Author: Matthew Patrick

I wanted to share a few exciting updates on my work in the six weeks of 2026. Included in this newsletter are updates on my bus campaign and Pride in Place for Woodchurch, and an update regarding Peak Cluster.

Coffee mornings

My latest one was for Thingwall & Barnston residents. It has been great to get out across Wirral West and discuss with residents the issues that matter most to them. I am looking forward to continuing these conversations and hosting future coffee mornings.

Bus campaign

After many parents contacted me expressing their concerns about local school buses, I launched a campaign to deliver the change that our children deserve. I surveyed almost 200 local parents and the results were evident: there is a real lack of trust in the school bus. I recently published an open letter calling on school bus operators to work with me and hear local concerns about the safety and reliability of services. I have now also written to Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram, to raise local concerns.

Launching the Animal Welfare Strategy

At the end of last year, we launched our Animal Welfare Strategy. This bold plan sets out a clear vision for reform, focusing on three key areas: improving the welfare of pets, strengthening protections for farmed animals, and safeguarding wild animals. I wrote about this in the Wirral Globe, which you can read here.

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Wirral Foodbank

This month I also visited Wirral Foodbank, who are doing vital work for our community. I met the team and saw first-hand how they’re supporting some of the most vulnerable families. It’s not work they should have to do, but the message from the team was clear: lifting the two-child benefit cap will make a real difference to the lives of families across the Wirral.

Woodchurch Pride in Place update

I’ve previously shared the news that I’ve secured £20m of Government money for the Woodchurch. This week, I launched a process alongside the council to recruit an independent chair to lead the neighbourhood board that will be set up, to bring the community together to make decisions about how that money will be spent for the benefit of the local community.

West Kirby creche

I heard from several parents about the impact that the closure of the creche at the West Kirby Concourse would have on their physical and mental health. I wrote to the council about this and raised it in my meeting with the chief executive. I also spoke earlier this month on BBC Radio Merseyside about the need for the council to engage meaningfully with residents before making decisions about the services they rely on.

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School visits

As part of my aim to visit every school in Wirral West, I was pleased to visit two more this month. I visited Brookhurst School and welcomed the Headteacher Mr. Williams to Parliament the week after my visit. I also visited Wirral Grammar School for Boys. I enjoyed a great discussion with Headteacher Mr. Ascroft and debate session.

Peak Cluster

I know there is ongoing concern within the community regarding the Peak Cluster carbon capture project. I have been continuing to engage with Peak Cluster on the concerns raised by residents. This includes concerns about disruption, safety, the proposed route, and environmental damage.

On 10^th February I wrote to the CEO to ask for an extension period of the current consultation period beyond 27^th February. On Friday 13^th, I met them at my office where I told Peak Cluster that they have to listen meaningfully – and that we cannot have people being shut out of sharing their concerns. I am pleased they have agreed to extend their consultation and host a dedicated session for our councillors. Lastly, I want to say thank you. By taking the time to share your thoughts, feelings and concerns with me, it’s allowed me to take those challenges directly to Peak Cluster.

As always, if you or someone you know needs support with an issue, please email myself and my team on matthew.patrick.mp@parliament.uk.

Best wishes,

Matthew

Violence Against Women and Girls

This government has declared violence against women and girls a national emergency.

Last year, I asked my first PMQ on provisions to restore the credit files of survivors of economic abuse – on 18^th December this Labour government announced that we will take steps to do it.

This is a testament to the hard work of Surviving Economic Abuse, MPs across the house and the Labour Government.

Two coffee mornings!

I held my first coffee morning in Irby. A letter went to around 70% of Irby residents inviting them to the event – the rest of the residents will receive a letter during my next coffee morning with residents from Frankby.

I also held a coffee morning for the parts of Bromborough and Eastham in Wirral West which includes Brookhurst, the Dibbinsdale, Marford Avenue & Raby Mere. Again, a letter was sent to half the residents of the areas inviting them, and the other half will receive a letter at my next coffee morning.

