Scarborough and Whitby MP Makes Maiden House of Commons Speech

Alison Hume MP gave her maiden speech in the House of Commons yesterday shining a light on the Scarborough and Whitby constituency.

Ms Hume told MPs that Bram Stoker, the Victorian theatre manager and author, found inspiration for his blood sucking vampire Dracula when he stayed in Whitby, travelling there on the newly developed railway. She went on to note that

"our railways are still associated with horror stories but today it's more about the nightmare journeys."

The popular Whitby Goth Weekend got a mention as well as Sir Alan Ayckbourn and the Stephen Joseph Theatre.

Ms Hume remarked that 'talented young people surely deserve the same opportunities in the creative industries as their peers in the cities and the South' and committed herself to 'bringing these opportunities to our coastal communities and to attract investment for training and skills in the industries of the future.'

In paying tribute to her predecessors Sir Robert Goodwill and Lawrie Quinn she thanked them for their work in land management, local healthcare, road safety and the introduction of the Coastliner bus service.

Ms Hume said:

"Local businesses including Scarborough's, Alexander Dennis, (formerly Plaxtons), McCain Foods, Seagrown (home to the first seaweed farm in Europe) and the Whitby Lobster Hatchery were praised for their innovation.

"We are also uniquely positioned to benefit from the vast wind farms being built off our coast, but we must move quickly to ensure our towns can service the green energy industry. As the turbines turn, we need to take care that our fragile but precious inshore fishing industry is supported into a sustainable future."

The chamber was reminded that Yorkshire Coast fishing towns and villages

"serve up much more than the best fish and chips in the country".

"Herrings are still smoked traditionally by five generations of the Fortune family to produce the famous Whitby kippers, which my late father adored,"

"As for our traditional farmers, I understand this is a concerning time and I was delighted to visit Low Yedmandale and Spikers Hill farms outside of Scarborough recently to better understand the challenges faced by our family farms."

Alison also thanked the many organisations and charities in the constituency who are dedicated to proving lives including the Gallows Close Centre, the Rainbow Centre, Westway Open Arms, Flowergate Hall, the Eastside Community Centre, Closer Communities, Dalewood Trust, WHISH and many others too numerous to mention.

In a personal moment Alison told the chamber that she was 'honoured to represent such a resilient and hard-working community.'

"My late mother was born into poverty in Hull. Under a Labour government she was able to retrain for free as a mature student to become a primary school teacher - a job she loved. My son Edward was born with complex disabilities.  Under a Labour government, we benefitted from the huge investment which went into health, education and schemes like Sure Start."

Looking up at the gallery to where Edward was seated, Alison shared that at the age of 25,

' Edward has finally achieved his dream of going to university and is watching his mum today achieve hers.'

Alison went on to say that under this Labour government she will work to lift more children out of poverty, address the crisis in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities provision, and continue to advocate for paid and unpaid carers.

And in closing she gave a touching tribute to Yorkshire MP Jo Cox.

Ms Hume said.

"As the first ever woman to represent Scarborough and Whitby, I pledge to play my part in our government's mission to halve violence against women and girls,"

"And as a proud graduate of the Jo Cox Women in Leadership scheme, I hope to honour Jo's memory. I can see her coat of arms from where I stand. She may not have sat on this side, but she left a legacy which ensured hundreds more women like me will sit here in the future."