January 2026 Monthly Newsletter

Getting rail electrification on track

Over the past 20 years, I have supported the cross-party campaigning, alongside the Humber business community, to electrify rail around the Humber. In 2013 there was even a privately-financed initiative to achieve it that was blocked by the then Conservative government in November 2016.

The incoming Labour Government in 2024 was clear that to achieve higher levels of economic growth, we need every region and nation of the UK to play a part – and this meant looking at our Victorian rail infrastructure in the North that lags so far behind London and the South East.

Against this backdrop, in January the Government published long-awaited plans for economic growth in northern England in Northern Growth Strategy: Case for change. This can be read at: Northern Growth Strategy: Case for change - GOV.UK

In it extensive plans for rail improvements across the North were set out. It stated that Hull would be served by Northern Powerhouse Rail trains, but that these trains would run on existing infrastructure. Hull MPs responded with a joint statement: https://www.dianajohnson.co.uk/post/hull-mps-statement-on-northern-powerhouse-rail.

The Department of Transport subsequently stated that the Northern Powerhouse Rail “announcement does not exclude other rail projects through other funding sources and the electrification of the lines to Hull remains under consideration”.

Along with Emma Hardy MP, I met Rail Minister Lord Hendy to discuss options that are now available, due to technological advances, for electrifying rail routes to Hull and removing the use of polluting and more costly diesel. As a result of this meeting, Hull MPs made a further statement. This can be seen at https://x.com/DianaJohnsonMP/status/2016824549216522568.  

I have discussed the rail electrification issues on ITV Calendar, BBC Radio Humberside and Look North and provided comments to regional print and online media – such as at https://www.thehullstory.com/allarticles/rail-electrification-minister-meeting.

Government publishes Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy

The Labour Government's Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy was published in December, deploying the full power of the state in the largest crackdown on violence against women and girls in British history.

VAWG is a national emergency and the Government has pledged to halve it in a decade. This strategy focuses on healthy relationships and consent - aiming to divert boys and young men from going down the wrong path. bear down on perpetrators so they cannot offend again, and support victims.

The strategy can be read here.

Cottingham Champions

Just before Christmas, I had the pleasure of visiting December’s Cottingham Champions to recognise the amazing work by local organisation, Fitmums and Friends.

Founded by Sam Barlow back in 2009, Fitmums has grown into an amazing organisation with over 250 volunteers, organising and running fitness events all across Yorkshire. Now, more than 15 years later, Fitmums runs programmes for everyone from children experiencing grief to women going through menopause.

After their countless awards - most recently the King's Award for Voluntary Service - I was delighted to chat to the team about their wonderful work in our community and recognise the positive impact they’ve had on so many.

You can find more about the amazing work the team do here: https://fitmums.org.uk/.

Blue Monday and Loneliness

I was saddened by a recent report which named Hull as one of the loneliest cities in England, with one in ten Hull adults experiencing loneliness “often or always”. This news, coupled with Blue Monday, a day that is often cited as one of the most depressing of the year, led me to think about the incredible people and organisations who work every day to bring people together and tackle loneliness and isolation locally.

Ahead of Blue Monday, I had the pleasure of speaking with Age UK Hull and East Yorkshire, Jubilee Life College and Hull Girlies about why this work matters so much to our community.

Listen to what they had to say here: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CfFFLqG6k/

Local Businesses at Christmas

Following Small Business Saturday in early December, I was delighted to continue visiting independent businesses across Hull North and Cottingham during the busy period just before Christmas.

I had a number of useful conversations with local businesses owners in Cottingham about my ongoing campaign around retail crime and shop thefts in the area. It’s vital that we unite to protect shoppers and retail workers, particularly over busy seasons like Christmas.

On a lighter note, it was a pleasure to visit The Old Lamp Room in Cottingham for a lovely Christmas dinner to close out the Parliamentary term.

Backing our young people

I recently enjoyed a visit to Ron Dearing University Technical College in Hull, where it was a pleasure to meet with members of the Student Board, Head Teacher Sarah Pashley and Steve Willacy, Head of School.

The ambition and confidence of the students, who spoke enthusiastically about their studies and future career plans, was hugely impressive. I met students aspiring to become architects and astrophysicists, alongside others with a real passion for computing and digital skills. It was encouraging to hear how clearly many of them could already see a pathway from education into skilled work.