I always value these conversations and appreciate everyone taking the time to meet me. I am continuing to do these around the constituency ensuring every household receives the letter and an invitation to a coffee morning over the next two years.

Arrowe Park meeting with the CEO on the critical incident

You may have seen in the news that Wirral University Teaching Hospital declared a critical incident which affected surgery appointments at Arrowe Park. I know that many will be concerned about the impact this may have, and I am too.

In October I wrote to Janelle Holmes, the CEO at Arrowe Park, to raise my concerns about the incident.

I met her on Friday 19^th December to seek assurances about the work the hospital is doing to get things back to normal, and to prevent things like this occurring in the future. I’ve been assured they are working hard to resolve the issues with equipment, so that they can resume operating in the New Year.

I will continue to monitor this, and will always do what I can to ensure that we have an NHS proud to be proud of across the UK and particularly here, on the Wirral.

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A year in review

As 2025 comes to a close, here are some highlights from my time as your MP.

Record funding to fix our roads

This Labour Government is delivering record funding to fix our roads with £800 million announced for the North West.

Councils can only access these funds if they publish clear pothole and maintenance data as well as follow best practice.

I continue to stay in close contact with Wirral Council on this issue – if there are any roads near you that you’d like my team and I to report, please do get in touch.

Best wishes,

Matthew

It is amazing to have a campaign win and this month I am really excited to share an update on a big win for the Woodchurch which will benefit our whole area.

Remembrance

It was a privilege to lay a poppy on behalf of Wirral West in the House of Commons remembrance garden. Wirral West proudly has many remembrance services and since being elected last year I’ve been honoured to attend Thornton Hough, Hoylake and District remembrance in Newton and laying a wreath at Bebington and Heswall.

Education

I am on a mission to visit all schools across our area. I am keen to support the schools to deliver the best education and hear from teachers first hand – as well as what the children want to see in our local area, and their dreams.

The next school I’ll be visiting is Brookhurst primary.

I am proud, this Government has:

• Launched a curriculum and assessment review.
• Kickstarted the rollout of free breakfast clubs for all primary school children
• Rolled out 30 hours free childcare

£20million announced for the Woodchurch estate

I am pleased to have fought and secured £2million a year for 10 years, for the Woodchurch estate.

After 14 years of the Tory government discarding areas like the Woodchurch, the Labour Government has announced £20million for the estate.

Since Labour won the election, we have announced £1.6billion for the Liverpool City Region which includes funding for the new Woodchurch train station. This further £20million shows Labour’s commitment to our area.

A neighbourhood board will be established with local residents to help decide what this money should be spent on. The best people to decide how to spend it, is the Woodchurch residents. This can be spent on anything from local park improvements to fixing up empty buildings. If you are a Woodchurch resident, please keep an eye out for future updates and communications from me and the council.

RNLI Hoylake visit

As we draw closer to the end of the year, I want to reflect on my visit to the RNLI.

The RNLI is a huge part of the Wirral community, so it was a real privilege to be able to visit the Hoylake station. I was thrilled to meet staff and volunteers to hear about their lifesaving work, and to be able to celebrate the centuries-long history of service they’re a part of.

Surgeries

I hold a weekly surgery, usually these are held in my Hoylake Office, but I have held them across the constituency to be as accessible as possible, including Greasby, Pensby, West Kirby, Thornton Hough, Heswall, Woodchurch and Irby

As always, if you need support on an issue, please get in touch matthew.patrick.mp@parliament.uk

Coffee mornings

I value holding regular coffee mornings. These are in different areas of the constituency to make sure I am accessible to everyone. It helps inform me on issues throughout our area. Recently, I have held coffee mornings in Spital, West Kirby and Thornton Hough. My next few are planned for areas in Irby and Brookhurst Bromborough. Please keep an eye out for the letter inviting you to your local coffee morning.

I also hold regular street stalls which enable me to be more mobile in picking up casework issues. Recently, I have taken my street stall to Pensby and West Kirby. If you see me out and about, please feel free to stop and chat.

