Our Man in Westminster – One Year in Parliament, 77 Years of the NHS, and The 10 Year Health Plan
- 10/07/2025
- Posted by: Sojan Joseph MP
- Category: Column
Last week marked one year since the General Election – and a year since I was elected as
the first ever Labour MP for Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages.
Since being elected, I have had several key priorities for the constituency which I have
focused on – one of which is transportation. I understand the frustration many people feel
– our roads are blighted by potholes and bus services are inadequate; however, the
Government has designated £23m for buses and £54m for road maintenance in Kent, so
there are reasons to be optimistic.
My colleagues and I are also continuing our campaign to bring European travel back to
Ashford International. We still have the backing of Government Ministers and potential new
competitors to Eurostar, such as FS Italiane, open to dialogue.
Saturday 5th July marked the 77th anniversary of the creation of our NHS – the crowning
achievement of the Labour Party. On the Thursday before the anniversary, we saw the
Government launch its 10-year plan for Health – an ambitious strategy to make the NHS fit
for the future. The plans included digitilising the NHS’s analogue system to improve
efficiency, creating a ‘community-based’ model, and moving towards preventative care,
away from allowing people to fall ill before treatment.
During his statement last Thursday, I asked Wes Streeting how the NHS App could be used
for self-referrals and talking therapies to improve mental health services. I was pleased the
Secretary of State recognised the importance of talking therapies and expanded on my
question to explain how the Government would be moving people in a mental health crisis
out of busy, noisy A&E departments into specialised units instead.
Representing my constituents by working on 4,600+ cases and policy responses and
meeting so many residents across the 19 surgeries has been the honour of a lifetime – I
cannot wait to see what the next four years have to offer!
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your support in maintaining the five-year pathway to settlement for Hong Kong BNO holders. Your efforts have provided stability, clarity, and hope for many families who are building their lives in the United Kingdom, and I am truly appreciative of your commitment to this important matter.
I was a victim of the Horizon scandal and was struggling to obtain compensation from the Post Office. I reached out to Sojan for support, he wrote to the Minster and the Post Office on my behalf. After 25 years I am pleased to say I have accepted an offer of compensation.
After contacting BT on numerous occasions trying to obtain broadband I reached out to Sojan Joseph my MP. Sojan made contact with various companies including BT and UK Power Networks. As a result of Sojan’s contact, my broadband service was fully installed and is in working order.
I contacted Sojan seeking support in regards to probate for my late mother’s estate, where I was experiencing delays. Sojan contacted the probate office and following this contact I successfully received probate. Sojan’s help was invaluable.
It was a real pleasure to welcome Sojan and show the work that is ongoing with the young people from our community. On behalf of the adults, the team truly appreciated Sojan’s warmth, genuine interest, and the thoughtful conversations during the visit. Having the chance to share our successes as well as some of the challenges we face means a great deal to us. Sojan’s interaction with the staff and cadets reminded us how important community connections are in the work we do every day.
I really enjoyed the work experience overall. The gallery was a great experience as well as the tour around parliament. I had an amazing time in parliament and learnt so much. It will really assist me in my politics A level and future plans.
“We are a local company and are going to be impacted by a change in regulations proposed by the previous Government. We contacted Sojan and he came to our site and was very receptive to what we had to say. He is now taking up the cause on our behalf.”
I have attended several of Sojan’s surgeries and found them all very useful. It’s good to have an accessible MP who listens to the issues that matter to us, and I’m especially pleased with all he’s doing to bring European travel back to Ashford.
“We have had an ongoing issue regarding low water pressure in our school, meaning that we have been unable to operate on full capacity – this has had a very negative effect on the students’ learning. I made contact with the local MP – I found it really easy to get in touch with Sojan, he phoned me straight back. He really is a man for Ashford and I’m so very proud and pleased he is our MP.”
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your support in maintaining the five-year pathway to settlement for Hong Kong BNO holders. Your efforts have provided stability, clarity, and hope for many families who are building their lives in the United Kingdom, and I am truly appreciative of your commitment to this important matter.
I was a victim of the Horizon scandal and was struggling to obtain compensation from the Post Office. I reached out to Sojan for support, he wrote to the Minster and the Post Office on my behalf. After 25 years I am pleased to say I have accepted an offer of compensation.
After contacting BT on numerous occasions trying to obtain broadband I reached out to Sojan Joseph my MP. Sojan made contact with various companies including BT and UK Power Networks. As a result of Sojan’s contact, my broadband service was fully installed and is in working order.
I contacted Sojan seeking support in regards to probate for my late mother’s estate, where I was experiencing delays. Sojan contacted the probate office and following this contact I successfully received probate. Sojan’s help was invaluable.
It was a real pleasure to welcome Sojan and show the work that is ongoing with the young people from our community. On behalf of the adults, the team truly appreciated Sojan’s warmth, genuine interest, and the thoughtful conversations during the visit. Having the chance to share our successes as well as some of the challenges we face means a great deal to us. Sojan’s interaction with the staff and cadets reminded us how important community connections are in the work we do every day.
I really enjoyed the work experience overall. The gallery was a great experience as well as the tour around parliament. I had an amazing time in parliament and learnt so much. It will really assist me in my politics A level and future plans.
“We are a local company and are going to be impacted by a change in regulations proposed by the previous Government. We contacted Sojan and he came to our site and was very receptive to what we had to say. He is now taking up the cause on our behalf.”
I have attended several of Sojan’s surgeries and found them all very useful. It’s good to have an accessible MP who listens to the issues that matter to us, and I’m especially pleased with all he’s doing to bring European travel back to Ashford.
“We have had an ongoing issue regarding low water pressure in our school, meaning that we have been unable to operate on full capacity – this has had a very negative effect on the students’ learning. I made contact with the local MP – I found it really easy to get in touch with Sojan, he phoned me straight back. He really is a man for Ashford and I’m so very proud and pleased he is our MP.”
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