since the area has become a hotspot for commuters has caused a backlog in GP appointments, school places, and congestion on the roads.

Mr. Joseph used his speech on Tuesday as an opportunity to pay tribute to Damian Green’s (his Conservative predecessor) campaigns for Ashford International Railway Station – work he wishes to continue, describing it as a “personal target” of his.

The new Labour MP also ensured to recognise the rural areas in his constituency, mentioning the important role farmers play locally and the need to create stability in the agricultural sector – an area hit hard by the recent energy crisis – Mr. Joseph stated: “Our farmers play a valuable role both locally, in rural areas of the constituency, and in the wider economy. Importantly, they help to provide food security, stabilising the agricultural sector. However, they also face workforce shortages and are being hit hard by increasing energy costs. I am pleased that the King’s Speech contains a Bill to create the publicly owned Great British Energy, which will reduce energy bills in the long term.”