WK Concourse update

A project I have been working on is getting a frosted privacy screen for the bottom windows at West Kirby Concourse swimming baths. This is to make sure everyone in our community feels safe and comfortable when using these facilities.

When I attended West Kirby Grammar School, the students highlighted the fact they did not want to use the pool as they felt exposed with people staring into the pool. After hearing this, I set out to work with the Concourse team to get resolve this.

I ran a petition which received support from a range of demographics and ages. In particular, the message has been clear: parents with young children, young girls using the pool, the elderly and people wanting to get back into exercising have all felt uncomfortable using the pool.

One testimonial read “we were flashed”.

I want to make sure everyone in our local community feels comfortable and included in all aspects of community life – especially young girls and families.

West Kirby Concourse has been engaging with me on this, and I hope to have an update soon.

Thank you to everyone who supported this campaign.

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Heswall Dales

It was a pleasure to visit the beautiful Heswall Dales to learn more about the wonderful ecosystems in our area.

We are incredibly lucky to have such beauty on our doorstep. Thank you to Heswall Dales Friends and Ranger Chris.

Wirral West cross party councillor meeting

All representatives work positively together which is why I called a meeting with all councillors across Wirral West.

It was a really productive meeting, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with local councillors to deliver for our area.

My question on local energy projects

In the House of Commons, I asked the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero about government support for communities delivering local energy projects. The climate emergency is the challenge of our generation, and Merseyside has a huge role to play in meeting that challenge, with its pioneering carbon capture and hydrogen technology.

As the Energy Secretary set out, people in Wirral West will benefit from the region’s expertise with good jobs and a cleaner future, as well as funding from Great British Energy aimed at producing solar energy and cutting bills for good.

Thank you for taking the time to read this update.

Best wishes,

Matthew

Welcome to my first digital newsletter!

Since being elected last year, I have had the honour of serving as your Member of Parliament. I want to make sure I am accessible to all residents in our area both in person and digitally.

As always, if you need any support on an issue, please get in touch with me and my office on matthew.patrick.mp@parliament.uk.

Antisocial behaviour (ASB)

A key priority of mine has been dealing with the appalling incidents of antisocial behaviour across Wirral West. I ran a survey to hear your experiences and ideas for tackling ASB.  I also visited Hoylake Grove Park to speak to residents who were concerned with ASB on their doorstep.

I held a coffee morning in West Kirby with the council’s ASB team and the police to amplify the experiences people across our area have shared and to figure out how we can work together to tackle it.

I shared the results of this engagement with the Wirral’s chief police officer, Superintendent Moscrop at a meeting and walk around on the Woodchurch. I also met with Emily Spurrell, our Police and Crime Commissioner, to press her to ensure the Wirral gets its fair share of police resources.

In Parliament, I spoke to the Home Secretary about the importance of taking action on ASB and supporting victims of this crime.

Labour is committed to getting a grip on this issue, by putting more bobbies on the beat and giving police officers with new powers to deal with the perpetrators. Through the Labour Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee – a commitment to strengthen visible, accessible, and locally accountable policing – Wirral West is set to see an uplift of six police officers. These officers will play a vital role in increasing community engagement and improving visibility. More widely, this Guarantee will put 13,000 more officers into communities by 2029, an increase of more than 50%.

NHS

One of the most frequent things I hear when speaking to people in our community is the need to get the NHS back on its feet. As part of the Government’s national conversation on the long-term plans to reform our NHS, I hosted an engaging ‘Wirral Talks’ event at Arrowe Park Hospital which drew on the vast expertise in our area.

Following the event, I shared the feedback you gave me with the Department for Health, and I will be keeping the conversations we had in mind as I continue to advocate for the rapid change needed in our health services. I welcome the 10 Year Plan and highlighted the event in Parliament.

In a marked change from previous administrations, we have already seen the choices of the new government make a difference for people across the country. Waiting times have fallen. We delivered on our commitment to deliver an extra two million appointments seven months early. We’ve invested more than £100 million in upgrading GP facilities, including two in Wirral West: Spital Surgery and Commonfield on the Woodchurch Estate. This is the change people voted for.

