I stood to be your MP because I wanted to make a difference. To help people with real problems, speak up on the issues that matter to our area, and make sure Bridgwater, Burnham & Highbridge and the surrounding towns and villages aren’t forgotten in Westminster. One year in, I hope I’ve made that difference.
Over the past twelve months, my team and I have helped with more than 5,000 individual cases. The most common reasons for constituents contacting me have been Housing, SEND education & transport, the Winter Fuel Allowance, Welfare Reform, planning, accessing the NHS and the Assisted Dying Bill.
One constituent I helped was Mr Stec from North Petherton, who got in touch after months of frustration dealing with the DVLA. He said:
I want to express my deepest gratitude for your exceptional help and support during my long and difficult struggle with the DVLA. For months, I felt completely ignored - my letters and evidence went unanswered, and it seemed like no one at DVLA was willing to listen. I reached out to your office in a moment of frustration, and to my great relief, you took immediate action. Thanks to your intervention, my case was finally taken seriously. You didn’t just acknowledge my problem - you acted on it swiftly and effectively. Because of your support, my issue has now been resolved, and I am able to return to work. This means the world to me and to my family.
I’ve held regular advice surgeries around the constituency including in Bridgwater, Burnham, Brean and West Huntspill, and even set up pop-up stalls in supermarkets so people can speak with me directly.
Ms Murphy from Highbridge contacted me about long-standing issues with a local housing developer. I was pleased to help, and here’s what she said:
I attended ones of Ashley's very first surgeries to raise ongoing issues with our housing provider and developers not completing repairs, unfinished roadworks and no responses to multiple residents’ complaints. Ashley and his team have regularly attended our estate to meet with residents and understand the impact this has caused us in our homes. Since then, we have had repairs completed and roadworks have commenced to complete our estate along with the housing provider regularly giving us updates and engaging with residents. Without the efforts of Ashley and his team this progress would not have been made.
I’ve visited schools, businesses, community groups and parish councils right across the constituency, because there’s no substitute for seeing things for yourself and hearing from people face to face. I’ve also been out regularly on the doorstep, listening to concerns and picking up issues directly from residents.
In Westminster, I’ve spoken in the Commons 124 times and submitted 197 written questions to ministers. I secured a debate on the proposed salt marsh at Pawlett Hams and used it to raise local environmental and flood concerns. I hope I played a small part in seeing off EDF’s absurd plan. I’ve pressed for better broadband connections, challenged tax thresholds that unfairly hit pensioners on modest incomes, and opposed the Sentencing Council’s now-abandoned guidance that risked creating a two-tier justice system. I’ve also called for changes to employment law to give more support to special constables, who give up their time to help keep our streets safe.
Closer to home, I’ve kept up the pressure on Somerset Council to get a grip on the Celebration Mile roadworks and to sort out the wider roadworks chaos in and around Bridgwater. I’ve raised concerns in Parliament about the lack of bus services in Highbridge and the impact that’s having on people trying to get to work, school or hospital appointments. I’ve supported local parents pushing for a rebuild of Haygrove School, and urged ministers to improve access to NHS services in Burnham, Bridgwater and right across the Constituency. I’ve also spoken out against the “family farm tax”, which threatens the future of farming in our part of Somerset.
I launched the Bridgwater and Burnham Independent Shop Awards to shine a light on some of our brilliant small businesses and I hosted my first annual Parish Council Summit to hear directly from those working at the grassroots of local life – our Parish Councillors.
It’s been a busy year, and I’ve learned a lot. But the most important thing about being an MP is showing up, listening, and doing the work. That’s what I’ve focused on this year - and it’s exactly what I’ll keep doing in the year ahead.
There’s still plenty more to do, from lobbying for improved NHS access and local policing to protecting our villages from flooding. I will continue to work on better access to dental care, better broadband & mobile phone connections and of course improved public transport across Somerset.
Thank you for the trust you’ve placed in me. It’s a real privilege to serve as your MP, and I’ll keep working hard every day on your behalf.
