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It's almost a year since I left the Labour Party and became an Independent MP. Although I have absolutely no regrets about severing my ties with this dreadful and disappointing Government as they continue their record crash to the bottom of the polls, of course I wish they were doing some of what we all hoped and believed they might change when in power as they pledged to do. Instead, they have no political direction, seem to have ditched the basic values of the Labour Party, and have gone from scandal to scandal, alienating older voters, the disabled, farmers, business owners, those who care deeply about human rights, justice, and fairness. While I have voted with the Government on some occasions, I could not vote with them on many issues that do not reflect the values of my constituents who are in frequent contact with me. Obviously all Members of Parliament are also human beings with families and caring responsibilities, and there is a constant juggle with having to spend time away from our constituencies in Westminster. This year, my eighth in Parliament, I have chosen to spend more time in the constituency and especially with my family. Personally, it has been an incredibly difficult year as the decline of a close family member has taken its toll, and I lost that family member this weekend to a cruel and incurable illness. I will be taking some time away from social media during this Parliamentary recess period, spending time with my close family and grieving as everyone needs to be able to do in private. Thank you for your support and understanding. My local team will be working as usual and able to deal with anyone who requires help or support. Photo Credit: Sinead Le Blond

It is shocking that the William Harvey Hospital had to close their Costa Cafe on Tuesday to create space for patients. Having met with the management of East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust, I know how hard staff have been working under incredibly difficult circumstances. This appalling state of affairs is the result of 14 years of cuts and mismanagement under the last Tory Government. We need urgent and significant investment from Government to support our local NHS. This is not news. I’ve been campaigning to end the crisis facing our Hospitals in East Kent for over 8 years since before becoming elected. I most recently raised our A and E crisis in the House of Commons in January. Rosie raises the unacceptable A and E delays in the House of Commons in January The previous 7 Health Secretaries have promised much and delivered nothing. Opening an A and E at Kent and Canterbury Hospital would be one important step which our Health Secretary could take to start alleviating these challenges.

Last month, Rosie Duffield MP met with Tracey Fletcher (CEO) and Annette Doherty (Chair) of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHFT) for our regular catch up. They discussed recent successes in the Trust including the welcome improvements in maternity services and the award of £13 million additional funding for the essential maintenance upgrades. While I am reassured of progress, it is clear much, much more is needed to be done to improve our NHS Services. I raised Constituent's concerns around the impact of funding cuts on our frontline services and discussed what more EKHUFT can do to work alongside our outstanding not-for-profit organisations such as Headway.

During Parliamentary Recess, Rosie Duffield MP visited Speech and Language Link , an organisation supporting speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) in schools across the UK. Based in Canterbury, their innovative work contributes towards achieving the best start in life for every child. Speech and language skills are essential and can serve as early indicators for the need for diagnosis and intervention if a child is struggling. Speech and Language Link do vital work which is having a profound impact across the UK. Their comprehensive resources, from staff training to innovative language screening tools, are significantly easing the burden on teachers and empowering them to better support the diverse needs of their students.

The news of the University of Kent merging with Greenwich University came as a shock for many. I have written to Bridget Phillipson MP, the Secretary of State for Education in an attempt to get some answers. As the Party long-known to centre and champion workers' rights, and currently pushing a big new Bill of rights through Parliament, I expect this Labour government to support all those staff who may potentially be affected and will keep pushing for that in the coming days and weeks. You can read my full letter below:

Last week, Rosie Duffield MP joined school leaders from across the Canterbury and Whitstable at an emergency meeting organised by Whitstable Unplugged, to tackle the urgent issue of unregulated smartphone use in childhood and its impact on education. Organised in partnership with The Canterbury Academy Trust, The Whitstable School and Simon Langton School for Boys, the inaugural meeting addressed the growing impact of smartphones on pupils’ education and was attended by school leaders from schools across the district. Attendees pledged to work together as Kent leaders to find solutions that protect children and young people from potential online harms. Rosie Duffield MP said, “We’re in a smartphone crisis, not just here in Kent but across the country, and the impact we’re seeing now could have implications for years to come. Our time to act is now, and I’m proud that we’ve come together here in Canterbury to make a positive difference. Today’s announcement is part of the solution. I’m committed to keeping this on the Parliamentary Agenda and working with colleagues to ensure we protect our young people from the harms of smartphones.” Whitstable Unplugged is a local grassroots movement advocating for a more positive and balanced relationship with smartphones and social media in Whitstable. Whitstable Unplugged was launched to start a positive conversation about smartphones and social media for both adults and children. Find out more about their work here .

