A successful surgery today at #Willesborough Tesco! Thank you to everyone who came down to speak with me!

Happy St. George’s Day to everyone in Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Pleasure to have served on the Representation of the People’s Bill Committee. It’s a landmark piece of legislation to safeguard our democracy—blocking foreign interference and tightening donation rules, whilst also extending voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds.

Great to join colleagues for the launch of the Women’s Health Strategy for England. For too long, women have faced medical misogyny, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. This strategy aims to tackle these inequalities by raising awareness and cutting waiting times.

You can read my latest piece on the Government’s Intensive Recovery Programme and what it means for local healthcare services in East Kent in KentOnline here: www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news...

Great to speak at the RMT’s national event for engineers, held in Ashford this morning. Our constituency is a key rail hub, and it was great to meet members of the skilled workforce from across the country who keep the network running, day in, day out.

Wishing everyone in Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages a very happy Easter!

I hope everyone in Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages has a very peaceful Good Friday.

Thank you to the headteacher at Beaver Green Primary for arranging a visit to speak about their new school-based nursery with Cllr Brendan Chilton and Mayor Lyn Suddards. This will be a huge benefit to parents, helping them with the cost of living and their work–life balance! #ashford #ashfordkent

A very productive roundtable with parents who have lived experience of the system, discussing the new SEND White Paper. I’ll be feeding their views back and making representations to Government Ministers from the Department for Education in the coming days.

A visit to the former Odeon Cinema in Ashford this morning to see its redevelopment into an arts centre. Arts and culture should be accessible to everyone, and I’m very excited to see this project unfold in our community.

Funding for new schools-based nurseries will provide many young people with a great chance for the best start in life. It was brilliant to speak with Damian McBeath, the Principal of the John Wallis Academy will mean for their school and families in our community!

Great to attend the Lower Thames Crossing Consortium Parliamentary Reception this evening. I was very pleased that this Government approved the Lower Thames Crossing. It will be a huge boost to growth, reduce emissions, and alleviate traffic across Kent.

I know SEND is a huge issue for many of my constituents, so I welcome the news that the Labour Government have allocated £28m SEND funding for KCC - a £4m increase. It’s vital this is spent properly, so colleagues and I have written to the Council Leader seeking clarity on KCC’s plans.

Great to speak with Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Labour Party colleagues from East Kent about the Government’s Intensive Recovery Programme to improve NHS services. Ensuring local services are fit for the future has been an ongoing campaign, and I welcome these new measures. #ashford

🤔What is a common misconception of tuberculosis and what can we do about it? @sojanjosephmp.bsky.social shares his thoughts. #EndTB #YesWeCanEndTB #WorldTBDay

I have an upcoming advice surgery in Willesborough on Friday 24th April, from 14:00 to 16:00. You can book an appointment at: www.sojanjosephmp.com/surgeries/

Today I attended the Meningitis Now drop-in in Parliament. A very timely reminder of the importance of vaccinations and being fully aware of the symptoms. For guidance, visit: www.gov.uk/government/p...

Here’s a message from the Early Education Minister, Olivia Bailey MP about Beaver Green Primary’s new Best Start school-based nursery — helping parents in Ashford with the cost of living and making it easier to balance work and family life. beststartinlife.gov.uk

I still have some spaces available for my advice surgery in Central Ashford this Friday (20th March 11:30-13:30). Go to: www.sojanjosephmp.com/surgeries/ to make a booking!

There have been several cases of meningitis reported across Kent over the past few days, including a suspected case in Ashford this morning. Please follow the guidance and check the symptoms using this link: www.gov.uk/government/p...

Great to see the new same day emergency care facility under construction at the William Harvey Hospital. This will increase capacity, relieve pressure on A&E services, and help more patients get the care they need more quickly. 🏥

You can read my latest article for KentOnline on my website: www.sojanjosephmp.com/our-man-in-w...

A very insightful visit to Ottinge this afternoon to see the issues caused by the breakdown in Southern Water’s infrastructure. Thank you to the residents for showing me around the site and for coming to my Lyminge coffee morning last week to bring this issue to my attention.

Underinvestment and deregulation have badly damaged our water infrastructure. It will take time to fix, but we must keep working to ensure the necessary steps are taken to repair our waterways. Read my latest column in Kent Online: www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news...

You can read my latest column for Kent Online on my website: www.sojanjosephmp.com/our-man-in-w...

Great to speak with students from East Kent Colleges last week about getting involved in politics. Encouraging young people to engage with our political process early is a really important part of my role as their MP.