I particularly welcomed the school’s positive approach to supporting pupils with SEND, including the use of workplace-style adjustments to help students thrive.  We also discussed wider issues affecting young people, such as the Government’s consultation on a social media ban for under-16s and the case for lowering the voting age to 16.

It was an inspiring visit and a real reminder of the talent and potential of young people in Hull. It was similarly encouraging in January to see the excellent work going on at Northcott School in Bransholme with pupils with Autism, Asperger's and learning difficulties.

HEY! Volunteers visit Parliament

It was a joy to welcome some of Hull’s HEY! Volunteers, Alison, Paul, Mary and Richard to Parliament early in January and to hear about their great work as part of the volunteering programme that continues to improve the lives of many people in Hull and East Yorkshire.

HEY! Volunteering is open to everyone aged 16-plus and you can follow this link to find out ways to get involved.

Survey Results Flooding in

I recently carried out a survey asking Kingswood residents about their experiences with flooding and home insurance. The results are concerning.  

90% of respondents have been refused insurance or had difficulty renewing because of flood risk - yet 92% say their homes have never flooded. Many residents report soaring premiums, insurers declining to quote based on postcode alone, and of even being forced to go without flood cover altogether.

Awareness of the Government’s Flood Re scheme is low, with many homes in Kingswood excluded or still facing unaffordable costs. There is also a clear mismatch between flood risk data and how insurers are assessing risk locally.

I will be raising these issues with Emma Hardy MP, the Minister for Flooding, and seeking meetings the Association of British Insurers, the British Insurance Brokers' Association and Flood Re. I will continue to pursue this on residents’ behalf.

If you’re affected, please get in touch: https://www.dianajohnson.co.uk/contact.

Taking action on child poverty

The Government’s Child Poverty Strategy was launched in December. This outlines our ambitious decade-long mission to tackle the root causes of child poverty across the UK, to give every child a chance to succeed and help secure the UK’s future economic prosperity.

An estimated 3,710 children across Hull North and Cottingham will be lifted out of poverty by scrapping the two-child limit from April. The necessary legislation is currently going through Parliament.

Removing the two-child limit is the fastest and most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty and the majority of families who will gain from the removal of the limit are in work.

During January, I also spoke from the Government Front Bench in Work and Pensions Questions, answering questions on topics such as getting people with health conditions back into the workplace. At the end of January, I led for the Government in an Opposition debate on youth employment.

Ministerial visits in January included Lewisham in South London and to Manchester to see the work of JobCentres. I appeared on national TV and radio, including Sky News, promoting the Government’s measures on child poverty.

Homelessness Strategy

Homelessness is one of the biggest challenges we face as a society, and I am pleased that the Government is investing £3.5 billion in a National Plan to End Homelessness. This will support the most vulnerable people to find their feet and improve their lives.

Care has been taken to ensure that the action plan is informed by people with lived experience, frontline workers and the sector - tackling the root causes of homelessness. 

Some of the actions that the Government is taking includes building more social and affordable homes, reforming the private rented sector to ban no-fault evictions, eliminating the unlawful use of B&Bs for families and improving the quality of temporary accommodation.

Employment Rights Act 2025

I am delighted that the Employment Rights Act – developed in close collaboration with business and trade unions – will benefit over 15 million workers across the UK. Changes coming into force include:

• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will change from April, so that employees who don’t have company sick pay and rely only on SSP will be paid from day one of being off sick, instead of having to wait three days.

• On unfair dismissal protection, the qualifying period to be protected is being reduced from 2 years to 6 months. This gives employees protection much earlier, while still giving employers a 6-month period to assess new staff. There are also new protections against dismissal for pregnant women, mothers on Maternity Leave and mothers for at least six months after they return to work - except in specific circumstances.

• Paternity and family rights from day one will allow 32,000 more dads and partners each year to take paternity leave and 1.5m more parents to take unpaid parental leave, supporting families to meet modern demands of work and raising children.

  
  

• Ending exploitative zero hours contracts by introducing rights to guaranteed hours, reasonable notice of shifts, and payments for short-notice cancellation of shifts, with corresponding rights for agency workers.

• Ending unscrupulous ‘fire and rehire’ and ‘fire and replace’ practices by considering dismissals for failing to agree to a change in certain core contractual terms as automatically unfair, except where businesses are in severe financial difficulties and genuinely have no alternative.

