Feb 2026

Monthly resident update

Hi Reader

News from Vikki Slade MP – February 2026

This monthly newsletter keeps you up to date with what I’ve been doing for Mid Dorset and North Poole.

February has been another busy month, both in Parliament and across the constituency — from putting Dorset produce on the map in Westminster, to continuing my campaigns on fire service funding and safer cycle storage.

My office continues to work at pace. This month alone, we handled thousands of constituent emails — opening 520 new cases and closing 816 alongside more than 2864 casework emails sent and received.

If you’d like to get involved by attending an event, signing a petition or joining me on the campaign trail, you’ll find links throughout this newsletter. And if you simply prefer to stay informed, that’s absolutely fine too.

I hope you enjoy the read, and feel free to share it with a friend or neighbour!

Please don’t reply directly to this newsletter – contact vikki.slade.mp@parliament.uk

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In this edition:

• Dorset Day in Parliament
• Protecting Chalk Streams & the Dorset TESTBED
• QE and Corfe Hills school update
• Child Maintenance System reform
• Secure bike lockers campaign update
• Fire service funding update
• Out and about in the Constituency

📍 Dorset Day in Parliament

Dorset was firmly put on the map in Westminster this month as I co-hosted “Dorset Day” in Parliament, with Edward Morello Liberal Democrat MP for West Dorset, celebrating the very best of our county’s food, drink, heritage and community spirit.

Held in the Jubilee Room, the event brought together Dorset producers, local representatives and parliamentarians to showcase our thriving culture and businesses. Guests sampled local food and drink, met producers directly and discussed both the opportunities and challenges facing Dorset enterprises.

We were also joined by the Mayor of Wimborne and a representative from the Wimborne Militia, a 17th-century re-enactment group, highlighting Dorset’s rich history.

The event attracted strong interest from MPs and peers across Parliament and helped ensure Dorset’s voice is heard nationally.

🌿 Chalk Streams & Dorset TESTBED

Chalk streams are scarce across the globe and we are fortunate to have the ecologically significant River Allen here in Dorset.

In Parliament, I co-sponsored a Bill seeking UNESCO World Heritage status for the UK's unique chalk streams which I am pleased to say passed it's first reading and will continue to a second reading. I have also signed a letter to the DEFRA Secretary of State urging stronger protections.

I was unable to be in the chamber during the first reading because I was in Dorset supporting the Dorset TESTBED summit — a ground breaking initiative bringing together more than 20 major landowners and opening up over 80,000 hectares of research-active land to create a “Living Science Park.”

The summit united academics, landowners, businesses and community leaders to explore conservation, sustainable farming, land partnerships and environmental innovation. I have already raised TESTBED in Parliament and secured a forthcoming meeting with the Minister to discuss its potential.

If we can get this project into the Life Science section of the Modern Industrial Strategy it will ensure Dorset is helping shape future environmental policy and scientific progress as well as having a positive impact on local growth and high-quality jobs.

🏫 QE and Corfe Hills Schools

Following recent announcements affecting QE and Corfe Hills schools, I hosted meetings with concerned parents and will be taking their views directly to both schools and the Trust’s leadership.

I have also raised these concerns in Parliament which you can watch here.

Like many parents, I am deeply worried by reports that Teaching Assistants and SEND staff are being made redundant at a time when more children need additional support. As a former parent and governor at one of these schools, I know how critical it is that children are given the support and space to thrive.

I have long called for reform of the academy system to ensure more funding reaches frontline teaching staff, and I remain concerned that multi-academy trusts may not always deliver the best outcomes.

This is a live issue, and I will continue working collaboratively with schools and the Trust to secure the best possible outcome for students. Please do email me if you would like to share your views.

🚲 Secure Bike Lockers Campaign

Cycling to the station should be simple and safe yet fear of theft puts many people off. In the year to March 2025, 638 bike thefts were recorded in Dorset, with just 3.3% resulting in a charge. Nationally, over 4,000 bikes were stolen from railway stations last year.

