Political Opinion: Britain is turning a corner
2026 will be the year Britain turns a corner. We're moving on from the chaos of the past and facing the future with confidence - together.
In 2024, you backed me to deliver change. As we move into the second year of this Labour government, Keir Starmer's choices mean you'll see that difference here in High Peak.
The cost of living remains at the forefront of my mind. Our choices will put money back in your pocket: taking £150 off energy bills from April, increasing the National Living Wage for thousands of low-paid workers here in High Peak, freezing rail fares, prescriptions and fuel duty, extending the £3 bus fare cap, rolling out free breakfast clubs, extending free school meals benefitting 3,000 children in High Peak, and raising the state pension, giving pensioners up to £575 extra. These are the Labour choices we've made to turn our country and communities around.
These are choices Reform and the Tories just would not make.
We can see that locally with Reform-led Derbyshire County Council raising council tax by the maximum amount whilst cutting vital services like care homes and closing the tip in Glossop. It's a continuation of the same Tory plan that saw our communities stripped bare with you paying more, for less.
By the end of this parliament, I want you to know that politicians are not all the same and that we can deliver more together.
I won't promise quick fixes that will cost you more long-term. Renewing our country takes time. We've faced a global financial crisis, Brexit, the pandemic, war in Europe. But I got into politics because I don't want to turn away from difficult conversations. I want to turn things around, not manage decline.
That's why in 2025 I secured funding from Labour East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward to expand 'Our Pass' for hundreds of families and £250,000 to ease parking at Mam Tor. I brought together the Peak Partnership, uniting regional leaders on issues that matter most here. I campaigned for better cash access with new banking hubs delivered in Buxton and Glossop. I secured £7 million for the Snake Pass to improve safety and welcomed the £28 million investment in Peak Cluster to keep local jobs thriving.
In 2026, I'm focusing on my campaigns to save Buxton Health Services and Glossop tip. You can sign my petitions here:
https://www.jon4highpeak.com/help-me-save-glossop-tip/
I want to bring our communities closer together. I'll be hosting more supermarket surgeries, coffee mornings, and regular surgeries, pushing for greater opportunities for our young people. My Careers, Skills and Jobs Fairs will run again after their success in 2025.
In 2026 I'll keep fighting for High Peak's fair share to keep services local and bring opportunity here - but I need your help. I ask that you know your neighbour. Reject the politics of division and decline and let’s work together to renew Britain.