PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP FRIDAY 6 th FEBRUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for Hitchin, celebrated the news that an additional peak time stopping train service from Hitchin would be returning after representations from his office. Passengers travelling from Hitchin and surrounding stations will benefit from the reinstatement of the morning stopping service to London King’s Cross, following recent concerns raised about its removal durin

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP MONDAY 2 nd FEBRUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, Labour MP for Hitchin, asked the Defence secretary today about high home insurance premiums faced by serving troops serving abroad. Historically, thousands of our armed forces have faced premiums on their home insurance because of their extended time away from home. Home insurance increases the more a home is to be unoccupied over the course of a year. This means

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP FRIDAY 30th JANUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern MP has welcomed investment in Kelvin Grove Crisis House in Bedford, a new addition to the local area’s mental health support system, due to open in spring 2026. This innovative service, run by East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), will provide a safe, domestic, therapeutic alternative to hospital admission for adults experiencing acute mental health crisis. B

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP THURSDAY 29 th JANUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Last night, Alistair Strathern, the MP for Hitchin launched a new parliamentary group to focus on the challenges facing men and boys across the country. The Labour Group for Men and Boys aims to bring together MPs and civil society groups working on a whole host of issues from men’s mental health to paternity leave. Supporting the launch were a wide range of groups from Movember, the

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP TUESDAY 27th JANUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for the Hitchin constituency, has welcomed the Government’s announcement of the biggest change for leaseholders in a generation. Strathern has been a regular campaigner on the many challenges facing leasehold home owners in his Hitchin constituency. One such story hit the headlines in 2024 when a 90-year-old resident, along with his neighbours, was hit by a 9000%

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP WEDESDAY 21 st JANUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Following campaigning by MPs including Hitchin’s Alistair Strathern, the Government has set out further action to improve the relationship of children and young people with mobile phones and social media. The government will bring forward a rapid three-month consultation on additional measures to keep children safe online. This will include consideration of options such as restrictin

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP MONDAY 19 th JANUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for Hitchin, is urging Herts County Council to take action to address the unacceptable congestion throughout the town. Several overlapping roadworks and utility projects, including several related to gas network upgrades by Cadent, have caused roads across Hitchin and nearby villages to come to a standstill over the last week. The long delays, and increased press

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP FRIDAY 16th JANUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for the Hitchin constituency, today welcomed the decision by X (formerly Twitter) to regulate more strictly its controversial Grok image‑generation tools, after raising the issue in Parliament and challenging Ofcom to act. Strathern was the first MP to raise the issue directly with Minsters in Home Office Questions once Parliament returned in January, and has be

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP WEDNESDAY 14 th JANUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ahead of the Government's forthcoming proposed reforms to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision in schools, Alistair Strathern, MP for the Hitchin constituency, has written to the Education Secretary to demand local families’ experiences are at their heart. This follows the most recent round of SEND workshops ran by the MP, to allow local parents and educato

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP MONDAY 12 th JANUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for Hitchin, will be leading a 4.5km walk and talk event in Hitchin on Friday 17 January, as part of a nationwide programme of events highlighting men’s mental health around Blue Monday. The walk is being organised by the Labour Group for Men and Boys, with dozens of MPs across the country holding 4.5km walks, runs and cycling events to draw attention to the ch

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP WEDNESDAY 7 th JANUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, Labour and Co‑operative MP for Hitchin, was pleased to welcome colleagues from the Co‑operative Party to the Red Lion pub in Preston, Hertfordshire – to celebrate the UK’s first ever community‑owned pub. The visit celebrated Preston’s remarkable achievement in coming together to save a much‑loved local asset over 40 years ago, and highlighted how communities can

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP THURSDAY 18th DECEMBER 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, the MP for the Hitchin constituency, has welcomed the launch of the Government’s plan to tackle the challenge of unadopted housing estates. Unadopted housing estates are those where the local authority has not adopted shared assets like roads and public spaces. Historically, unadopted estates were a rarity, but research from the Home Builders Federation found up t

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP THURSDAY 18th DECEMBER 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for the Hitchin covering part of Central Bedfordshire, has welcomed new funding for Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) to create 130 additional specialist school places. Having long campaigned on the need for greater investment in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision locally, Strathern believes the £6.5m investment is a significant step

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP WEDNESDAY 17 th DECEMBER FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Local Member of Parliament, Alistair Strathern, has brought 50 Labour MPs together to demand Ofcom do more to fight child sexual abuse online. The Hitchin MP’s letter to Ofcom Chief Executive, Dame Melanie Dawes calls on her to do everything in her power to stop grooming and the sharing of child sexual abuse material online. Perpetrators of child sexual abuse often use private messa

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP TUESDAY 16 th DECEMBER 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for Hitchin and the surrounding villages in Beds and Herts, has welcomed the fantastic news that the Universal Studios Bedfordshire Theme Park has been granted planning permission. The decision was confirmed today by Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Steve Reed. Since his very first day as a Bedfordshire MP back in 2023, Strathern has been

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP THURSDAY 11 th DECEMBER 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Following a series of industrial waste fires in Hitchin in 2023 and 2024, local MP Alistair Strathern has convened leading experts, local authorities, and safety campaigners in Westminster to address the growing threat posed by recycling lithium-ion batteries. The roundtable, “A Burning Issue: How Policy Can Defuse Waste Battery Fires,” took place in the House of Commons, hosted i

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP MONDAY 8 th DECEMBER FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern MP is delighted to announce the winner of his 2025 Children’s Christmas Card Competition. This year’s top spot goes to Maximilian, age 9, from William Ransom School, whose stunning illustration of St Mary’s Church in Hitchin captured the festive spirit perfectly. Strathern will be using his design for all his cards, for constituents to businesses and MPs. He has invit

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP WEDNESDAY 3 rd DECEMBER 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for the Hitchin constituency, donned waders and joined members of the River Hiz Conservation Group (RHCG) on litter picking duties at one of Hertfordshire’s ecologically precious chalk streams. Strathern shared the group’s concerns about the fragility of the river’s ecosystem. Invasive species, including Himalayan balsam, mink, and signal crayfish add to the

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP TUESDAY 2 nd DECEMBER 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, Member of Parliament for the Hitchin constituency, has welcomed the Government’s record funding boost for road maintenance. Central Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire County Council combined have been allocated a minimum of £160m for maintenance over the next four years, reflecting record investment from the national Government in local road repairs. It comes as part

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP MONDAY 1 st DECEMBER 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, the MP for the Hitchin constituency, is asking constituents to dig deep this December and support Tilehouse Counselling Services’ fundraising drive. Tilehouse is running a ‘BigGive’ week from December 2nd - December 9th, where donations will be matched by the Hitchin Youth Trust and the Reed Foundation. They are aiming to raise £8,500. Based on Tilehouse Street