Ian Sollom MP Newsletter - 5th March

Welcome to the latest of my newsletters, updating you on my work in Westminster and across St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire.

It is impossible to write this introduction without addressing the deeply alarming situation unfolding in Iran. The US and Israeli strikes launched over the weekend, the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, and the rapid escalation that has followed represent a moment of real danger - for the region, and potentially far beyond.

What troubles me most is the absence of any clear plan for what comes next. Military action without a credible path to a stable outcome is how conflicts spiral - and the Middle East has painful recent history of exactly that. Whatever one’s view of the justifications offered, the question of what follows must be answered urgently.

My hope is for urgent diplomacy and de-escalation. The human cost is already devastating, and the risks of this widening are very real.

Now to my usual updates.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms

I know many parents have been anxiously awaiting the Government’s proposals to reform the SEND system. Every child deserves high-quality education - such as that provided by SEN schools such as the Cavendish School in my constituency (pictured above) - yet nearly every week I hear from families across St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire who are having to fight exhausting battles to get the right support for their children

Reform of the system is long overdue: it's preventing children from accessing their education, putting huge stress on families, and costing local authorities far too much. So, it’s welcome that the Government is taking solid steps towards solving these issues.

However, if ministers want to really rebuild trust, they must guarantee that legal rights will not be stripped, that settled placements won’t be disrupted, and that accountability – including meaningful routes of appeal – will remain strong and effective. Changes to how tribunals work are seriously concerning to parents who will be fearful that their rights are being taken away. Families must be at the centre of these reforms; not cut out from the few rights they have.

We Liberal Democrats are demanding that every penny for SEND provision be spent on frontline teachers and specialists, not diverted to offshore dividends from schools backed by private equity. This would ensure long-term security for special schools, so they are not simply assets to be flipped by investment funds.

I was pleased that ministers finally listened to our calls for tighter rules on private SEND providers, something we have long called for, and I hope they will listen again to our calls.

My office remains available to provide support with individual SEND and EHCP issues. Please contact me at ian.sollom.mp@parliament.uk and one of my team will be in touch soon.

Roads funding in Cambridgeshire – Potholes in peat-affected roads

I know that drivers are frightened, fed up, and spending far too much money on car repairs due to potholes and subsidence in roads across Cambridgeshire.

Cambridgeshire County Council has had to repeatedly fix these roads for years, but the funding it receives from the Government is massively stretched and doesn't account at all for the unique geology of the terrain in Cambridgeshire. Built largely on fen soils, our roads are particularly susceptible to deterioration during wet weather and extreme heatwaves and cost up to four times as much to maintain, with repairs lasting just a fraction of the time.

This doesn’t just impact those in fen areas, but residents across my constituency who find that the funding that should be used to fix their roads is eaten up maintaining these expensive peat-affected roads.

I recently raised this directly with the Secretary of State for Transport, specifically in relation to the B1050 in Willingham - one of many peat-affected roads in the area which is currently in dangerous condition. I have now followed up with a more detailed letter to the Minister for Roads, urging the Government to recognise the crisis we are facing with our roads in Cambridgeshire, and pressing for action to address the pothole funding deficit.

3 Pillars charity – Food parcel deliveries in Eynesbury, Loves Farm and Wintringham

Homelessness is an issue that I know many people do not think particularly afflicts our area, as ‘rough sleeping’ is not often seen on our high streets and in our towns. However, homelessness and housing precariousness can take many forms, as I saw when I joined Mick Pescod, founder of 3 Pillars, for a round delivering food parcels in St Neots.

The charity supports people who are struggling with food costs, and many of whom have previously been homeless or are currently at risk of homelessness due to fleeing domestic abuse, leaving care services, or living with disabilities. They have a good relationship with local supermarkets, taking perfectly good food that would otherwise go to waste, and giving any excess fruit and veg to local farms.

As I accompanied Mick on a round delivering food parcels to people in Eynesbury, Loves Farm and Wintringham, he spoke to me about his decision to set up the charity after an encounter with a homeless man in London ten years ago. It is terrible that in 2026, so many people are still struggling to afford food – but the work of 3 Pillars is so valued in trying to address this issue. Now, he has a group of 70 volunteers in St Neots and helps nearly 200 people a week with food packages.

 If you or someone you know would benefit from the services provided by 3 Pillars, you can find out more here.

National Apprenticeship Week 2026

National Apprenticeship Week was a great chance to celebrate the thousands of apprentices across the country working in a huge variety of sectors, and to shine a light on the employers that are making these opportunities possible.

I was pleased to meet constituents working at Marshall in Cambridge, like Jamie, and apprentices from Domino in Bar Hill, who all told me how much they are enjoying the variety of work and learning both in college and on site.

Apprenticeships are vital to our economy, and we must make sure that school pupils are given as much information about applying for them as they are about university – something that is sorely missing in our current education system.

Meeting with Lord Timpson – Staffing levels at the Cambridgeshire Probation Service

You may remember that in July 2024, one of my first actions as an MP was to write to Lord Timpson, Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, to raise the “inadequate” rating of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Probation Service. I raised this again in November last year with the Justice Secretary, David Lammy, adding that the service may be operating with only half the staff it needs to ensure the security of people in our region.

