Heatons Post – August 2023

The Conservative government has asked private rail operators to close 1,007 rail ticket offices in Britain. This includes every ticket office in Stockport constituency – those in Stockport, Brinnington and Heaton Chapel stations.

I am wholeheartedly opposed to this proposal. Ticket office staff perform a vital role, helping to ensure passenger safety and accessibility, and provide essential services that are not always available at ticket machines. I am particularly concerned about the impact of closures on elderly and disabled passengers, who are more likely to rely on ticket offices, as well as railway staff.

I visited Heaton Chapel and Stockport stations on 7th July to hear from passengers and railway workers about this issue. I am committed to presenting my constituents’ concerns to the government, and questioned the Transport Minister about the damaging effects of the closures in the House of Commons and in a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport.

As the government fails to invest in public transport infrastructure, it is also making life harder for homeowners. Millions of people are being hit hard by a Conservative mortgage penalty – with 9,800 households in Stockport constituency being £2,600 worse off this year as a result. 

The Conservatives’ gross mismanagement of our economy is to blame. Interest rates have been driven up by Conservative failure to bring inflation down. Their catastrophic mini-budget made things exponentially worse, triggering an increase in the cost of UK borrowing and mortgage costs.

I also spoke in a Commons debate on antisocial behaviour on 11th July. I am frequently contacted about this issue by local residents. Their experiences demonstrate how 13 years of Conservative cuts to police budgets and public services have undermined the safety and security of communities.

If you live or work in Stockport constituency, please do not hesitate to contact me at navendu.mishra.mp@parliament.uk or 0161 480 0833.