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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
'I deliver emergency food parcels and have seen the look in parents' eyes'
Labour MP Chris Webb has said he has had parents break down in tears to him over being unable to feed their kids as he called for the two-child benefit limit to be scrapped The Labour MP for Blackpool South has said he has had parents break down in tears to him over being unable to feed their kids as he called for the two-child benefit limit to be scrapped. Chris Webb has ramped up the pressure on Keir Starmer after official stats this week showed nearly 1.7million kids are affected by the Tory-era policy. He said families in his area are skipping meals, kids are missing school and children are growing up in temporary accommodation and 'overcrowded, damp and unsafe houses'. 'The very basics – school shoes, formula milk, heating – are now luxuries many can't afford,' he said. 'I delivered emergency food parcels for families in crisis and still do. I've looked parents in the eye as they broke down in tears, ashamed they couldn't feed their children. 'And I've seen the demand spiral beyond anything we ever imagined. Food banks were meant to be a stopgap – they've become a lifeline.' Mr Webb called for the removal of the two-child benefit limit, which he described as 'a policy that has punished parents for the size of their family.' He praised the Government's expansion of free school meals to all children whose families are in receipt of Universal Credit. But he urged it to consider extending it to all children, saying 'universal provision would ensure no child goes hungry during the school day'. The Mirror is campaigning for all primary school children in England to have access to free school meals. Elsewhere Mr Webb urged ministers to be ambitious in its child poverty strategy, which is due to be published in autumn. 'We cannot afford another strategy that tinkers at the edges or repackages old ideas,' he said. Many Labour MPs oppose the two-child limit, which could become a new focal point for tensions between backbenchers and Downing Street. The policy, introduced in 2017, restricts claims for Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit to the first two children. On Thursday, DWP figures showed 1,665,540 children living in the households in England, Wales and Scotland were affected by the limit in April 2025, an increase of almost 40,000 - 37,150 - compared to the same time last year. Children's charities say the policy pushes 109 children across the UK into poverty every day. Ditching the police would lift 350,000 children out of poverty and mean 700,000 children are in less deep poverty, according to estimates from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson last weekend(SUN) said axing the two-child benefit is still on the table, with the Government's child poverty strategy looking at 'every lever' to lift children out of hardship. But she admitted removing the policy would be harder to do after a major climbdown on the Government's welfare cuts, which has left a £5billion hole in Rachel Reeves's spending plans. Ms Phillipson said: "The decisions that have been taken in the last week do make decisions, future decisions harder. But all of that said, we will look at this collectively in terms of all of the ways that we can lift children out of poverty." A Government spokesman said: 'Children in Blackpool and across the UK should have the best start in life. The Child Poverty Taskforce will publish an ambitious strategy later this year to ensure we deliver fully funded measures that tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty across the country.' They pointed to action to roll out a national network of family hubs for children across the country as well as expanding free school meals and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.
Daily Mirror
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
British beach horror as sunbathers scream in terror after terrifying 'bug swarm'
Crowds of beachgoers were captured screaming and running into the sea in a bid to escape the sudden insect invasion - with one claiming 'millions' of critters were 'all over us' A Blackpool beachgoer has told of sheer horror on the coast, claiming "everyone was attacked" during a trip to the seaside. Posting on TikTok, user Shab uploaded alarming footage of the chaotic scene, which showed dozens of people shrieking and fleeing in panic. "Everyone was attacked by flies in Blackpool, it was horrible," she wrote in a caption, before adding: "Millions of them [were] in the water and all over us." Her video also captured crowds running into the sea in a bid to escape the sudden insect invasion, as she declared: "There are swarms of bugs everywhere." The bizarre swarm echoes a similar event in 2022, when holidaymakers described a "biblical" plague of bugs in the same area, as reported by North Wales Live. Just last Easter, beaches including Blackpool North and nearby St Annes North were also flagged as two of 22 coastal UK spots where bathers were advised to avoid entering the water due to pollution concerns linked to sewage. The disturbing trend has since drawn criticism from local MP Chris Webb, who responded by saying: "It is shocking that the Conservative government yet again have allowed Blackpool beach to be hit by an avalanche of raw sewage over the Easter weekend. Blackpool Beach is a much-loved location for locals and holidaymakers and unbeknownst to those using the beach, their health has been put at risk because of the government's failure to act." Mr Webb added: "It should be the polluter, not the public or businesses paying the price. From day one, a Labour Government will take urgent action against water companies to bring an end to illegal sewage dumping, putting the public's health first." TikTok users responding to Shabs' video are highlighting the same problem, claiming sewage is rife on Blackpool's beach. One theorised: "Raw sewage [is] what you're walking in, my son caught dysentery from just paddling years ago at Blackpool." A second person claimed: "The water in Blackpool is so filthy with waste in it, I seen a bird drop its poop in the water and people were rubbing their faces with that same water." And a third added: "Its been on the news and reported [that] Blackpool water has sewage in it and to avoid it etc... I wouldn't dare step foot in that water." Despite people's speculation, there is no solid evidence the flies have been linked to sewage in the water. Many pointed out the "attack" could purely be a result of the common sandfly being in the area. One TikTok user noted: "Sandfly swarms are a recurring, natural phenomenon which can affect any UK beach. It has nothing to do with the state of the beach or if you believe the water is dirty. The state of the beach is down to visitors who constantly fail to clean up after themselves, not the locals." And a second concurred, commenting: "Sandflies, they're rife when the air show is on. We went a couple of years ago and it felt like the plague was back with a vengeance." A senior resident added: "I remember this happening to me and my family 65 years ago in Blackpool. Same beach. The flies came off the sand and my ice cream cone suddenly turned black. We all ran into a large seafront store. I was five or six-years old." Samples of water taken by the Environment Agency on Blackpool North beach in 2022, 2023 and 2024 were all deemed "poor" in their classification. The results of a sample taken on June 20, 2025 are yet to be finalised and published. John Blackledge, Blackpool Council Director of Community and Environmental Services, said: "It is unclear in the brief clip what wildlife may have been present at that time in what is a natural coastal environment. "We are proud of our beaches which so many people love and visit. In May of this year, Blackpool South, Blackpool Central, and Bispham beaches were recognised in the National Seaside Awards for their high standards of beach management, as well as their nearby facilities and water quality. "These prestigious awards are delivered through Keep Britain Tidy a leading environmental agency and testing of waters is carried out by the Environment Agency. The awards celebrate the quality of England's coastline including Blackpool's beaches and waters and are a symbol that visitors can find a clean, safe and well-managed coastal stretch."