I have now met with Lord Timpson to discuss the actions he is taking to improve recruitment and retention, as well as performance and morale amongst staff. He spoke about improved admin support for officers, allowing them to spend more time working with ex-offenders. An inspection report for the East of England examining work on public protection is due by the end of March, and I will work with the Minister and his team to ensure improvements continue in the Cambridgeshire service.

I also handed over some interesting research to the Minister, which was carried out by a constituent of mine looking at the menopause and its impact on women in prison.

Half-termly visit to Longsands and Ernulf – meeting with Teach First trainees

Each half term, I visit both Longsands and Ernulf in St Neots and meet separately with leadership at Astrea – the academy trust that runs both the schools.

This month, it was great to meet teachers at Ernulf who are completing their Teach First training, speak to them about their experience of getting stuck in with first-hand teaching right from the start, and see some classroom teaching in action.

At Longsands it was good to hear about the breadth of extra-curricular activities that the school are now offering, as well the plans for refurbishment of the 6th form facilities.

Visit to Frederic Smart – Family business in Papworth

I have continued to visit local businesses across St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire to discuss the positive impacts they have on our local and national economy, as well as the challenges they are currently facing – particularly with the broken business rates system and last year’s increase in Employers National Insurance Contributions (NICs).

One of my recent visits was to Frederic Smart, a family business based in Papworth Business Park who have been running a grain and seed warehousing and food distribution service for 100 years. We spoke about the difficulties of recruitment due to skills shortages and high business costs, and what they are doing to try and connect with the community to address staff shortages.

I was pleased to see that Frederic Smart are not just running a successful business and making a difference to their employees lives, but they are also firmly embedded in the community in Papworth, hosting a variety of local food trucks each week in their car park, and putting on an annual open day for the village to meet staff and find out more about employment opportunities and the Smart family’s proud history of business.

SignHealth Youth Advisory Board visit to Parliament

Marking the close of their time as ambassadors for young deaf people, I recently welcomed the impressive members of deaf health charity SignHealth’s Youth Advisory Board into Parliament.

Speaking to me as Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Universities and Skills, the group were particularly keen to talk to me about education and the barriers many of them are facing when applying for university and further education. I was disappointed to hear that for many young people there isn’t enough support available in the classroom – whether that is a need for more note takers to help record lessons, or communication support workers with high enough qualifications in British Sign Language (BSL) to understand and interpret course content. The young people also told me about the need for improved training for teachers so they can better understand the needs of deaf pupils and adapt their lessons.

The group were keen to find ways that they can amplify their campaigns on these issues, and we had some good discussions about how they can bring together people with lived experience, policymakers and organisations such as SignHealth to put pressure on the Government for more funding, and on colleges and universities for better information, access and support.

Parliamentary Business

I always endeavour to represent residents of St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire in Westminster on issues you care about. Thank you to everyone who writes to me each week, expressing your views, sharing campaigns, and inviting me to attend various meetings in Parliament. 

Here is a taste of some of the work I have been doing in Westminster recently:

• Alongside the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dentistry and Oral Health, I challenged Care Minister Stephen Kinnock on the availability of NHS dentist appointments and his plans to boost the NHS workforce.
   
• Caught up with Amit from Ash’s Shop in Fenstanton at the Association of Convenience Stores’ Rural Shop Report launch. We spoke about the fantastic efforts Amit is making to help the community and stop shoplifting, and also the importance of protecting the Tiger Bus service for the village.
   
• Met with health professionals, including the British Dental Association, British Medical Association and Community Pharmacy England to discuss the results from my health survey and how I can use these to press the Government to ensure a sustainable future for primary care.
   
• Supported the Liberal Democrat motion forcing the Government to publish all files relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's appointment as trade envoy back in 2001.
   
• Marked World Cancer Day with Cancer Research UK, discussing the Government’s upcoming National Cancer Plan and what they think is needed to make this year a turning point for the disease.
   
• Met with representatives from the Young Women’s Trust to hear more about their ‘Rights Here, Rights Now’ campaign which looks into how we can best support women’s rights in the workplace.

Surgeries and Further Information

Each week I have been holding both in-person and online surgeries to speak directly to constituents about their issues. If you feel you have a problem I could help with, or you have a campaign matter you would like to discuss with me, please don’t hesitate to contact me at ian.sollom.mp@parliament.uk to request a surgery appointment.   

I will continue to keep you updated about my work to represent the constituents of St Neots & Mid Cambridgeshire. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch, volunteer or get involved with our campaigns.

If you are writing as a constituent, I will need to verify that you reside in the St Neots & Mid Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency to reply and deal with your case. Therefore, please ensure that you have included your full name and home address in your email.    

I receive a significant volume of campaign and casework emails each day. Therefore, I ask for your patience as my team respond to new emails. Please know your messages are being received and we are working as fast as we can to respond to every inquiry.

Best wishes,

Ian Sollom MP

St Neots & Mid Cambridgeshire