As the Member of Parliament for Wokingham, I would like to wish everyone in Wokingham a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
This is my second Christmas since being elected in 2024 as Wokingham’s first ever Liberal Democrat MP. It is a real honour to represent our community.
Over the past year, I have reached an important milestone by speaking 200 times in Parliament. This makes me one of the most active new MPs in the country. By comparison, the previous MP for Wokingham spoke an average of 36 times a year during his 37 years in the role.
Much of what I have spoken about in Parliament has been based on issues raised by local residents.
This includes:
Calling for a 5% cut in VAT to help local pubs, cafés and restaurants
Making sure people from Hong Kong living in Wokingham are protected from changes to British National (Overseas) visa rules while their applications are being processed
Pressing the Government to protect people who paid into company pensions pre-1997 and are not now being given proper increases that rise with the cost of living. I believe this is unfair and should be changed.
Many residents contact me for help across many issues that they are facing. Since being elected, my team and I have supported local people with more than 8,000 individual cases. We will continue to be there for residents in the year ahead.
I have also held many public advice surgeries in supermarkets across Wokingham, where residents can come and speak to me about any issue — local, national or international. I will continue to hold many more of these in the coming year, so please do stop and talk to me if you see one happening.
Throughout the year, I have been proud to attend important local events, including the REME Freedom of Wokingham Parade, and to pay tribute to our armed forces by taking part in Remembrance Sunday events in Wargrave and Wokingham.
Looking ahead to 2026, one of my main priorities in Parliament has been the creation of the National Cancer Plan.
Over a year ago, I secured a commitment from the Government to develop and produce this plan. It aims to improve how quickly cancer is diagnosed, strengthen the NHS cancer workforce, improve treatments and therefore outcomes, and provide better support for young people and those with rare cancers.
I hope the plan will be published on 4 February, World Cancer Day, and will bring real improvements for cancer patients and their families across the UK.
At this time of year, it is especially important to thank our NHS staff for their hard work during the winter months, particularly as flu cases rise.
I also want to thank our first responders, who work day and night over the festive period to keep us safe, often giving up time with their own families. Their dedication is deeply appreciated.
I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Wokingham in the year ahead, and I wish everyone a peaceful and happy Christmas.
Clive Jones MP
