December 2025 Monthly Newsletter
- Samia Ullah
- 4 hours ago
- 10 min read
A budget for working families
The most important event during November was the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget.
The impact of national and world events in recent years mean that many people are still finding it hard to make ends meet.
This is why one of the main themes of the Budget was helping working families with the cost of living, along with protecting our NHS.
Rail fares will be frozen for the first time in 30 years and the bus fares cap, so important around Hull, stays. We are freezing NHS prescription charges and keeping the fuel duty freeze.
This was accompanied by the first details on new action on child poverty set out below.
More money is going into a Local Growth Fund for the Mayor in Hull and East Yorkshire to prepare local people for new jobs in growing sectors of the economy. There are also new freedoms for Mayors to invest in local services like transport using funds raised from the overnight visitor levy on tourists.
Other fully costed announcements in the Budget include:
Saving households around £150 on energy bills from April 2026.
Permanently lowering business rates for over 750,000 retail, hospitality and leisure properties.
Increasing the minimum wage for 18 to 20 year olds from £10 to £10.85 per hour and the living wage from £12.21 to £12.71 per hour to make work pay.
Funding for school-based nurseries in our area, including Bricknell Primary School, St Anthony's Voluntary Catholic Academy and St Mary Queen of Martyrs VC Academy.
Increasing the state pension by 4.8%, in line with the Government’s commitment to the Triple Lock.
By 2029-30, the Government will commit over £2bn annually for local authorities to repair, renew and fix potholes on our roads (doubling funding since coming into office).
I was also pleased that the Chancellor announced that compensation payments being made to victims of the Infected Blood scandal will be exempt from Inheritance Tax. I wrote about the Budget for the Hull Daily Mail. This can be read at Hull MPs say Budget will 'help cut the cost of living for local families' - Hull Live.
Remembering
I attended the annual Remembrance Sunday service at Hull Cenotaph on 9 November. At Westminster I also planted a cross on behalf of Hull North and Cottingham constituents in the Parliamentary Remembrance Garden.
Working at the sharp end
I recently met with a group of local organisations - Hull Food Partnership, the Warren and others - concerned with food, fuel and child poverty in and around Hull. They were particularly concerned about the challenges faced by young workers, renters and those on fixed incomes. It provided an insight into issues with the social security system and the ongoing cost of living crisis. |
In early December I arranged a meeting with faith leaders working across Hull North and Cottingham. We had a thoughtful discussion on the growing challenges many people in our community are facing — from financial pressures to social isolation — and the vital role that local faith groups play, alongside others, in offering support and practical help.
As I usually do in the lead-up to Christmas, I supported the Tesco Winter Food Collection at St Stephens to assist local food banks. I visited Asda at Kingswood to see the improvements to their store. I also wrote to M&S in November about their plans for a new store at Kingswood Retail Park and was told in reply that this is definitely going ahead and is set to open in late 2027.
I attended the second Orchard Park Trailblazer meeting with local residents and stakeholders to discuss the £20m of Government investment that is available over the next ten years to make long-term improvements. This is part of the Government’s Pride in Place initiative to help improve life in 250 of the most left behind neighbourhoods across the country.
As a constituency MP, I appeared on ITV Yorkshire’s Last Orders programme during November, discussing issues such as live facial recognition and digital ID.
Small Business Saturday took place on 6 December. This year my Small Business Saturday competition was back, asking constituents to vote online for their favourite small businesses in Hull North and Cottingham.
Level on Newland Avenue was voted as your favourite small business in Hull North. Open since 2010, Level has made its mark in the local community.
I was also pleased to announce that Blondes Cruelty-Free Eatery was voted the best small business in Cottingham. This is East Yorkshire’s first 100% vegan eatery, a family-run business that clearly has a supportive customer base in Cottingham.
The two runners-up were Sophistikate Lingerie Boutique on Chanterlands Avenue and Abigail Bakes in Cottingham.
