Callum Anderson

My hon. Friend is an extremely diligent and dogged campaigner both inside and outside Parliament, and he is absolutely right. Towns such as Newcastle-under-Lyme and Bletchley benefit from being located near to significant cities such as Stoke-on-Trent and Milton Keynes. It is also really important that they are connected to us, so that we can unlock the full economic opportunities and connections to which he refers. A new eastern entrance at Bletchley station is also critical to unlocking the wider economic regeneration ambitions for Bletchley and Milton Keynes more broadly. Through the Bletchley and Fenny Stratford town deal, which was secured by our Labour-run Milton Keynes city council with the support of local councillors—including my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes Central (Emily Darlington), who was serving at the time—real progress is already under way. From public realm improvements and business support to upgrades to routes on Saxon Street, we are already transforming the area and building the momentum we need. Put simply, the eastern entrance is the missing piece that will unlock a revitalised town centre, new homes, better roads and improved public spaces. I have already thanked the team at East West Rail, but I want to place on record my thanks to the city council, to the whole town deal board, and to serving and former councillors, as well as council officers, for all the work that they have done over the past few years to help us to build a credible, ambitious plan, which now has comprehensive and unanimous local backing. The case is clear. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and if we seize it, Bletchley will become a true gateway—not just for the town itself, but for the whole city of Milton Keynes. We do not want to let this opportunity for growth pass us by yet again. I urge the Minister to work with me, our community, and our local political and civic leaders to secure the public investment needed to take this project forward. I would be most grateful for his help in brokering discussions with those across Government and the relevant agencies and boards who will take the final financial decisions, so that we can move this project to its next stage together. A modest commitment now will deliver benefits for decades. Bletchley is ready, our people are ready, and our plans are ready and in place. We just need Government to partner with us and help to build an eastern entrance that will ensure our railway station faces the town, just as its people face the future with confidence.