Diary of an MP: The businesses and young people that make me proud of this town

To change it up a bit this week, I'll start up north. I was out canvassing in Makerfield ahead of the recent by-election, and the result was everything we'd hoped for. A thumping Labour majority and Reform sent packing! It was a good reminder that when Labour makes the case clearly and gets out on the doorstep, it delivers.

Back in Northampton, the visit that's stayed with me most is STEAM Northants at the University of Northampton. Over 5,000 young people, 80-plus exhibitors, planetariums, engineering simulators and creative industry stands. The works. But what struck me most was a conversation I had with a student who, by his own admission, had never once considered engineering as something he might actually do. By the time I left, that had changed.

I know exactly how that feels. I grew up wanting to build things, but it took me years to understand what a career in engineering actually looked like. What it paid, what the day-to-day was, how you got there. Events like STEAM Northants hand young people from Northamptonshire that clarity years earlier than I had it. For those without an obvious route in, that's not a small thing.

The visit to British Pepper & Spice at Brackmills was a different kind of eye-opener. Three hundred years of heritage, a world-leading operation in herbs and spices, with supply chains stretching across the globe, all of it based on an industrial estate in Northampton. It's exactly the kind of business that makes you wonder why we aren't shouting louder about what this town actually produces.

Over the weekend I joined a Northampton Business Breakfast at the fantastic Brothers Bakery in town, and heard directly from many of our high street's finest on what support they need to continue thriving. And of course, the Collingtree Parish Council Fete was an absolute highlight. I hooked a duck, ate far too much, and had brilliant conversations with the many constituents that visited my pop-up stand. It was great to see so many people turn out for a great community event, with the weather holding out for most of it!

As always, if you have a concern or need support, please don't hesitate to get in touch with my office at [email protected].