Matt Turmaine

Strangely like watching the Doctor regenerate… #DoctorWho

Two years ago, you elected me as your MP on five missions. The third mission was to build an NHS fit for the future.

🏥 £12 million has been invested in the redevelopment of Watford General
🏥 Ambulance handover times have reduced
🏥 Watford General has completely eliminated corridor care
🏥 Waiting lists have dropped

It was encouraging to hear how effective #TheHarlequin has been at growing visitor numbers and delivering great service to customers. Sincere congratulations to Simon and his team. https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/leisure/26006672.watfords-harlequin-centre-footfall-john-lewis-left/

This Labour government’s first Mission was to kick-start economic growth. Let’s see what we’ve achieved over the last two years…

It was brilliant to go and see West Herts Amateur Boxing Club. Boys, girls, men, and women come to this club to get fit, achieve great mental health and build social networks with real people that last. Amazing work! https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/26006829.watford-boxing-club-helping-kids-praised-mp-matt-turmaine/ (they even got me doing push-ups!)

Huge congratulations to Watford Palace Young Company for their outstanding production of Everyone’s Talking About Jamie. Incredible talent on display!

Very sad to see Odhams close as a print works in Watford. As the presses fall silent, my team and I are working to get it nationally listed. Thank you Odhams for all your service including printing my local newspaper for many years.

Happy Easter to all those celebrating in #Watford and across the world.

I am pleased to support the government’s work to make the internet safer for all young people under 18, including default disabling of addictive features and mandatory ‘breaks’ from AI chatbots.

1 in 6 people suffer from infertility, yet shockingly there is no paid time off for this medical treatment. We want to change that. Take the Fertility Pledge at: https://alicemacdonald.org/campaigns/fertility-rights/

Great news from the #LabourGovernment to make sure small businesses get paid on time! Proper help to deal with a common problem for #SmallBiz.

The #LabourGovernment’s approach to the international situation in the Middle East, safety of British citizens abroad and security at home is grounded in strategy, pragmatism and international law. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/09/iran-war-britain-allies-europe-energy-social-policies

The #LabourGovernment recently awarded a £4.5 million uplift to Watford Council. Reversing cuts to local government funding and ending years of austerity under the Tories and Coalition. So, it’s good to see that the council is freezing its part of the council tax bill this year.

Watford’s police did a great job of helping make sure last week’s friendly between WFC and Hansa Rostock took place with good grace and a community spirit. Well done to them!

It was great to speak to the Home Secretary yesterday about improving street safety in Watford and across the UK. Over the last two years, knife crime and antisocial behaviour are down, and streets are safer for all, including in Watford.

It was great to join Health Secretary James Murray on a tour of Watford General last week. The hospital has done amazing work eliminating corridor care, a major turnaround in the last three years. Congratulations to the hardworking staff for this fantastic achievement!
https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/26270748.health-secretary-shown-e-turnaround-watford-general/

It was an honour to speak at the ‘Fertility Matters at Work’ event yesterday. Currently, employees have no right to paid leave for fertility treatment - that is why I signed the Fertility Support Pledge: https://alicemacdonald.org/campaigns/fertility-rights/

Congratulations to #BevCraig! An outstanding win for #Labour and a complete drubbing for Reform!

Today is #EarthDay. As President Kennedy said: “For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.” Photo credit: NASA.

It was a joy to read and reply to fantastic letters I received from pupils at Coates Way JMI and Field Junior School. It’s a treat to see how enthusiastic they are to write to their MP. I am committed to working for the young people of Watford to ensure they have bright futures.

Two years ago, you elected me as your MP on five missions. The second was to turn Britain into a green energy superpower.

🌱The Warm Homes Plan is the biggest ever investment in home upgrades, to cut energy bills for a million people.

🌱The Clean Energy Jobs Plan will deliver over 400,000 new jobs.

🌱The Warm Home Discount saves over 2.7 million households £150 on their energy bills.

🌱Great British Energy, our publicly owned energy company, has been launched, powering Britain with clean, secure home-grown energy.

🌱Building Sizewell C nuclear plant will create 10,000 jobs.

🌱More Electric Vehicle charging points have been installed.

Immensely proud that this evening, this #LabourGovernment has passed the #HillsboroughLaw which means justice not just for the families, but for those seeking justice against institutional denial in the future as well.

Delighted to celebrate 30 years of the Green Flag Award! It’s fantastic to see Watford parks winning the Award this year, including the glorious Cassiobury Park, as featured in our recent video! 🌳

Great to host another surgery at the end of last week. Delighted to be trying to help #Watford residents with their concerns, issues and when they have been let down.

It was a pleasure to attend the Structural Timber Association panel in Parliament last week. Ensuring a plentiful supply of housing remains one of the defining political challenges of our age. Structural timber has a massive role to play in building more homes now and into the 2030s and beyond.