• Bereavement leave entitlement to give up to 2.7m employees who are going through the toughest personal circumstances, including pregnancy loss, dignity and support.

Other Government Bills that became law in recent weeks, include:

• Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 is an important part of the Government’s mission to grow the economy which will support plans to achieve clean power by 2030, build crucial infrastructure across the country and 1.5 million homes

• Mental Health Act 2025 reforms the outdated Mental Health Act of 1983, which provides the legal framework to detain and treat people in a mental health crisis who are at risk of harm to themselves or others. 

  
  

Holocaust Memorial Day

As part of Holocaust Memorial Day, I signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, to remember the victims of the Holocaust, to stand against antisemitism and to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated.

I was pleased to meet Richard Whelan, UNISON’s Deputy Branch Secretary for Humberside Police, to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities facing police staff in our local force.

I am proud of this Government’s commitment to bring back local policing as part of Labour’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and that we have invested £200 million to recruit 3,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs by March 2026, ensuring we are on track to put 13,000 extra police, PCSOs and specials back on our streets by the end of this Parliament.  

A new Animal Welfare Strategy

As an animal lover and proud patron of the Hull and East Riding RSPCA, I know the joy animals bring to our lives. I am delighted the Government has published its Animal Welfare Strategy for England, outlining a package of reforms which deliver our manifesto commitments - including banning trail hunting, ending the use of snare traps and banning puppy smuggling and farming.

The Government will work with industry, animal welfare organisations and individuals across the country who share our values to deliver an animal welfare legacy to be proud of.

Action on road safety

The Government has announced a comprehensive package of measures, aiming to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035 (70% for children under 16), as part of its Road Safety Strategy for Great Britain. Proposals under consultation include introducing a minimum learning period between passing a theory test and taking a practical test to give learners time to build essential skills in varied conditions, introducing mandatory eyesight testing for drivers over 70, and lowering drink-drive limits (not changed since 1967).

In a further initiative, drivers across England can now see how well their local highway authority is tackling potholes. In the first data release of its kind, both Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council have been rated 'Amber' for their road repairs - meaning that there is scope for improvement.

I've written to both Councils, expressing my disappointment at the rating, and encouraging them to use every penny of record funding to improve our roads. I also want to hear from you so that I can take action on your behalf – where are the worst potholes in our area? Fill in my survey here: https://www.dianajohnson.co.uk/potholes-survey-2026 

Warm Homes plan

The Government also recently launched the Warm Homes Plan, the biggest investment in home upgrades in British history. This will:

• Target support at low-income households, lifting up to 1 million families out of fuel poverty by tackling long term energy costs. 

• Help millions of families access clean power upgrades - from solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and insulation that can cut energy bills. 

• Provide greater protection for renters by ensuring that landlords upgrade properties so that they are safe, warm and affordable for tenants.

This long-term plan will help to address one of the main cost-of-living difficulties faced by many constituents in Hull North and Cottingham.

Orchard Park Trailblazer - Chair needed!

To deliver the Pride in Place Programme in Orchard Park, a Neighbourhood Board is being set up, headed by an independent Chair. This needs to be someone who can bring people together, create space for open discussion, and champion the voice of their community.

The Chair’s primary role is to be a trusted, community-led leader who helps shape a shared vision for their area and ensures that local voices are at the heart of decision-making. He or she would not need previous experience of chairing or formal leadership roles. What matters most is your commitment to your place, your willingness to listen, and your determination to help improve the lives of people in your community.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as a proactive, trustworthy convenor for the Board.

• Bring together diverse voices to shape a collective vision for the future.

• Ensure all discussions are inclusive and collaborative.

• Navigate conflict calmly and impartially, prioritising progress over ego.

• Represent the Board externally and engage with stakeholders.

• Promote community engagement as a central pillar of the programme.

• Think creatively about solutions and ways to involve local voices

To apply you must:

Live or work in the Orchard Park area.

• Be deeply connected to the local community and committed to making it a better place to live.

• Be respected locally, with credibility as a leader (even if this is your first leadership role).

The role is expected to be voluntary, similar to a school governor or charity trustee though a small basic payment may be available to ensure accessibility for all candidates.

If you are interested in applying for the role, follow the link Pride in Place Programme | Hull or pick up an application and information pack from Greenwood Library or the Orchard Centre.