Preet Kaur Gill MP - My Weekly Update - 22nd May 2026

1 hour ago
9 min read

This Week the Government has delivered...

UK economy exceeds expectations

This week the IMF has upgraded the UK’s growth forecast this week - another sign that Britain is moving in the right direction. It upgraded growth prospects from 0.8% to 1%, citing economic resilience and better-than-expected growth earlier in the year.

The Government is focused on building a stronger, fairer economy that works for everyone. By outperforming expectations, we’re putting the UK in a stronger position for the future.

Great British Summer Savings: VAT slashed to save families money on days out

This week, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced Great British Summer Savings – cutting VAT to 5% on children’s menu meals, children’s tickets for cinemas, theatres and concerts from 25th June to 1st September.

Adults and children can also enjoy amusement parks, wildlife parks, museums, soft play centres and a wide range of other attractions for less.

Kids from 5 to 15 years old will get free bus travel in England this August, making it more affordable for people to get out and about.

Crackdown on waste criminals

The Government has announced new reforms to tighten the net on waste criminals with tougher sentences for those illegally dumping waste, and advanced background checks to help put rogue operators out of business.

As part of the major crackdown on waste criminals, underpinned by the government’s Waste Crime Action Plan, laws being laid this week will require waste handlers to prove they are qualified to transport waste.

The current registration system is broken and outdated, relying on a basic registration process with limited identity and background checks. This has been exploited by rogue operators with a poor track record of dumping waste and leaving a huge clean-up bill. These reforms will make sure these criminals are held to account.

Youth Justice White Paper

This week the Government laid out the new Youth Justice White Paper which includes a comprehensive package of reforms to stop more young people falling into crime and break the cycle of offending.

The reforms come as figures show eight in ten prolific offenders first committed a crime as a child, highlighting the urgent need for earlier and more effective intervention.

Under the plans, more children at risk of offending will receive targeted support earlier through expanded prevention programmes, helping steer them away from crime before it escalates. New Youth Intervention Courts will be piloted to tackle repeat offending, bringing together judges, youth justice services and specialist support to address the root causes of crime and keep young people on track.

An extra £15.4 million per year will be invested in the Government’s flagship Turnaround programme to help 12,000 children at risk of entering the youth justice system, over the next three years.

Access to Work recruitment

This week, the Government is announcing the recruitment of nearly 500 additional staff to clear the Access to Work backlog. This action will allow thousands more disabled people and those with health conditions to start or remain in work and will see claims being processed quicker.

The Access to Work scheme can help fund specialist equipment, support workers including British Sign Language interpreters, and the costs of travelling to work for people with health conditions and disabilities.

Today’s announcement builds on action already taken by the Government.With staff numbers increasing by around 30 percent since March 2024, payment delays have been eliminated, and 96 percent of urgent start-date cases are now decided within 28 days, the Government is taking action to get Britain working.

Crackdown on dodgy shops

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For too long, criminal gangs have exploited our high streets to launder dirty money and undercut honest businesses.

This Government won’t stand for it - this week the Security Minister has announced how we’ll step up a nationwide crackdown on dirty shops including rogue barbers and mini-markets linked to organised crime.

There will be:

A new cell in the National Crime Agency to co-ordinate action against this activity
75 new officers working on this
Funding for trading standards to toughen up our response to sham businesses

I spoke in Parliament earlier this year about dodgy bob shops in our community, watch above.

Plan to tackle grooming gangs

On Tuesday, the Home Secretary unveiled £100m plan to tackle grooming gangs across the UK. The investment will be used to crackdown on child sexual abuse, including tracking down vile grooming gang members, protecting victims and bringing offenders to justice. Perpetrators who thought they got away with horrific grooming gang offences will be held to account as closed cases are reopened.

Police forces in England and Wales will also have greater access to pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) technology to weed out and bring predators to justice more rapidly. To support this, the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), will receive £9.3 million this year.

Fairer taxes on high value homes

The government has launched a consultation on Monday on the details of the new High Value Council Tax Surcharge to make the system fairer for households across the country.

The move, announced at Budget 2025, will ensure those with the 1% most valuable properties pay their fair share - helping to fund vital local government services and implementing a significant reform to improve fairness within England’s property tax system.

Council tax has remained untouched for decades and has not been readjusted as property values increase. That means that under this flawed system, a multimillion pound mansion could be paying less council tax than a small family home.

Net migration down by 82%

On Thursday it was announced that net migration has decreased by 83% at 171,000 down from 944,000. The news comes as 35,000 fewer migrants in asylum hotels, is also down by 63% since September 2023.

Since 2024, nearly 70,000 removals and deportations of illegal migrants and foreign criminals, this is from fixing the appeals system, tougher actions on countries refusing returns and faster removals of foreign criminals.

5pm fuel duty cut extended

This week the Government announced 5pm fuel duty cut extension until the end of the year for drivers, haulage and farmers - saving drivers £120.

✅ Hauliers to get a 12-month road tax holiday - they will pay £1 at renewal, saving £600 for a typical heavy lorry and £912 for the biggest vehicles on the road.

✅ Red diesel slashed to its lowest rate in over 20 years. The fuel duty rate on red diesel will be cut by over a third from 10.18p to 6.48p per litre from 15 June until the end of the year. This will support agriculture, rail freight, and other users of red diesel and rebated fuels.

