‘Milton Keynes is more than just a New Town. It embodies a new politics’

Milton Keynes is a city that proves what can be achieved when we think big, plan ahead, and put people first. Built on a vision of what the future could look like, it stands today as a thriving, innovative community — a brilliant example of how New Towns can grow into places where opportunity and ambition flourish.

Milton Keynes didn’t get here by chance; it took bold long-term planning. Growing up, I lived the New Town promise: good jobs, decent homes, and public services that had our backs. It wasn’t just about bricks and mortar, but about the spaces and connections that turn houses into homes and neighbourhoods into communities.

When people ask what Labour’s commitment to long-term thinking looks like, I will always point to Milton Keynes. This city is a product of the New Towns Act of 1946—a vision of progress shaped by Labour leaders from Clement Attlee to Harold Wilson.

The legacy of New Towns

It was under Wilson’s government that Milton Keynes came to life, designed with a clear focus on the needs of its people and a bold ambition for the future.

That’s why we have roundabouts—because they work. That’s why we have our redway networks, blending high-speed cycle paths with pedestrian access away from busy roads – because they work.

That’s why 25% of our city is green space, with parks, forests, public art and waterways dotting every grid square across the city – because it works. This wasn’t the result of short-term thinking or headline-chasing politics; it isn’t the triumph of a government that backed down in the face of loud local opposition.

Milton Keynes is the crowning achievement of a visionary Labour government which embraced strategic thinking for the future, and the results speak for themselves.

As we gear up to build the next generation of homes and towns across the country, we need to carry that same vision forward.

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Imagine what the next generation of New Towns could look like, designed with today’s knowledge and priorities – greener, more connected, and more sustainable than ever. Milton Keynes is proof that when we invest in people and their future, we create places where communities thrive.

Milton Keynes’s original purpose, in cold economic terms, was to be overspill for Londoners – another commuter town in leafy England. The city has resolutely failed in that goal, with our cutting-edge innovation and forward-facing industries now meaning more people commute into Milton Keynes for work or training every day than commute out.

The white heat of technology that Harold Wilson embraced has given way to the green hum of sustainable technology, from our green, clean, gasifying waste plants to our famous electric delivery robots. Milton Keynes embodies Labour’s mission to deliver growth that works for everyone — innovative, forward-looking, and rooted in strong communities.

Foundations for the future

That’s why I’m so proud, along with my fellow Milton Keynes MPs, to host the relaunched Progressive Britain Political Weekend here in our city. There’s no better place to bring together bold ideas and ambitious plans for the future than Milton Keynes — a city that proves progress is possible.

There’s a reason architects from across the world have flocked here to see the latest developments in architecture and housing; there’s a reason that world leaders flocked here to ensure that artificial intelligence is used to benefit us all. Milton Keynes faces the future, and that is what this party must do too.

As Labour activists and members, our role is as vital now as it was during the election campaign. Milton Keynes shows us that building for the long term requires vision, persistence, and the hard work of people who believe in progress – core values of the city I serve, and core values of the party I love.

Our politics, like our city, is built on the foundations laid by great Labour leaders of the past. But just like Milton Keynes, it must constantly evolve. That’s what I strive to do as your MP, and it’s what I hope we will do together as members of the Labour movement.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Political Weekend, where we’ll come together to chart the next steps for Britain’s future. Because, like Milton Keynes, our best days are ahead of us.

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