As I see it: Sherwood Forest MP Michelle Welsh on change made by the Labour Government

As we reflect on the first six months of this Government and look ahead to 2025, it’s clear that real change is not just promised — it’s already happening, writes Sherwood Forest MP, Michelle Welsh.

I was elected with a clear mandate to tackle the deep challenges facing our constituency, and in just half a year, we’ve made significant progress.

The Chancellor’s Budget has stabilised our economy, avoided a return to austerity, and protected workers’ pay packets.

We’ve committed an additional £22bn to the NHS and ended the disruptive doctors’ strike.

In education, we have increased the schools’ budget by more than £2 billion and scrapped single-word Ofsted report cards, giving a fairer representation of school performance.

We’ve established GB Energy to secure our energy future, appointed a Border Security Commander to restore control at our borders, and introduced a new Planning and Infrastructure Bill to improve infrastructure for local people.

Our legislation for workers’ rights and private renters marks the biggest improvement to workplace protections in a generation.

All of this has been achieved against a backdrop of immense challenges.

The previous Government left behind a £22bn black hole in public finances, NHS waiting lists at record highs, and living standards at their worst in modern parliamentary history. Energy bills soared, new home approvals hit record lows, and knife crime rose sharply.

These problems weren’t created overnight, and they won’t be solved overnight either.

But we are taking the bold, sometimes difficult decisions necessary to deliver long-term solutions.

Our recently published Plan for Change lays out an ambitious but achievable vision for the future.

We will raise living standards across the UK, build 1.5m new homes, and meet NHS targets to ensure no patient waits more than 18 weeks for elective treatment.

Neighbourhoods will see a named police officer and thousands more community support officers ensuring safer streets.

At the same time, we will secure our energy independence and ensure children are better prepared when they start school.

Change is never easy, and it often requires tough choices. But six months in, we can see the difference a government focused on aspirations, responsibility, and ambition can make. As we move into 2025, our commitment remains steadfast: to deliver a better, fairer future that people here in Sherwood Forest deserve.