BBC News
29-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
A third of Blackpool's five-year-olds have tooth decay says MP
One in three five-year-olds in Blackpool has "visible signs of tooth decay", while only a third of adults in the seaside town have seen an NHS dentist in the last two years, an MP has South MP, Chris Webb, told the Commons that every week his constituents have come to him to raise problems constituents about accessing a said a four-year-old boy from Blackpool was left with agonising tooth decay for two years because of a shortage of dental care minister Karin Smyth said the government is "determined" to improve access to dentists. Webb told BBC Radio Lancashire the mother of the four-year-old boy felt "helpless" and it was "heart-breaking"."She didn't know where to turn, her son's constantly in pain," he said."To treat that with ibuprofen rather than getting into a dentist to solve the problem is just wrong and it just shows how badly the system's been broken and that has to change.""Too many kids are turning up at A&E with a tooth problem, but at that point it's too late and the only course of action is extraction." 'Empty facilities' An survey in February of 10 dental practices in Blackpool by the local branch of consumer health service champion Healthwatch found none were accepting NHS told MPs in a debate on access to NHS Dentistry the problem "seems to be more prevalent in Blackpool because of the deprivation" and it was "essential" to educate parents to make sure they supervised children brushing their said he has been unable to find an NHS dentist in the town for himself since he became an MP a year ago, even though he has been told they have capacity."I've seen dentists where they've got new, fantastic facilities empty because they're not taking any more NHS patients," he said. "So we've got to look at the contract and make sure that it's financially viable and it's incentivised for them to take on more patients."Responding on behalf of the government, Smyth, said: "There are no perfect pay models and careful consideration is being given to any changes to the complex dental system, so that we deliver genuine improvements for patients and the profession."It is an immense challenge, there are no quick fixes and no easy answers, but people across the country deserve better access and we're determined to make that happen." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Blackpool MP demands answers as NHS dentist shortage continues
MP demands answers as NHS dentist shortage continues Chris Webb said constituents contact him "every single week" to complain about the shortage An MP has warned the government a shortage of NHS dentists is showing no sign of easing and urgently needs addressing. Speaking in the Commons, Blackpool South MP Chris Webb said "nowhere is taking on adult patients or looking after pregnant women" in the town and "this needs to change". He said constituents unable to access a local NHS dentist were contacting him "every single week". It follows a BBC investigation in 2022 which found 100% of practices in Lancashire were not accepting new adult NHS patients with some Blackpool residents saying they were left desperate and even resorting to creating makeshift dentures.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Reform clarifies flag policy after red rose row
Reform UK has been forced to clarify that it would continue to fly county standards from council buildings after a row over the flying of Lancashire's red rose flag. Reform chairman Zia Yusuf had earlier announced that "Reform-controlled English councils will move at speed to resolve that the only flags permitted to be flown on or in its buildings will be the Union Jack and St George's flag". In response, Labour MP for Blackpool South, Chris Webb, said Reform was off to "a great start" by "banning" the Lancashire rose. As of Friday, Reform controls Lancashire County Council. A Reform spokesman later said: "Reform UK will proudly fly the Union Jack, St George's flag and county flags." "Unlike the Tories and Labour, we are proud of our country and history," they added. Lancashire County Council told the BBC the red rose flag would continue to be flown outside its buildings. Reform took control of 10 local authorities in England at last week's local elections, including Lancashire, Durham and Staffordshire. Other Labour and Conservative MPs had also criticised the idea that county flags would not be allowed to fly. Conservative MP for Hinckley and Bosworth, Dr Luke Evans, asked whether it meant "Leicestershire County Council would not be able to fly the Leicestershire county flag". The Tories lost control of Leicestershire County Council, with Reform now the largest party but falling short of an overall majority. Meanwhile, Labour MP Mike Tapp accused Reform of banning the Ukrainian flag from being flown, and called on the party to reverse the decision. Mr Tapp, who has represented Dover and Deal since last July, said: "As VE Day reminds us, Britain has a proud history of working with allies to defeat dictators and tyrants." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Reform UK take control of Lancashire County Council Huge swings see Reform gains in local elections while Lib Dems take control of three councils Bruised Tories and Labour left working out how to tackle Reform Lancashire County Council