Thank you to everyone who joined me in Lyminge yesterday for my coffee morning! It was great to meet so many residents and hear your views. I’m looking forward to hosting more community events very soon! ☕️ #Ashford #Lyminge #AshfordKent

You have until 26 May 2026 to share your views in the Government’s national consultation: www.gov.uk/government/c... Read my comments in Greatest Hits Radio: www.hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hit... This is a chance to strengthen safeguards for young people online—but hearing all voices will be key.

It was a pleasure to host The Royal College of Psychiatrists and Divina McCall in Parliament to raise awareness of the impact of the menopause on mental health. Although understanding is growing, more must be done to ensure women receive the care they need before, during and after the menopause.

The Government has launched its consultation on making the online world safer for children. It’s an issue I’ve campaigned on since being elected, as it’s key to improving young people’s mental health and wellbeing. www.gov.uk/government/c...

The events in the Middle East are deeply concerning. Today I asked the Prime Minister about the wider implications of Iran’s destabilisation of the region — for our national security and for the cost of living at home due to potential rises in oil prices.

Since entering Parliament, I’ve worked to strengthen protections for young people from the harms of social media. During my time in the NHS, I saw the impact on mental health and will continue to support efforts to improve safeguards, including the Government’s consultation, which is very welcome.

This is a win for residents across Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages. It’s a significant step toward finding a permanent alternative to Operation Brock—benefiting both the environment and the regional economy. www.kentonline.co.uk/kent-busines...

I would like to wish everyone across Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages a very peaceful Ash Wednesday as we begin Lent, a period of prayer, reflection, and renewal.

I will be hosting another coffee morning on Saturday 7 March 2026 at the Coach & Horses, Church Road, Lyminge, CT18 8JA Come along and share the issues that matter to you! ☕ Book here: www.sojanjosephmp.com/coffee-morni...

I spoke with Adam Dowling on BBC Radio Kent about the cost of deploying Operation Brock. It’s vital in emergencies, but it’s too often used as a precaution, at significant expense. I’ll keep working with the Government and any relevant agencies to find a permanent alternative.

Ramadan Mubarak to all those who celebrate across Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages.

Reform don’t do defence. No one appointed in their so-called Shadow Cabinet for Defence. Must be waiting for another failed Tory to defect to fill that slot. Nathan Gill can’t do it after he was sent down for taking Russian bribes. You can’t trust Reform with defence.

National care standards will underpin the National Care Service, but what should they mean in practice? SCIE’s new report tackles this question: www.scie.org.uk/app/uploads/... Read @sojanjosephmp.bsky.social's question on progress made here: questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...

This week is Children’s Mental Health Week. When I was working in the NHS, I saw how social media can contribute to many cases of mental health issues, which is why I’ve been campaigning to increase protections for children online. Read my latest piece for The Kentish Express

It is our job as legislators to ensure that adequate protections are in place for children online. That's why I'm backing the Government's consultation and any measures to ensure young people are safe on social media. www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news...

The Labour Government has delivered: - £13m for East Kent Hospitals -Free school meals for another 4,970 kids in Ashford - £78.2m for Kent buses - £54m for Kent road maintenance. (Just to name a few achievements!) Only possible because of Keir Starmer’s mandate. Credit: Dom King BBC Radio Kent

Thank you to everyone who came down to my coffee morning in Wye! It was great to have such a wide range of conversations about the issues that matter to you! I look forward to hosting more coffee mornings and engagement sessions in the near future! #Ashford #Wye

I understand the concerns people have about Southern Water’s Wastewater Treatment Works. Join my community meeting Fri 27 Feb, 3–5pm, Julie Rose Stadium (TN24 9QX), to discuss my visit, share experiences, ask questions, and hear updates. Register here: www.sojanjosephmp.com/community-me...

This is very positive news! After raising this in Parliament and following it up with the Environment Agency, I am pleased to see that South East Water’s hosepipe ban has been lifted today. www.southeastwater.co.uk/about/update...

It was a pleasure to speak at the local @nfudc.bsky.social event on rural crime. Rural crime has a real and very damaging impact on family farms, SMEs, and village communities. That’s why it was so valuable to hear the views and experiences of our local farming community in #Ashford.

Quality transport is key to unlocking growth. Yesterday I spoke about restoring international rail services to #Ashford and using Labour’s record funding to fix roads and improve local transport networks — including rural areas like #Hawkinge — to create economic opportunities.

The funding and engagement from the @UKLabour Government has been welcome. The focus also must be on faster local delivery, and I will continue to work with Ministers to ensure progress goes further for #Ashford, #Hawkinge, and the Villages. www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news...