I feel privileged to live by the sea. I’m reminded why I chose to raise my family in Poole every time I get that first breath of sea air stepping off the train, or enjoy a walk on the beach with my dog.

In Poole, we’ve got above average housing costs colliding with low wages, while seasonal work leaves services stretched in summer and workers and businesses struggling through the winter. We need a proper strategy for domestic tourism to strengthen the local economy throughout the year.

We also need to tackle the costs holding people and businesses back. Families are fed up with energy bills that never stop rising. We need immediate action to cushion rising costs caused by Trump’s war with Iran, alongside long term investment in renewables so we are no longer exposed to the same supply shocks year after year.

Our coastal towns are also defined by our relationship with the water that surrounds us. The whole country is sick of private companies turning our waterways into open sewers. In Poole, we know more than most that to put our needs before their greed, we need public ownership of these failing water firms.

I’m calling for a dedicated Minister for Coastal Communities to coordinate this plan for our communities to ensure coastal communities get the attention and investment we deserve.

I will bring this petition to Parliament ahead of the Chancellor’s Budget, so the voices of coastal communities, including mine in Poole, are heard by the Government.