At the end of 2023 I predicted that 2024 would be a year of change and that voters would show that desire for change at a General Election. They did and we go into 2025 with a Labour Government with a mandate for change. We have inherited quite a mess and fixing the problems Britain faces won’t be quick or easy. I understand the desire for a sugar rush immediately, but the truth is that it will take time to repair the damage done by 14 years of the Conservatives. But we are already making good progress.

You can read my 2024 predictions here, but here’s ten predictions for the coming twelve months:

1. Plymouth gets building again – We need more homes. You don’t get out of a housing crisis without building more. I’ve been vocal about the need for more homes in the city centre. The 5,500 new homes I’m currently campaigning for is just the start of what should be a new town in our city centre. I have met Ministers a number of times to make the case for investment to convert the Civic Centre to homes. That will be an iconic statement of intent. But we shouldn’t stop there: we need more homes – including more affordable homes, more to rent, more to buy – and we need to build thousands and thousands of them. 2025 needs to be the year where spades start going into the ground in our city centre.
2. Derriford turns a corner– After many years of going in the wrong direction, health in Plymouth will start improving with new facilities. In the city centre the new Community Diagnostics Centre – the anchor of the new health village I’ve championed – will emerge in Colin Campbell Court Car Park. Up at Derriford, the new Dartmoor centre and its facilities will open and there’ll be progress on a new dental centre in the city centre too. Hopefully progress on the ED extension too.
3. Devolution offers Plymouth a proper deal with our neighbours. I’m not a fan of the city mayor proposal that’s doing the rounds at the moment. It’s an expensive gimmick with no new powers, only extra costs. It’s a distraction from where there’s real chance for change: devolution. I’ve been arguing for a Devon and Cornwall combined authority – a new far south west combined authority, that would see the councils of Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly come together to share a combined authority and a new powerful elected Mayor. This won’t change the identities of any of the areas. I’ll still be a Janner, the Cornish will still be Cornish, if you’re from Torbay you can still find pride in doing so, nothing will change when it comes to pride in identity. What will change is that we’ll have the population and geography to access and pull down the greatest level of powers and funding from Westminster and Whitehall in a new devolution settlement. I strongly believe local people know how to spend money better than those in London and this proposal will give us new powers and new funding to create jobs, grow our skills base, build homes and sort out transport. Plymouth correctly opted out of the diet devolution deal proposed by the Tories because it was pants. The new Government is offering fully caffeinated devolution with money and power and so it’s worth grasping with both hands. With such opportunities to transform the lives of people in our region, we would be wild not to seize this moment by working with our neighbours. Individual councils can’t get the powers on their own, and I want to break the cycle of the South West always being left behind fighting for the scraps. Let’s be an early mover and seize this opportunity. Expect lots more chat of council changes in Devon too.
4. Devil’s Point gets all year-round water quality testing. I’m a believer in better water quality and in recent years I’ve successfully campaigned to get Devil’s Point designated bathing water status and to close two raw sewage outlets polluting the Sound. Now I want all year round water testing. We don’t just go swimming in the summer in the sea when bathing waters are currently tested. We’re hardy folk, us Janners, so let’s get water testing all year round so we know what we are swimming in – whether that’s in January or June. I expect the Government to make this positive and exciting change later in 2025.
5. Progress on gun law reform after Keyham. The last government pushed gun law reform into the long grass because they felt it was too politically difficult before a General Election. My only concern here is to make sure that another Keyham tragedy can’t happen again and we will ensure that by changing gun laws for the better. I’ve met with the new Policing Minister and I know she understands what we are calling for as a city. It’s still a long path ahead, but I’m optimistic we will make progress this year.
6. More cross-party working in Plymouth shows MPs focussed on making positive change together for our city. One of the most tangible changes for me as an MP since July 2024 has been having neighbours who will put their politics aside for the good of our city. I’m proud to be working with Fred Thomas MP, Anna Gelderd MP and Rebecca Smith MP to make positive change for our communities by working together. I believe in cross-party working. This doesn’t mean we’ll always agree, but we will put the people we represent first.
7. Central Park Pond project opens. After many delays I think people will love the new ponds in Central Park. As the tree planting greens the slopes, people will make visiting the new ponds part of every visit to Central Park. Well done to Peverell’s local councillors for keeping this on the agenda and to cabinet member Cllr Tom Briars-Delve for persisting in finding solutions.
8. Old Oak Common problem kicks in but mitigating it gets on the agenda of the new government. What does a rail project in London mean for Plymouth? Well, quite a lot actually. The building of a new station for High Speed 2 at Old Oak Common in West London alongside the Great Western mainline from the south west will mean years of track closures, delays and longer journeys. The last Tory government tried to keep this out of the headlines ahead of the election, and the new Government has inherited a mess to sort out, but by working with Labour, Tory and Lib Dem MPs across the south west and Wales, we will make the positive case for rail and mitigating the delays and disruption. Although it does mean some trains on disrupted weekends will go from Plymouth to Euston.
9. Plymouth’s train companies get a date for coming back into public ownership. I was proud to vote to bring train companies back into public ownership. I predict later this year we will get a date for when CrossCountry and GWR will come back into public ownership, bringing to an end the ridiculous privatisation experiment that has only really benefited shareholders and not passengers.
10. Argyle’s mens team stay up . Despite it all, I have confidence in Simon Hallett and his team at Argyle to get us out of the relegation zone and keep us playing in the Championship.