The Labour government has also invested more than £130,000 in Wirral St John Hospice and £172,000 in Claire House, allowing them to continue providing important services to people in our area. I visited them both to learn about the inspiring work they do, their plans for the future and how I can support them.

Arrowe Park Hospital will receive more than £3.6 million for equipment fixes, while the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre will see a £175,000 investment in its energy system.

The Government have also announced solar panels for hospitals to cut energy bills and will result in more money going to frontline services. Across Wirral, three NHS Foundation Trusts will receive a share of over £1.7 million of funding – The Clatterbridge Centre, Wirral University Teaching Hospital, and Cheshire and Wirral Partnership. Over their lifetime, the solar panels are set to save these local Trusts between £2.5 million and £3.3 million.

Businesses

Small businesses are the engine of the Wirral and our high streets. That’s why I was so pleased to join the Heswall and District Business Association to discuss how we can work together to support SMEs.

I was grateful so many business owners gave up their evening to talk through challenges and opportunities ahead.

For too long, the last Government neglected our high streets. I was grateful the Local Government Minister highlighted schemes to help communities bring disused shops back into use when I asked about how we are changing the story and revitalising high streets like Heswall’s. I’ll be working with local councillors and residents to ensure local businesses, and our high streets have the chance to thrive.

Street cleaning

It was great to have a good, old-fashioned litter pick in Greasby with councillor Mark Skillicorn at the back of Norwood Court. As a former councillor I know the importance of working to make sure our local areas are kept tidy and safe.

Supporting victim-survivors of abuse and victim

 As part of my work on tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), I also raised the case of a constituent, who is a victim survivor of rape, in Parliament and the delays she’s faced in getting justice. The Solicitor General outlined the important work being done to ensure swift resolution for all victim-survivors, including the enhanced partnership between Merseyside Police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Best wishes,

Matthew

Matthew Patrick MP

Member of Parliament for Wirral West

Bus survey

PS. I’m running a survey on school bus services, as I’ve heard from parents and teachers that they cannot rely on public buses getting children to school on time. The survey will help me highlight the scale of this issue with the bus companies. Please fill it out here: School bus survey – Matthew Patrick for Wirral West

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The community spirit in Wirral West is one of the things that makes it such a special place. We are a community filled with passionate people who lend their skills, expertise and time to support those in need and make our area a better place.

I have the privilege of seeing this on visits across the many towns and villages in our area. It would be impossible for me to name all the volunteers across our area, but they all deserve recognition for the incredible work they do.

Café’s, churches, hubs and community centres are powered by volunteers, giving people a space to meet, chat and even debate. From the Quirky Café in Hoylake to the Memory Café at Flissy’s in Thurstaston, our community comes together to connect and get support over a cup of tea. Places like Melrose Hall, the Carrbridge Centre on the Woodchurch, and the Greasby Centre are hubs of our community, hosting everything from art classes, to choirs, to exercise groups. 

Local people have also dedicated themselves to conserving the beauty and heritage of our area. Organisations like Wirral in Bloom are planting colourful flowers. Local history is marked with plaques from the Wirral Society. Initiatives like Plastic Free West Kirby are reducing the impact we have on the planet.

Volunteers from Wirral West are also taking on life-saving work. I’m so proud that Hoylake is home to a fantastic RNLI branch, contributing to the rich 200-year history of the lifeboat service.

And in life’s most difficult moments, the care and compassion of our community is reflected in charities like Maggie’s and Claire House. So many people give their time and money so those going through unimaginable struggles can have comfort and support. I was glad to show the Health Secretary their work last year. 

As Labour forges a new relationship with civil society through our recent covenant, I know the expertise and public service of people in Wirral West will be part of our national renewal.

Our community spirit has taken us through the most difficult times, so it’s only right it’s part of the next chapter for our country.

Originally published in the Wirral Globe

Matthew has today welcomed the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan.

Matthew previously held an engagement event on the future of the NHS at Arrowe Park Hospital, which was fed into the national listening exercise.

Watch Matthew’s full speech on the Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, where he sets out his reasons for voting against.