Westminster Report

BY David Burton-Sampson MP for Southend West & Leigh. “Opportunity Southend” and “We love Westcliff” are two local campaigns I have launched recently and are a key focus of mine moving forwards.
Alongside Coun Daniel Cowan, the leader of the council and Bayo Alaba MP, we have launched our vision for “Opportunity Southend” with a long term plan to improve infrastructure for residents, boost economic growth and improve health outcomes.
A new relief road from Shoebury to the A130, a new fit-for-purpose hospital and improved public transport connectivity to London will make a huge difference and will set Southend up for the next 100 years.
We brought together partners from across Southend to chart a course for the future and discussed how to build a city we can be proud of for future generations.
Infrastructure is the backbone of any thriving economy and it is a primary barrier to economic growth in Southend-on-Sea. With investment we could increase our economy by 17%.
We are city with almost 180,000 residents that attracts around seven million visitors per year. Southend is a city of growth and opportunity, and it is important to have an ambitious vision.
At the second meeting for my “We love Westcliff” campaign, I discussed how Westcliff has so much to offer for local residents, charities, sports groups and representatives from the religious community representatives.
It’s a great place to live and work, with assets like the Cliffs Pavillion and the Palace Theatre, the lovely Chalkwell Park and our fantastic beach, plus excellent schools and good links to the hospital.
We discussed how the area could do with sprucing up to help it flourish in the future but we do need to address some challenges to deal with anti-social behaviour, clear up the scourge of fly tipping in the alleyways and improve lighting, particularly in areas like around the station.
We also need to promote Westcliff’s strong business and cultural scene. So, watch this space for details of an Impact Day in the spring and future plans to show “We love Westcliff”.
I enjoyed my walk in Belfairs Woods, arranged with national men’s suicide prevention group Andy’s Man Club.
I helped to promote more than a dozen “walk and talk” events around the country, aimed at giving men a safe space to talk to others.
I chair the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Male Suicide and Mental Health and although men are becoming more willing to talk, we can’t stop until those suicide figures come down.
Suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 54, which is a terrible statistic and I have been personally affected by it. I know I never want to take another phone call telling me that a friend of mine or family member has taken their own life.
We walked 4.5k with each kilometre representing a year that men live less than women.
In parliament I spoke in a debate about Ukraine. I am on a parliamentary committee and visited the war torn country last year.
Putin is insisting that Ukraine must surrender territory for any peace deal to go ahead. The Russian president says the latest draft peace plan ‘can be the basis for future agreements’ but only if Kyiv gives up land. This is unacceptable and tantamount to capitulation.
Ukraine is not about to raise the white flag and we will stand shoulder to shoulder with them in their resolve.
Beyond the legal and diplomatic dimensions lies the human reality. In cities such as Mariupol, under Russian occupation since 2022, civilians have endured severe restrictions, widespread destruction, forced Russification, and the dismantling of Ukrainian civic life.
Described as “hell on earth” by residents when the Russians invaded in 2022, an estimated 350,000 have left Mariupol, many now living as refuges, trying to put the horrors of what they witnessed behind them.
Those left behind say that without a Russian passport you couldn’t get medical care or employment, or even retain property and that ”there are ears and eyes everywhere”. Criticising Russia is dangerous, thanks to constant surveillance while it’s believed up to 90% of the buildings in Mariupol remain damaged or destroyed.
The stoicism and resilience of Ukrainian communities, who continue to assert their national identity, often at great personal risk, is palpable and something that I myself encountered when I visited Ukraine last year.
I saw with my own eyes the destruction, the shell-damaged buildings, the disruption to daily life and the communities trying to rebuild under relentless pressure. What stood out was not just the physical damage but the unbroken spirit of Ukrainians who remain clear that they are, and will remain, Ukrainian. Their resolve in the face of aggression is extraordinary and enduring and I am to proud to stand by them.
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