EXCLUSIVE: MP discusses everything Crewe following first 50 days in role
By Ryan Parker
1st Sep 2024 | Local News
Crewe and Nantwich Labour MP, Connor Naismith, sat down with Crewe Nub News to discuss his first 50 days in the job, communicating his plans for the town across the next five years.
On July 5, Mr Naismith took the reins from Kieran Mullan to become the first Labour MP in Crewe and Nantwich since 2019.
The former Crewe West councillor secured 20,837 votes, receiving a majority of 9,727 ahead of the Conservative's Ben Fletcher.
Mr Naismith told Nub News: "My first 50 days as an MP for Crewe and Nantwich have been really exciting.
"I don't think any of us expected the general election to happen when it did, but personally, I was really pleased it came when it did because we were all ready for change.
"So far, I have been getting to know parliament, getting to know my way around and learning how it all works.
"That is really important because I need to know how I can get the things Crewe and Nantwich needs delivered through parliament.
"There has been a lot of induction activity and getting to know how to set my constituency office up.
"I am currently recruiting for staff to get my office team in place so I will effectively have an efficient machine to serve Crewe and Nantwich.
"The new office will be in Crewe town centre and it will be in a location familiar to residents. I hope to have this sorted within the next few weeks."
Mr Naismith currently lives in Crewe and has lived in the town since 2018.
The MP said: "Typically, I am in Westminster Monday to Thursday. I am down there voting on key bits of legislation and participating in debates.
"I am still able to do constituency work when I am there as I have a Westminster office.
"On Thursday evenings, I am back home in the constituency, attending events and meeting different stakeholders in Crewe and Nantwich across the weekend.
"Being an MP really is a seven day a week job. That it how it should be, but it obviously presents a challenge with balancing that work."
Mr Naismith outlined to Nub News four main issues he would like to work on between now and 2029.
The former Cheshire East councillor said: "Across the next five years, a key priority for me in Crewe is to help with the generation of the town centre.
"Its not unique in the sense lots of towns a similar size to Crewe are struggling with their high streets.
"But, it is not good enough. I think the previous government just accepted that was the way it was and intervene in a way that solved it.
"This Labour government will do a lot of work and has plans to regenerate our high streets.
"I want to get into the local work of building relationships with businesses and get Cheshire East's focus on building a plan for Crewe that is ambitious but deliverable.
"This will be achieved by working with the new powers the new government will provide us."
In July, Mr Naismith wrote to the secretary of state for health and social care, Wes Streeting, in relation to the announcement there will be a review of the Hospital Building Programme.
Mr Naismith told Nub News: "Another issue I want to work on is improving local services, such as delivering with the rebuild of Leighton Hospital.
"Rachel Reeves has highlighted the economic inheritance this government has been elected into, which is absolutely scandalous.
"The Conservative Party spent money we didn't have and verbally committed to projects that wasn't there, including the new Leighton Hospital campus.
"Leighton is in a slightly different category to other hospitals under review. It needs a full rebuild as it is a massive health and safety risk. I am hopeful I hear something back soon."
"I also want to see improved public transport links, including bus services. I know lots of people feel cut off from society and transport improvements would provide better access to local job opportunities.
"A big issue particular to Crewe is fly-tipping. I have seen as a councillor this is a crime going unpunished a lot of the time.
"There needs to be a stronger deterrent to this issue which is blighting out communities and making them unattractive places to live.
"Our residents shouldn't have to put up with this and although it is a council issue there are things the government can do to help with this.
Another "urgent" issue on the Crewe MP's agenda was rail infrastructure, with 10 months passing since the cancellation of HS2.
Mr Naismith added: "We lost HS2 which was catastrophic, more so for Crewe than anywhere else.
"HS2 represented a once in a generation opportunity for investment and regeneration for the town.
"The previous government unfortunately clicked their fingers and decided we weren't going to have that.
"I want to work with the new government to understand what the opportunities are and what is possible.
"There is the unavoidable problem of a lack of capacity on the West Coast Main Line, which HS2 was designed to fix.
"We can't get around that problem and need to do something about it. I believe Crewe needs to be at the heart of the solution to that problem.
"A transport review was commissioned by The Labour Party to look at what the issues are with our national infrastructure, which came up with very interesting findings this August.
"The report talks about the problems the cancellation of HS2 has created, recommending a programme of extensive infrastructure spending.
"I know government ministers will be looking closely at the report and I will be looking to have my own conversations with ministers about what this means for Crewe and the North West.
"I hope we can come up with some solution that might not be HS2, but something in its place to deliver the same kind of rail improvement."
Crewe Nub News will be meeting with the Mr Naismith on a bi-monthly basis for regular updates on the constituency.
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