MP Calls for Coastal Communities Minister As New Prime Minister Takes Office

A coastal industrial strategy and a dedicated government minister are being demanded to drive economic growth and support overlooked communities along the Yorkshire Coast.

A coastal industrial strategy and a dedicated government minister are being demanded to drive sustainable economic growth along the Yorkshire Coast.

The creation of a minister for coastal communities is being urged, as the specific cabinet-level role does not currently exist within the government structure.

The Member of Parliament for Scarborough and Whitby, Alison Hume, has called on the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to prioritise the needs of seaside towns and villages.

Similar proposals for focused coastal representation have previously been backed by a cross-party group of politicians in North Yorkshire.

Rural and coastal communities are frequently overlooked in the current power structure and the way things work, according to the Scarborough and Whitby MP.

Speaking on Monday, Alison Hume said:

"Sir Keir Starmer ran the first solid leg for this Government and has now handed on the baton to Andy Burnham.

I welcome the new Prime Minister to Number 10 with hope in my heart. Andy Burnham has promised to do things differently, and he has started as he means to go on by announcing an end to rough sleeping."

The Member of Parliament added:

"I call on the Prime Minister to deliver a coastal industrial strategy, under a minister for coastal communities, to promote sustainable economic growth throughout our region. This must include the creative industries."

Devolution in rural and seaside areas will only succeed if mayors and local authorities are empowered and properly funded.

Alison Hume said this financial support is required to deliver the regeneration and innovation that is desperately needed in Scarborough, Whitby, and surrounding villages.

The push for dedicated coastal representation is also gaining traction nationally across different political parties.

A minister for coastal communities is also being demanded by the Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay, Steve Darling.

He highlighted that seaside towns must be properly supported in Government because they often face poorer health and wellbeing outcomes, greater levels of poverty, and lower life expectancies compared to their inland neighbours.

Greater control over life's essentials will be handed to the public, Andy Burnham promised during his maiden speech in Downing Street.

Power will be taken out of Westminster as part of a ten-year plan that will be set out later this year.

Measures to address the cost-of-living squeeze and give people breathing space right now will begin rolling out on Tuesday.

An end to rough sleeping in the country has been issued as the Prime Minister's first instruction, following a visit to a homeless charity hours earlier.

The housing pledge echoes a promise he previously made and delivered with mixed results during his time as the mayor of Greater Manchester.

Greeting supporters with cheers in Downing Street, Andy Burnham said:

"I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last 10 years to walk up this street, the seventh prime minister since 2016, making this a moment for reflection and new resolution.

It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game and rise to the new challenge.

Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again."

A new political and economic model will act as a circuit breaker for Britain, the Labour leader pledged.

The new approach is being described as the biggest transformation the country has seen in the last forty years.