MP of the Week: Tom Hayes
This week’s MP of the Week is Tom Hayes, the MP for Bournemouth East.
Last week (w/c 23 June), he led a positive, cross-party push to make sure playgrounds that get lost to development are replaced – no cost to the Treasury, just a smart fix built into the Planning Bill.
He got support from over 70 MPs across Labour, Tory, Lib Dem, Green and others, and the Government has now agreed to consult on changing national planning rules.
Tom framed it around restoring pride and community in left-behind areas, places where kids are stuck with rusted swings or boarded-up parks.
He talked really movingly about how he grew up with two disabled parents and relied on free public space to play. He’s also pushing for accessible equipment and flagged how small things like this can go a long way to tackle deprivation and give families a bit of hope.
