MP Newsletter #24: Looking at the year ahead

A very warm welcome to my first newsletter of 2026, and may I wish you and your loved ones a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. I hope you were able to enjoy a restful Christmas and spend time with family and friends.

As this is the first edition of the year, I wanted to use this newsletter to step back and talk a little more generally about my priorities for the year ahead across the whole Melksham & Devizes constituency - from our towns to our villages and rural communities. In future editions, I’ll return to more detailed updates on specific issues and places.

Firstly, I’d like to encourage you to share this email with anyone who have may be interested, I really want to make sure I am keeping constituents updated. 

As we move into 2026, my focus is firmly on the issues that I know from speaking to people as those that matter most day-to-day: the cost of living, public transport, local health services, and flooding resilience. These are challenges felt right across the constituency and addressing them underpins everything else.

We also begin the year in an increasingly uncertain and worrying global context. The war in Ukraine continues, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan is worsening, violence in Gaza remains devastating, and wider international tensions are putting democracy and stability under strain. Not to mention President Trump’s provocative actions in Venezuela and his expansionist rhetoric. 

In times like these, it’s more important than ever that we stand up for democratic values, cooperation and the rule of law. 

A little more on all this below - with a fuller, more detailed constituency update to follow later in the month.

In this edition:

• 🚑 My priorities for 2026 across Melksham & Devizes
• 🚍 Public transport and connectivity in a largely rural constituency
• 💷 Cost of living pressures on households and businesses
• 🌍 A dangerous world and the need to defend democracy
• 📬 Staying in touch and how my team and I can help

🚑 Priorities for 2026: Services, Transport and Resilience

As we move into 2026, one priority stands out above many others: ensuring people can access the services they need, closer to home.

Across the constituency, I continue to hear the same concerns - difficulty accessing healthcare locally, long journeys for routine appointments, unreliable transport links, and the knock-on effects this has for work, education and family life. In a constituency as geographically large and diverse as ours, these issues affect people in different ways, but they are widely shared.

This year, my focus is on turning discussions and commitments into real, practical improvements - particularly around community-based healthcare, more reliable public transport, and better coordination between local and national decision-makers.

Flooding resilience will also remain a major focus. Flooding in several parts of the constituency in recent years has highlighted the need for clearer funding routes, faster action, and solutions that actually work on the ground. I will continue pressing the Government and the Environment Agency to ensure that towns and villages across our area are properly protected

🚍 Public Transport in a Rural Constituency

Reliable public transport is not a luxury — it is essential. Buses and rail services underpin access to work, healthcare, education and social life, particularly in rural areas where alternatives are limited.

I will continue to push for better rail services and more reliable bus networks that reflect the reality of living in a largely rural constituency. Improving connectivity is not just about convenience; it is about opportunity, independence and fairness. To that end, I continue to work on the Bath & Wiltshire Metro project, which has the potential to significantly upgrade our transport connectivity. 

💷 Cost of Living and Local Businesses

The cost of living continues to dominate conversations across the constituency. Energy bills, food prices, rents and mortgages are still placing enormous pressure on households, and many people feel that progress has been too slow.

Local businesses are feeling that pressure too - especially in hospitality. Our pubs, cafés and restaurants are often at the heart of community life in towns and villages alike. They provide jobs, bring people together, and give places their character, yet many are struggling with high costs and uncertainty.

In 2026, I want to see the Government take practical steps to support hospitality. I have been speaking with and listening to many of our local pubs and brewers, and in turn I have been putting pressure on the government to water down their planned business rate increases. Therefore, I welcome the recently reported changes to ease business rates on our pubs, but there is more to do so these businesses can flourish rather than just survive.

🌍 A Worrying World — and the Case for Cooperation

While my day-to-day work is firmly focused on the constituency, we begin this year against a backdrop of growing global uncertainty.

The war in Ukraine continues to threaten European security. The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is worsening. Violence in Gaza remains devastating and is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. Wider tensions and uncertainty in global politics remind us that these are dangerous and unpredictable times.

In response, Britain must stand up for democratic values, international law, and cooperation with our allies. Cooperation, not isolation, is essential - both for our security and our prosperity.

That is why I will continue to argue for a more pragmatic relationship with Europe, including a customs union. This is not about reopening old debates, but about recognising that unnecessary barriers are holding back our economy and damaging businesses, including those here in Wiltshire.

📬 Staying in Touch

As your MP, my job is to make sure every part of the Melksham & Devizes constituency is heard.

If there is an issue you’d like to raise, you can contact me by email at brian.mathew.mp@parliament.uk or by calling 01225 434216. I also hold regular in-person advice surgeries across the constituency, so please do get in touch if you’d like to book an appointment.

Thank you for the many conversations, emails and meetings over the past year. I look forward to working with you throughout 2026 to deliver the progress our communities deserve.

With best wishes for the year ahead,
Brian Mathew MP
Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Melksham & Devizes