My proposal for safer bike storage, which was supported by more than 30 MPs, was unfortunately rejected by Labour at the most recent stage of the Railways Bill.

However, this is not the end.

I have resubmitted the proposal for the next stage and held productive meetings in Parliament with Cycling UK to build further support.

Separately and at the regional level, South Western Railway has said it will not install lockers without clear evidence of local demand. That is why I also launched a petition, to demonstrate that demand clearly and publicly.

With your help we can change SWR's policy so please sign the petition here.

⚖️ Reforming the Child Maintenance System

Child Maintenance is a regular topic in my inbox. Failures to disclose income and continuation of emotional and financial abuse is leaving children in poverty and stuck in conflict. It is widely accepted that the system is broken, a recent speech I gave in Parliament has now been viewed more than 1.2 million times and led to thousands of messages from around the country. You can watch here.

Since then, I have secured a meeting with the Minister and will be hosting a constituency roundtable in the coming weeks to see how we can work together to effect meaningful change at Governmental level.

After my speech I wrote an article outlining my views on the topic. Below is an extract, you can read the whole piece here.

“Every week mothers and fathers contact me at breaking point. Let down by ex-partners who have walked away from their responsibilities, they are then failed by a system designed to support them. Instead, many experience delays, excuses and loopholes deployed by parents avoiding payment.

Carers tell me about absent parents hiding income or declaring suspiciously low profits while enjoying luxury holidays. Others use the system to continue controlling their ex-partner. Meanwhile, the parent caring for the child is left choosing between heating and school shoes.

The CMS was introduced to replace a court-based system which was expensive and slow. It should provide an accessible alternative and a formal route where contact isn’t safe. But in practice, the way payments are calculated is often manipulated.”

I am determined to help secure change in the law, and this will require a series of stages, including parliamentary debates, white papers, and eventually legislation. This may take months or even years, but it is only right that children are at the heart of the system. I will bring you regular updates through my newsletter and on my website but if you are affected by the CMS system and would like to volunteer with my team to catalogue the experiences of families around the country, please get in touch.
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🚒 Fire Service Funding

2025 saw the worst year on record for wildfires in Dorset with over 900 taking place. The incident at Holt Heath led to support from around the country, with firefighters and equipment coming from as far away as Yorkshire, and incurring huge unplanned costs. I worked alongside the Chief Fire Officer to support an application for emergency aid under the Bellwin Fund.

I am pleased that this application was successful, which will help cover the additional costs from this emergency but this does not address the ongoing shortfall that is impacting the day to day service. Central funding for Fire and Rescue has been falling year on year, and even with the maximum £5 per year increase on our council tax precept, this means that Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service has to make cuts.

They are currently consulting on the closure of eight fire stations operated by 'on-call' firefighters. I have met with the Chief Fire Officer to understand more about how the risks to public safety are being minimised, and alongside my colleague Edward Morello I have been raising concerns in Parliament. To find out more, you can read the briefing from the Fire Service or attend a public meeting, which takes place later this week here.

🚗Out and about

Spending time with residents and local organisations is always one of the best parts of this role. Recent highlights include:

🏫 Student Surgeries - I held my first student surgeries at Lytchett Minster School and QE School, asking students whether social media should be banned for under-16s. It was fascinating to hear their thoughtful and honest perspectives.

👩‍⚕️ Going for Bust - I visited this inspiring breast cancer charity, whose shops raise vital funds for local hospitals and support groups while providing essential services to those affected. It was a privilege to learn more about their work.

🎖️ Dorset’s Military Families - I met with military wives to discuss challenges linked to the Armed Forces Covenant that are making life harder than it should be for families. I have raised these issues in Parliament and will continue to do so. We are also planning a summer fundraiser to support military families — more details soon.

Round-up of some of my other activities