After almost 20 years working as a barrister, I came into politics in July 2024 to serve the community I love.Â
Folkestone and Hythe is where my children grew up, where I served as a trustee of a local charity, and where the most beautiful coastline, sunrises and sunsets unite the community in a love for this wonderful area.Â
My mother worked as a care assistant her whole life, having come here from the Philippines in the 1970s. My father was an engineer from London. My parents’ values of hard work, respect and compassion drive everything I do.Â
Folkestone and Hythe was for so many years forgotten by Westminster. Not any longer.Â
As your first ever Labour MP, I will fight every day to improve your lives and be your voice in Parliament, so we can make this area the best it can be for everyone.
LATEST NEWS
Media
Dungeness Even with Britain Remade
Debate on Establishing a Maternity Commissioner
Being interviewed at the Marsh Academy!
Times Radio 22.03.26
Today Programme ILR 20 03 26
Westminster Hall - Indefinite Leave to Remain
Book a one-to-one surgery appointment
Request to attend a local coffee meeting
Send me a message
📱Debating Social Media Restrictions for Under-16s 📱
As you might know, the Government is consulting on social media restrictions for under-16s. I want to hear your thoughts!
Join me for a discussion on what limitations you think should be in place to help our young people's mental health. I strongly encourage parents and young people to attend.
The event will be on Thursday 21st May 7-8:30pm at South Kent Community Church, Folkestone, CT20 2QR (opposite Folkestone Central railway station).
See you there!
Sign up is encouraged: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbZKSLiWKr77jSANYqF9owaQucsh1laoWPl1pljaaEn46tWA/viewform?usp=h...
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Great catch up with Dan Hulme from The Sports Trust!
We discussed the reopening of the swimming facilities at the Folkestone Sports Centre, with works already underway, as well as exciting projects which will benefit our district.
Keep an eye on this space đź‘€
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This cow seemed to take a liking to me!
Thanks to Mike Wrout for showing me around his farm on the Marsh. We discussed the challenges facing farmers in our area, as well as the likely impact of the large scale solar projects being proposed which would surround his property. I will continue to push for the fair share solar principle to protect our landscapes.
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đź©ş Accessing GP services đź©ş
I get a lot of constituents complaining about the e-consult system and how hard it is to get a face-to-face GP appointment.
If you’re not particularly digitally adept, or if your first language isn’t English, this can be even more difficult.
Please share your experiences via my survey, or get help from someone fill it out for you. By doing so, you can help me press for change where it’s needed.
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🏠Housing disrepair winsđźŹ
It's important to hold managing and estate agents accountable. Here's a non-exhaustive list of what I've done to promote the rights of freeholders and leaseholders.
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Done! Another packed surgery at Romney Marsh Community Hub. Several constituents raising housing issues and problems with NHS services. I’ll keep working to fix these problems and their root causes!
If you would like to discuss an issue with me, you can contact me via the link www.tonyvaughan.co.uk/surgeries/
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My letter to Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the impact of business rates in Folkestone, Hythe & Romney Marsh.
I speak with businesses on our high streets every week and I know the small, independent shops feel particularly concerned with the significant increase in business rates following the lifting of COVID-era relief.
The Government is investing ÂŁ4.3bn in transitionary relief over the next 3 years, including 40% business rates relief for businesses under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief scheme and permanently lower tax rates for some businesses. But more needs to be done to incentivise growth, provide security and ensure longevity for our high streets.
Special thanks to Hannah from R&R Jewellery and Rachel and Saul from Bounce Vintage for raising this issue with me.
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I was pleased to meet with staff at the White House Surgery who are delivering an excellent service to patients. They discussed with me the current challenges they are facing and their hopes to expand in the future.
As always, I’ll be feeding back to the NHS about how we can improve our local service.
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A lovely visit to Castle Hill Primary School!
I had a Q&A session with members of the School Council from Year R all the way up to Year 6 where we talked about social media restrictions, local train services and my favourite subject at school - drama!
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