With all the challenges facing small independent businesses, I was pleased to visit all the winners and runners-up on Small Business Saturday to present certificates and small prizes. |
On patrol
Crime and anti-social behaviour remain high on the list of constituents’ concerns, and I look forward to the Crime and Policing Bill becoming law in 2026 with new powers to combat crime in the many forms it takes today. On a very rainy Friday evening in December I went on patrol with the police in the Avenues area.
Politicians of the future
I was pleased to be a speaker at Hull University Politics Society to talk about my work in Hull and nationally and take questions from some very well-informed students. |
Christmas on the cards
It’s almost that time of year again!
For my Christmas card this year, I held a design competition amongst primary school pupils across Hull North and Cottingham. Pupils submitted wonderfully imaginative designs, but Sajidah from Thoresby Primary School created one that really stood out.
I visited Thoresby to announce the news of Sajidah’s win and presented her with a goodie bag of local treats from Hull City Tigers, Hull Truck and Caffe Gelato. Despite her shock, I’m sure she was more than pleased!
The two runners-up were Cherish from Thoresby Primary and Anun from Clifton Primary.
Action on employment and skills
As a Minister of State for Employment at the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), I lead the delivery of the Government’s welfare and skills reform agenda to lift people out of poverty. This is also an essential part of boosting economic growth in the UK.
As I meet people around the country, I am struck by the stories of how good, rewarding work can transform people’s lives by giving them purpose, independence and a sense of belonging.
The Government has committed to investing £1 billion a year by the end of this Parliament to deliver employment and health support that will help people enter or return to work.
Recently in the Commons, I debated employment opportunities for autistic adults. With one in eight young people not in education, employment or training – an issue particularly affecting many neurodivergent individuals – tailored support and help is crucial. Excellent work is already taking place to support young people in schools across Hull, such as in Northcott.
The Government is working in partnership with employers to create workplaces that support health and wellbeing. If you’d like to read the full debate, including my remarks, please follow this link: Autistic Adults: Employment - Hansard - UK Parliament
I was pleased to attend a very positive meeting with England’s elected Mayors held at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool. We discussed the Government’s employment, skills and business plans and how they can benefit every region.
In recent weeks, my ministerial visits have also included the WorkWell pilot in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, where health coaches assist people back into the workplace; a visit to the DWP offices in Leeds and a trip to Nottingham to meet apprentices.
On 8 December, for the first time as a DWP Minister, I answered questions in the House. I took the opportunity to remind the Shadow DWP Secretary that the number of young people not in employment, education or training had increased by 50% in the last four years of the previous government – see Diana Johnson DBE MP 🇬🇧🇺🇦🌈 on X: "In @DWPgovuk Questions yesterday, I reminded the Shadow Secretary of State that the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) had soared by 50% under the previous Tory government. https://t.co/Ov71IL3wfD" / X
With the DWP’s involvement in the Government’s Child Poverty and Youth Guarantee, details of which I provide below, I also took part in media interviews on these issues on Sky News, Times Radio and LBC Radio.
Lifting children out of poverty
After the Budget, further detail was announced on the Government’s child poverty strategy. With a third of Hull children living in poverty, most of them in households with at least one person in work, I have seen its devastating impact on local families.
This strategy is a positive step forward and will transform the life chances of an estimated 3,710 children in our constituency and will lift around 550,000 children out of poverty nationally by the end of the decade. It focusses on the root causes of poverty by cutting the cost of essentials, boosting family incomes and improving local services so that every child has the best start in life.
The range of measures include:
Next year, the two-child cap will be lifted so that families can claim Universal Credit for all children.
Extending eligibility for childcare costs to parents returning from parental leave.
Ending the placement of families in Bed and Breakfast temporary accommodation beyond six weeks.
A new legal duty will also be introduced for councils to notify schools, health visitors and GPs when a child is placed in temporary accommodation, so no child is left without support.
Extending breakfast clubs, setting up Best Start Family Hubs and expanding free school meals – a policy first pioneered in Hull over 20 years ago.
