THEY will be our teachers, doctors, farmers, builders, and even MPs. Supporting young people is key to South East Cornwall’s future.

But it is also vital that we support those who currently lack the most support in a system that wasn’t designed for them in the first place.

That’s why the Labour government’s new SEND reform proposals are making huge steps towards seeing every child achieving and thriving. I have previously met with Education Minister, Josh MacAllister OBE MP, to discuss issues that people in South East Cornwall have raised with me. It’s great to see these conversations making progress. We are investing £4-billion into SEND provision, including a new ‘Experts at Hand’ service, which will invest in a group of specialists to support children with SEND in every local area.

My casework team recently hosted a SEND drop-in to hear from constituents about the work that needs to be done to support our young people with SEND. Going forward, I will be hosting a SEND roundtable on March 13 in Liskeard to hear more from local residents and education professionals. There’s been such a lot of interest in the event that all the spaces to attend in person are full but I’d encourage those interested to share your views and experiences by writing to me or by completing one of my surveys that I have posted on my social media channels.

I recently visited The Vault Youth Centre in Callington, which was an excellent display of the great work people in South East Cornwall are doing to support our young people. It is fantastic that they have bought their building, and we discussed future funding to support the amazing project. I am pleased that the government is taking action to support our youth both online and in physical spaces, and I’ll continue to work both locally and in Parliament to raise the issues our young people are facing.

In Westminster, I met with representatives from Kinship, who are raising the profile of issues that kinship carers face. Many young people in South East Cornwall are kinship carers, often doing incredible work with little support. I am proud to support the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which will put a definition of kinship care into law and it will ensure that local authorities publish their kinship local offer.

Another change is Labour’s plan to extend voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds, helping our young people to get engaged in politics and influence decisions that matter for their lives. I have been to many schools across South East Cornwall to answer some amazing questions, and it’s great to see that the next generation is engaged in politics.

So, I have been working hard to support all of our young people, both here in South East Cornwall and in Westminster, to ensure that all our young people’s voices are heard. We are making good progress, and I will continue to demand that the government moves further and faster.