Brilliant to see that the needed parking bay lines and disabled bays at Boundary Way have been repainted.

All power to the elbows of the Residents Association, who have campaigned hard on this and other issues in the face of often being ignored.

It was great to catch up with Siva, who has run his convenience shop for 17 years. It’s brilliant to hear how the Labour government has supported Siva and his business for the last two years.

Beautiful sunny day to be out on the #LabourDoorstep with our fantastic #WatfordLabour mayoral candidate, #KeithMorgan!

It was a genuine honour to be invited to do a reading for Easter at All Saints Church in Leavesden with the vicar, Eddie Green. And it was an absolute delight to dress up as the Easter Bunny to hand out chocolate eggs (and satsumas) after the service! https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/leisure/26006549.watford-mp-dresses-easter-bunny-leavesden-church/

Calling on all girls’ sports teams! The Lionesses HERe to Play Fund just expanded. You can apply for a grant of up to £25,000 to support your facilities, up to £500 for clubs looking to provided recreational football for girls, or up to £1,500 for clubs looking to provide a new girls’ team. Delivered by the Football Foundation and funded by the National Lottery through Sport England.

In Watford, girls lose out on 2 hours and 3 minutes of sport every week compared to boys – this is a gap we have to close. Playing sport gives children confidence, leadership skills, the chance to socialise, and of course great exercise and improved health outcomes.

See more here: https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/-60aCwVJBfL6x6YWIAUycJOwTc?domain=footballfoundation.us14.list-manage.com

I might’ve lost the game, but visiting the Library of Requirements will always be a win! It was a pleasure to visit at Croxley Business Park and donate this giant Jenga set. For a small fee you can borrow from their library of everyday items, from DIY tools to hobby equipment - this is a brilliant local initiative!
https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/26286618.matt-turmaine-donates-giant-jenga-library-requirements/

I am very disappointed to hear about the cuts to bus services in Watford. Continuous bus cuts just make travel more difficult, and demonstrates that the present privatised bus free-for-all does not work for passengers.
Read more here: https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/26407899.watford-borehamwood-306-bus-frequency-halved-today/

It was a privilege to do a reading for Easter in church this morning at All Saints. Earlier in the year, I was able to raise the Open Doors project and its annual report on persecuted Christians around the world in parliament.

It was an honour to meet Simon and Amanda, 2 of 150 volunteers working at South West Herts Samaritans, staffing the phones 24hr a day, 365 days a year. They are all heroes, fielding calls from people in desperate circumstances at times of great stress. I admire their dedication.

Congratulations to Andy Burnham the new leader of the Labour Party, and, from Monday, our new Prime Minister. I am excited to get to work and see how much more we can achieve under this Labour government!

Brilliant to see that the Brixton Road bus stop is now displaying the Number 20 buses! Great news for those getting around #Watford on the 20!

I was happy to accept an offer from Councillor Laurence Brass to visit the Bushey United Synagogue, and met with Rabbi Feldman, which is attended by many Watford constituents

Money off energy bills, increased minimum wage, pensions up, two child limit scrapped, up to 30 hours paid for child care, free breakfast clubs for mums and dads, day one paternity rights and stronger statutory sick pay.

But, yeah… We’re all the same. #Not! #LabourGovernment

From now, the Meningitis B vaccine will be offered to anyone currently in Year 13, or anyone under 25 who is going to halls of residence in the autumn. Make sure that you contact your GP or local pharmacy to get this vital protection.

As the Watford Observer reported at the time, I was there in person to see first-hand and witness the use of CCTV facial recognition technology in the town centre

Thanks to Chief Inspector Chris Rutter, who explained how it is used and works and his team of fellow officers, both uniformed and plain clothed who made four arrests, including a man who had been wanted for years. https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/25898439.herts-police-used-live-facial-recognition-high-street/

Always a pleasure to hold a surgery session in #Watford. I really value the chance to speak with residents face-to-face and see how I can support them.

If you have an issue you would like to discuss with me, please get in touch with my office.

Come on England!! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Even football players deserve more than 2 weeks’ paternity leave - that’s why I’m supporting the Dad Shift campaigning for extra time for dads!
Good luck to the team tonight!

Following a case of mistaken identity, we finally got going on my PMQ! It was a great honour to speak to the Prime Minister at the very emotional last Prime Minister’s Questions this afternoon about the vital work this government is doing to protect all religious groups from persecution and discrimination.

I was pleased to Chair the City of London (Markets) Bill Committee once again. This meeting confirmed the final details of Smithfield and Billingsgate wholesale markets’ relocation to a single site with modern facilities.

Thanks to the #LabourGovernment, #WatfordPalaceTheatre is getting just shy of £1,000,000 to invest in the theatre’s future. #Labour has always been committed to the arts and all people’s ability to access them. This cash injection delivers on that commitment.