MP Newsletter #30: Careers Fair success, Rail, Driving tests, International Aid, Animal welfare, and Mental Health
A warm welcome to my latest update, and may I wish you a very happy Easter weekend.
I hope you’re able to enjoy a bit of rest over the coming days. I’ll be spending time with family and friends and making the most of a rare moment to pause before a busy few weeks ahead with surgeries, constituency visits and meetings, before Parliament returns shortly after.
There’s plenty to update you on below, starting with a highlight from the past couple of weeks which really captured what this role is all about.
📌 In this edition:
• 🎓 Careers Fair - connecting young people with local opportunities
• 🚆 Rail - pushing for better services across the constituency
• 🚗 Driving test delays - still no real answers
• 🌍 International aid - why it matters here at home
• 🦊 Animal welfare - speaking out on snares and trail hunting
• 🧠 Mental health funding - pushing back against cuts
🎓 Careers Fair — Connecting Young People with Local Opportunity
There are some days in this role that really bring home what being a local MP is all about, and my recent careers fair was certainly one of them.
It was a real pleasure to welcome more than 150 students from Melksham Oak, Devizes School and St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon, alongside dozens of fantastic local businesses and organisations, all under one roof. I was also thrilled to be joined by guest speakers who shared their knowledge of the world of businesses and took some great questions from the students.
The energy in the room was brilliant. What stood out most was just how engaged our young people were - asking thoughtful questions, showing real curiosity, and making the most of the opportunity in front of them.
I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone who made the event such a success - the schools and their staff, the businesses who gave up their time, and of course the students themselves. Events like this only work when the whole community pulls together, and that’s exactly what happened here.
One of the things I’ve been particularly passionate about since being elected is strengthening the link between our excellent local businesses and the next generation coming through our schools.
Too often, there’s a perception that you have to leave areas like ours to find exciting or rewarding career opportunities. The reality, as this event showed so clearly, is quite the opposite.
Across the whole Melksham & Devizes constituency, from our market towns to our rural villages - we have innovative businesses, advanced manufacturing, cutting-edge technology and thriving local enterprises. There is so much happening here, but not enough people always know about it.
That’s why getting the right students in front of the right employers is so important. When those connections are made early, it builds confidence, opens doors, and helps create a pipeline of local talent into local jobs.
Encouragingly, I’ve already heard from several businesses and schools who have followed up with further conversations since the fair - exactly the kind of outcome I had hoped for.
This was very much a pilot event, but given its success, I’m delighted to say it will now become an annual fixture. Next time, we’ll go even bigger - with more businesses involved and even wider reach.
Alongside this, I’ve also launched the Melksham & Devizes Business Network, bringing local employers together to share ideas, collaborate and support one another.
Our constituency has so much to offer and my job is to help shine a light on that, and make sure our young people can see a future for themselves right here at home.
🚆 Rail — Pushing for Better Services
It was a pleasure to welcome local rail campaigners from Bradford on Avon, Devizes and Melksham, alongside colleagues from Wiltshire Council, to a parliamentary drop-in last week with industry specialists from GWR and Network Rail.
I took the opportunity to raise the Devizes Gateway station project directly with Network Rail’s Industry Programme Director for the Western Route, ensuring it remains firmly on the agenda of senior rail leaders.
A key part of this is capacity at Westbury, which is crucial to delivering a potential Westbury to Paddington service that could include a stop at Devizes. I was encouraged to hear that recent technical work confirms both the feasibility and strong strategic case for reinstating the disused platform there.
While the Department for Transport is not currently supporting the scheme, Network Rail indicated they would be open to exploring the use of underspend from other regional projects to help progress these improvements.
Wiltshire Council will also play a vital role in developing the business case, and I will continue working closely with them to help move the project forward.
We also discussed services through Melksham, where even modest timetable changes could significantly improve connectivity particularly by strengthening links at Chippenham and Trowbridge. Looking further ahead, more substantial upgrades such as line-speed improvements and a passing loop could transform both the frequency and reliability of services.
A huge thank you to our local campaigners and transport experts for their tireless work. I will continue supporting them as we push for the better rail services our communities deserve.
🚗 Driving Tests - Still No Real Answers
I recently raised the issue of driving test delays in Parliament - something that continues to come up time and again in conversations with residents.
Unfortunately, the Minister’s response simply didn’t go far enough.
People are waiting months and months for a test, travelling long distances, and in many cases putting jobs, education and independence on hold. That’s just not good enough.
In a rural constituency like ours, a driving licence isn’t a luxury - it’s a necessity.
I won’t be fobbed off with vague answers. I will keep pushing the Government for real action to bring waiting times down and make the system work properly again.
If you’ve been affected by delays, please do get in touch by emailing brian.mathew.mp@parliament.uk. Your experiences help strengthen the case for change.
You can keep up to date with the progress of my work on this issue, sign my petition, and fill a survey of your experiences with driving tests by going to brianmathew.uk/driving-tests or using the button below:
🌍 International Aid - Why It Matters Here at Home
I challenged the Government recently on its decision to cut the UK’s international aid budget at a time when conflict is raging across the world.
When we see these crises unfold in real time, turning our backs isn’t just wrong it’s short-sighted.
International aid is one of the UK’s key forms of soft power. It helps prevent conflict, supports stability, and tackles the root causes of global challenges that can have real impacts here at home, including economic instability and migration pressures.
At a time when countries like Russia and China are expanding their global influence, it is more important than ever that the UK continues to play a strong role on the world stage.
Doing the right thing globally is not just about compassion, it is about protecting our own security, prosperity and standing in the world.
🦊 Animal Welfare - Time to Go Further
Animal welfare is an issue I feel strongly about.
Recently in Parliament, I spoke in support of banning snares, which quite simply cause prolonged and unnecessary suffering to animals caught in them.
I also challenged the Government to go further and look again at trail hunting, particularly where this is used as a ruse to kill foxes illegally.
We must do better when it comes to protecting animal welfare - and I will continue to push for stronger protections.
🧠 Mental Health Funding - We Must Do Better
I have also joined colleagues from across Parliament in writing to the Health Secretary to raise serious concerns about planned cuts to NHS mental health funding.
At a time when demand is rising and waiting lists are growing, this is simply the wrong direction.
• 📉 Funding is falling for a third year in a row
• ⏳ Over 1.8 million people are waiting for support
• ⚖️ Mental health is still not treated on a par with physical health
We cannot allow people to be left waiting months, or even years, for the help they need.
I will continue to push for proper funding, fair treatment, and timely support for everyone who needs mental health care
📬 Staying in Touch
As always, if there’s something I can help with, whether it’s a local issue, booking a surgery appointment, or raising a concern - please do get in touch.
📧 brian.mathew.mp@parliament.uk
I’d also really welcome your feedback on this newsletter. If there’s something you’d like to see more of, less of, or covered in future editions, please email with “Newsletter Feedback” in the subject line.
With best wishes, and a very happy Easter,
Brian Mathew MP
Member of Parliament for Melksham and Devizes
Melksham and Devizes Liberal Democrats