THE constituency's Labour MP said the upcoming budget will 'deliver on our promise of change'.

Joe Morris, Hexham's MP, said: "Last Friday (October 25), I headed back to my old first school, the Sele. While many of the staff have changed, it was a pleasant surprise to bump into my year 2 teacher during my visit. Even though many of the faces have changed since I was a pupil, they still have the same commitment to providing a fantastic education. During my first speech in Parliament, I spoke about how a great state education has the ability to change lives. I want every child in the constituency to have access to the kind of education that I was lucky enough to get.

"During what was a busy constituency Friday, I also held an advice surgery in Bardon Mill, and I met with Everyturn, a mental health charity that delivers crisis support and wellbeing initiatives. It was insightful to visit one of their locations in the southeast of our constituency to better understand the challenges facing both service users and providers.

"On Saturday (October 26), I was out on the doors, speaking to residents in Prudhoe and listening to their priorities for our area.

"The Conservatives oversaw a living standards disaster. A cost-of-living crisis that spiralled out of control with our region feeling the brunt of that significant economic strain. From rising inflation, out-of-control energy bills, and wages that don’t keep up with costs, many constituents have raised with me their concerns over the cost of living. On Monday (October 28), I asked the Chancellor what plans she had to help improve living standards. I highlighted how many people in our area saw hardly any improvements to their incomes under the last government.

"As I finish this week’s column, I will shortly be heading into the House of Commons to hear the Chancellor present the first Labour budget since 2010 and the first to be presented by a woman, a crucial moment in the history of our country.

"Whilst I write these final paragraphs, I have been reflecting on all that has happened since that last Labour budget. The Conservatives crashed the economy, sending mortgages through the roof, and then called an election and ran away.

"They wasted billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on their failed asylum system, propping up private rail companies that weren’t delivering and dodgy COVID contracts - leaving a £22 billion black hole in the nation’s finances and public services on their knees. The Conservatives have not changed. All they offer is more of the same: more unfunded promises, more austerity, and working people paying the price.

"But whilst reflecting on what has happened and being clear about the inheritance our Labour government received is important, I also want readers to know I am focused on the future.

"I’ll shortly know the full details of the budget and speak about its contents in the coming days. We know it will focus on the people’s priorities: protecting working people, fixing the NHS, and rebuilding Britain. It will be a budget that will fix the foundations and deliver on our promise of change."