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!
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 own a shepherd’s hut which is let out for holidays was originally charged with small business rate relief. After a change in classifications, I was given a large, backdated council tax bill. I decided to contact Sojan’s office who helped me resolve the issue promptly.”
“After the decision on whether to give my Dad his Pension Credits was delayed, we got in touch with Sojan who wrote to the DWP and ensured he received what he was entitled to.”
“I received a section-21 notice from my landlord, I reported this issue to Sojan, and he helped me get rehoused in nearby accommodation.”
“After receiving a no-fault eviction notice, with very little warning from my landlord, Sojan helped my family get safely rehomed.”
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 own a shepherd’s hut which is let out for holidays was originally charged with small business rate relief. After a change in classifications, I was given a large, backdated council tax bill. I decided to contact Sojan’s office who helped me resolve the issue promptly.”
“After the decision on whether to give my Dad his Pension Credits was delayed, we got in touch with Sojan who wrote to the DWP and ensured he received what he was entitled to.”
“I received a section-21 notice from my landlord, I reported this issue to Sojan, and he helped me get rehoused in nearby accommodation.”
“After receiving a no-fault eviction notice, with very little warning from my landlord, Sojan helped my family get safely rehomed.”
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The attack on the synagogue in Manchester is utterly reprehensible.
My thoughts are with the families of those affected by this morning’s horrific events and the wider Jewish community.
I also want to thank the brave and dedicated emergency workers and first responders.
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