PRESS RELEASES

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Sojan Joseph MP for Ashford, along with 60 other Labour MPs, have called for an implementation of a restrictions on social media for under-16’s.

Sojan Joseph MP today thanked NHS staff at the William Harvey Hospital and across East Kent Hospitals for their hard work in continuing to get waiting lists down, as the Labour government marked a year since the publication of its Elective Reform Plan designed to cut waits.

Across England, the NHS saw the waiting list fall by more than 86,000 in November to 7.31 million and by 8936 at Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust since the election, as new national data today shows staff faced record demand in 2025

Pothole Day on the 15th January, and demonstrates that Kent County Council needs to do more to deliver road improvements for residents.

The Government has doubled the annual roads budget and is backing local authorities with a record £7.3 billion, multi-year funding settlement, including £1.5 billion for the South East and £274,036,000 earmarked for Kent.

The new ratings system and record multi-year funding settlement represent a major shift in how the Government supports councils to maintain their roads – moving away from short-term fixes towards

sustainable, preventative maintenance that delivers better value for money and improved road conditions for years to come. By ending the sticking-plaster approach and moving towards long-term, integrated settlements, the Government is empowering councils to deliver better roads for local people.

Half a million more children nationwide will benefit from Best Start free breakfast clubs from April, as the MP for Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages has called on local schools to sign up.

The scheme – offering free breakfasts to all children of primary school age – is being rolled out across the country – including in Kent. There will be seven schools in Ashford will be eligible during the next two rollouts in 2026: Caldecott Foundation School, Ashford Oaks Community Primary School, Beaver Green Primary School, East Stour Primary School, Goat Lees Primary School, Phoenix Community Primary School, and The John Wallis Church of England Academy. Mr. Joseph has written to all seven, urging them to apply for the Labour Government’s scheme.

Half a million more children nationwide will benefit from Best Start free breakfast clubs from April, as the MP for Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages has called on local schools to sign up.

The scheme – offering free breakfasts to all children of primary school age – is being rolled out across the country – including in Kent. There will be seven schools in Ashford will be eligible during the next two rollouts in 2026: Caldecott Foundation School, Ashford Oaks Community Primary School, Beaver Green Primary School, East Stour Primary School, Goat Lees Primary School, Phoenix Community Primary School, and The John Wallis Church of England Academy. Mr. Joseph has written to all seven, urging them to apply for the Labour Government’s scheme.

This week’s Budget included a record investment to repair roads and tackle potholes, with £1.5 billion allocated to the South East. Councils across England will be able to fix existing potholes and prevent new ones thanks to a doubling of roads funding by the end of the Parliament.

Earlier this month, the Member of Parliament for Ashford received a response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request concerning delays in patient discharges at Kent hospitals.

The MP submitted the FOI following reports of patients being treated in hospital corridors and even in non-clinical areas such as a Costa Coffee at the William Harvey Hospital.

According to the FOI response from East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT), there were 1,039 delayed discharges as of the week commencing 6 October. Many of these patients could have been discharged if adequate adult social care services were available locally.

Today the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) announced they would be allowing Virgin Rail to use the additional space at the Temple Mills International (TMI) Depot in East London– a decision welcomed by the MP for Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages, Sojan Joseph.