During the summer recess, Rosie Duffield MP caught up with the team at Catching Lives, a charity that supports people who are facing homelessness or insecure housing in Canterbury and East Kent. A long-time supporter of Catching Lives, Rosie was updated on their recent successes and given a tour of the recent improvements made to their building which allow them to deliver the vital services to those who need it most. Having campaigned to end rough sleeping for many years, I will continue to raise the issue in Parliament and advocate for more to be done in Canterbury including better mental health support and affordable social and temporary housing provision. Catching Lives are currently in need of donations and a list of items they most need can be found here: https://www.catchinglives.org/donate-items . Donations can be brought into the Day Centre any day between 9am and 4pm (1.30pm on Wednesdays).

Canterbury has some of the best destination hotels in beautiful and unique historic settings, attracting visitors from all around the World. Last week, Rosie Duffield MP visited a couple of these hotels, Howfield Manor and Broome Park .  Rosie Duffield MP at Howfield Manor Hotel The strain on independent hospitality businesses is huge following the Government's last Budget - higher utility bills, higher food and beverage costs, higher business rates, staff wage rises, VAT bills, and the additional rise in employer's National Insurance, have made things increasingly difficult. Businesses are unable to pass on those steep rises to customers who are also feeling the strain on their budgets.     I will carry on working together with local businesses to lean on the Government to provide some vital assistance to this industry in order for them to continue to grow, provide employment and training opportunities and be destinations I am extremely proud to have in my constituency.  Rosie Duffield MP at Broome Park

After more than a year of campaigning to Save the Blean , we have almost done it! The controversial and deeply unpopular plans to build unaffordable and not-needed flats on University of Kent land is now not going to be included in Canterbury City Council's new draft of the Local Plan. This is down to the hard work of everyone who's campaigned, forced Councillors to listen and never given up. It is vital that the pressure is kept up and that submissions are sent to Canterbury City Council’s latest consultation which takes place for 6 weeks. You can have your say here . The Council is being asked to consult on a number of changes to the local draft plan at the next meeting at 7pm on Monday 8 September 2025. So make your views heard. Well done to every single person who's played a part in this campaign. There's more to do - but this is a huge relief!

The ban on hunting with hounds in 2005 was a landmark moment for animal welfare. It is clear, however, that hunting of wildlife in our countryside continues, long after it was meant to have ended. Alongside the brutal deaths of foxes, stags, hares and other wild animals; dogs continue to be abused and killed on an industrial scale to facilitate the enjoyment of those who flout the law. This is appalling and action must be taken urgently. Animal welfare is a key issue for me and my Constituents, I receive hundreds of emails on the topic every month. I recently signed a letter to Daniel Zeichner MP, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, calling on the Government to strengthen the Hunting Act.

Last week, Rosie Duffield MP met with the Lismore and Rayham Road Action Group. They are campaigning against the Brooklands Farm Development. The roads in which they live will be significantly impacted by this development. Speaking after the meeting, Rosie said: I do not believe that we need 1400 houses developed on the Brooklands Farm site. It ' s a beautiful site, and the views are enjoyed by all who live nearby. We are all now aware of the significant positive impact open green spaces have on our mental health. Of course, we need many more affordable homes for the approximately 3,000 local residents who are on the Housing waiting list but this like many of the proposed developments is far out of their price range, designed instead to appeal to commuters from London. This would obviously put more strain on our struggling local infrastructure. Rosie will continue to work in Parliament to stop the Government imposing housing numbers on our local councils that we simply do not need and cannot sustain - other areas of the UK are far better able to do this as they have far more space.

On Monday 28th April 2025, Rosie Duffield MP joined Sophie Winkleman, Damian McBeath and Salma Shah on a Policy Exchange Panel to discuss Smartphones and next steps for Government, Schools and Parents. I believe this is one of the most important and urgent issues which voters are increasingly concerned about. The evidence of the harms of smartphone use on young people is only getting stronger and it is vital that school leaders and parents continue this conversation and consider the benefits of a smartphone ban.