Local News

Crackdown on flytipping

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Under the Crime and Policing Act, drivers now caught flytipping using their vehicle could receive up to 9 penalty points on their licence. This will make sure drivers think twice before dumping their waste in our community.

Watch my video above.

Visit to St Michael's Primary School breakfast club

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On Thursday, I visited St Michael's CofE Primary School in Bartley Green to see their brand new breakfast club.

Thanks to Government funding, the school opened up their breakfast club in April. It makes sure every child starts their day with healthy food and gives them some more time to play with friends before school!

I’d like to say a huge thank you to the Headteacher and all the staff for organising the club and offering such a great provision for their pupils.

Watch my video above.

E-Act Shenley School visit

On Thursday, I visited Shenley Academy in Bartley Green, I spoke with staff including Headteacher Mr Rahman to hear about the fantastic work he's been doing since starting at the school last year.

I also met with the student council, speaking about my role as an MP and improvements they'd like to see in their community.

Meeting with Integrated Care Board

It was great to meet with Integrated Care Board (ICB) Chief Executive David Melbourne, to discuss proposals for Neighbourhood Health Centres, Urgent Treatment Centre in Birmingham Edgbaston, and the South Community Diagnostic Centre.

We had positive discussions on improving local access to care and delivering better health services for our communities.

Meeting with Pride in Place Chair

On Tuesday I met with Pete West, the Chair of Pride in Place Woodgate, Bartley Green. Pete was appointed to lead the board, and help steer the £20 million allocated to Woodgate, Bartley Green. We discussed plans for board recruitment, potential solutions use of funding and next steps for the project.

I'm looking forward to working with Pete to ensure this funding is used for good in the Woodgate Community.

Have your say on Pride in Place funding for Woodgate and Bartley Green

Calling on Woodgate and Bartley Green residents - I want to hear how you think the £20 million Pride in Place investment should be spent.

After years of campaigning I've secured £20 million for Woodgate and Bartley Green as part of the Pride in Place programme.

Woodgate and Bartley Green have long faced challenges with limited opportunities for young people, and closure of community facilities. This investment aims to reverse years of underfunding, and rebuilding pride in local neighbourhoods.

I'm asking residents to share their thoughts on how the money should be used. It could be for more youth services, a community hub, improved outdoor spaces or more support for skills and employment. All ideas are welcome and will inform the plans for how the funding will be spent with the goal to benefit as many residents as possible.

Please complete the survey here.

Canadian Secretary of State for International Development

On Tuesday I met with Randeep Sarai, Canadian Secretary of State for International Development speaking about his role and growing closer ties between the UK and Canada.

Mobile Household Waste Centre dates and locations

Information on what you can bring to the vehicle

Birmingham City Council arranges Mobile Household Waste Centres across the city.

To find the next pick-ups near you, please visit: Mobile Household Waste Centre dates and locations | Mobile Household Waste Centres | Birmingham City Council

Police drop-in sessions across all wards

West Midlands Police hold regular drop-ins and PACT meetings providing residents with the opportunity to speak directly with officers about concerns relating to crime in the community. Please see below a list of the drop-in sessions coming up in my constituency.

Bartley Green

Drop-in Session - HOLLOWAY HALL

10:00AM - 11:00AM, Mon 01 June 2026

Holloway Hall, Holloway, Birmingham

Edgbaston

PCSO walkabout

4:00PM - 5:00PM, Sat 23 May 2026

QE Hospital, Mindelsohn Way

Harborne

PCSO walkabout

4:00PM - 6:00PM, Sat 23 May 2026

Hagley Road West, Harborne

cuppa with a coppa

3:00PM - 5:00PM, Sat 30 May 2026

Boston Tea Party Harborne Village.

Find more information here: Birmingham | West Midlands Police

Here's eight things the Government has introduced in the King's Speech last week you may have missed:

⚡ The Government is introducing an Energy Independence Bill to scale up clean British energy, strengthen energy security and protect households from future global shocks

🏥 The Government is introducing an NHS Modernisation Bill to reform health services and improve how care is delivered across the country

📈 The Government is driving economic growth and backing British businesses through the European Partnership Bill, Small Business Protections Bill and Regulating for Growth Bill

🚓 The Government is bringing forward a Police Reform Bill and Courts Modernisation Bill, including plans for larger police forces and a new national force to tackle the most serious crime

🏘️ The Government is introducing a Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill and Social Housing Renewal Bill to cap ground rents, strengthen tenants’ rights and boost long-term investment in social housing

🚄 The Government is bringing forward a Civil Aviation Bill, Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill and Highways (Financing) Bill to back major infrastructure projects and unlock growth across the country

🚤 The Government is introducing an Immigration and Asylum Bill to strengthen border security and make the system fairer for everyone

🛡️ The Government is introducing a Tackling State Threats Bill and Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to strengthen national security and improve Britain’s cyber defences

This week I have helped on over 180 constituents with casework. As always, if you have an issue you'd like to discuss, please contact my office at 0121 392 8426 or preet.gill.mp@parliament.uk, or through my website.

With warm regards,

Preet Kaur Gill MP

Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston, covering Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne, North Edgbaston and Quinton

Preet Kaur Gill for
Birmingham Edgbaston

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