Bradford Council’s busiest employee seems to be its concept artist.

Every few months, a news article will surface from our Labour leaders at the Council showcasing plans for their newest city centre project, usually accompanied by the headline “Bradford could see X built by 2030” alongside some futuristic-looking concept art and a picture of a wearied Labour councillor in a hard hat.

But months will pass, and these once-exciting plans will never see the light of day again.

Perhaps the biggest illustration of this was just weeks before the general election in 2019, when Bradford Council’s Labour leader Susan Hinchcliffe and our town’s former Labour MP huddled around a blank piece of paper in the centre of Keighley, diggers conveniently positioned behind them, next to the headline: “New police station to be built in Keighley town centre”.

But three years passed, and these plans were eventually revealed to be nothing but a pre-election photo-op, with West Yorkshire Police admitting the proposal wasn’t feasible in the first place and the plans quietly put back on the shelf.

It is instances like these that continue to be one of my biggest frustrations with our local Labour-run council: they seem to be a Council of talkers, not doers.

And when they do attempt something, it’s usually anti-Keighley; like trying to close our Keighley Tip, proposing even more development on our precious green belt or funnelling tens of millions of pounds towards yet another city centre white elephant.

That’s why ever since my election four years ago, I’ve been clear that what our area needs is real, visible change – not the empty talk of past politicians.

And that is exactly what I have been working on delivering for our community ever since.

When I was first elected, I said that securing a new Airedale Hospital for our area was my number one priority above all else - and asked to be held accountable on that promise.

And after years of lobbying, the Department for Health and Social Care confirmed landmark funding for a new Airedale Hospital this May in one of the biggest investments for our area in decades.

Just last month, the government announced a further £4.1 million for Airedale to open a new Urgent Treatment Centre this winter to reduce the waiting lists.

In education, I am proud to have helped secure a new school for our area - New College Keighley - which will be providing over 1,000 school places for 16–19-year-olds in our area, increasing A-level provision and boosting choice for both pupils and parents.

Regenerating our town centre has also been big on the agenda, and as we speak repairs and restorations are currently underway to buildings across our town, including the regeneration of the Sangat Centre, JAMES, the public Toilets in Haworth, Haworth Village Hall, the Old School Rooms, the Good Shepherd Centre and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway – all on the back of government investment.

The regeneration of Keighley Train Station is also set to begin after years of dither and delay, our area will see tough new antisocial behaviour laws put in place that will see offenders cleaning up their crimes in jumpsuits, and a new system is being installed under the A65 in Ilkley to prevent the disgraceful release of sewage into our rivers.

This is real, visible change for our area.

As Keighley & Ilkley’s Member of Parliament, I will always put real change first, not the empty talk like those who do not have our areas best interests at heart.

And I truly believe we are making progress.