Investing in our children is essential for our country’s economic future. We know that children who grow up in poverty do less well at school, earn less in work, are more likely to claim social security benefits and have poorer health during their life.
I was also pleased that the Government has announced £3 billion of funding to expand Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision nationally.
Youth Guarantee expansion
The Government has also announced our Youth Guarantee to ensure every young person has the opportunity to earn or learn.
Now those aged between 18 and 21 on Universal Credit, who have been searching for work for 18 months or more, will be provided with six months of paid employment as part of a £820 million funding package announced by the Government.
Recent data shows that almost one million young people are not in education, employment or training (NEETs) - a 26% increase from pre-pandemic levels. This is potentially damaging both to their futures and to our economy. New training or workplace opportunities will be made available in sectors including construction, health, social care and hospitality.
Alongside this, Youth Hubs – centres where young people can receive vital help to get back on track – will be expanded to every area of the UK, bringing the total to over 360. This will ensure that young people can access the life-changing support these hubs offer, such as skills training, mental health support, housing advice and careers guidance.
Justice for all
With the crisis inherited from the previous government in our policing service, courts and prisons, and with problems such as knife crime and violence against women and girls, it is clear that radical action is needed across all aspects of our justice system.
As mentioned above, the Crime and Policing Bill will become law in 2026 with many measures for combating crime and anti-social behaviour. However, this is only one aspect of getting justice for the victims of crime.
In early December, Government responded to Sir Brian Leveson’s Independent Review into Criminal Courts with proposals, alongside new investment in the courts system, for reducing the 80,000-case backlog in our criminal courts. These plans, which include increasing the power of magistrates’ courts and introducing new ‘Swift Courts’ within the Crown Court system, put victims front and centre of the justice system. The power of criminals to game the system and evade justice will be curbed.
These radical plans will be thoroughly scrutinised and debated in the New Year, but it is clear that more funding alone, while needed, will not resolve the crisis in our courts system. Modernisation is needed too.
Migration overhaul
The Government also recently set out the biggest changes to the asylum system in 50 years, designed to reduce the number of arrivals, close legal loopholes and significantly increase removals of those with no right to remain in the UK.
Significant progress in asylum decision-making processes has already been made, with almost 50,000 people with no right to be here removed. There have been more than 8,000 arrests during illegal working visits in the last year. However, there is more to do.
The changes that the Government has now proposed will include measures increasing removals by accelerating asylum decisions, restricting access to taxpayer-funded benefits and tackling illegal work that draws people into the UK.
There will be new sanctions and visa measures on countries refusing to take back their own citizens with no right to remain in the UK.
The Government remains committed to those fleeing genuine persecution by creating new safe and legal routes, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups, such as children. The reforms will also expand opportunities for study and employment for those who come here safely and legally.
Government Bills that became law in recent weeks, include:
These all represent further steps in the Government’s Change Agenda. |
Our friend from New Zealand
I joined a roundtable meeting in Parliament with the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Rt Hon Dame Jacinda Ardern, to discuss a range of topics - including violence against women and girls, internet regulation and nurturing future leaders. It was a pleasure to speak to her again, after first meeting her in 2018. Jacinda’s example continues to inspire many round the world - including myself.
Tackling violence against women and girls
Every year, from 25 November to 10 December, the world unites for 16 Days of Activism — a global movement led by the United Nations to end violence against women and girls.
White Ribbon Day falls at the start of this and I was pleased to show my support for both campaigns in Parliament, highlighting how important it is that we tackle casual sexism that underpins so much of the male violence against women and girls. |
The 40% project
I will always be proud to be Hull’s first female MP. Since 1918, there have only ever been 693 women elected to the House of Commons.
There are 263 female MPs currently in the House of Commons - 40% of MPs in total. The Royal Photographic Society’s Women in Photography group launched the 40% Project - a nationwide photographic celebration of women's presence in Westminster.
I was grateful to local photographer, Abbie Jennings, for capturing my portrait recently and to all the talented women behind this inspiring project. To see all the photographs, follow this link: The 40% Gallery
