Sir David Amess Summer Adjournment

Sarah Owen Excerpts

Thursday 16th July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Owen (Luton North) (Lab)]

As this debate is always oversubscribed—a fitting tribute to Sir David that I am sure he would have been proud of—I am going to keep my remarks short.

I love Luton. It is my home, and my favourite part of my job is working with our wonderful, diverse, welcoming community. I have been proud to push forward the new play park in Stopsley alongside Sandra and Mike Stratford, Cherry Newbury, and the one and only Karen Cockfield. With spades now in the ground, this Government’s Pride in Place programme is funding a fire engine-themed playground extension for younger children as well. It is a true community campaign—a Labour MP working alongside a Labour council, funded by a Labour Government and powered by local people. In Marsh Farm, local residents will direct £20 million over the next decade through our Pride in Place neighbourhood board, led by our fantastic new chair Jackie Neufville. I visit businesses every week, and do a small business Saturday shout-out every weekend. I see businesses such as Crafty As Fk, run by Claire Lydon; Sensory5, opened by the passionate Kasey Foy; Hina Sohrab providing IT services globally from her home in Luton North; and the amazing Grand Bazar supermarket, which has celebrated its one-year anniversary, an event that I was honoured to mark alongside our Labour mayor Javed Hussain.

I love visiting schools. In the past few weeks, I have joined students bricklaying at Stopsley High with their wonderful head Karen Hand, after linking them up with local business Goodman to supply bricks for its courses. I have awarded amazing students at Putteridge High alongside their committed head, David Graham, and I have said goodbye to the truly brilliant Sandra Clarke, who retires from Woodlands High this week.

The love, care and community you feel when you walk into that school are amazing. While she will be greatly missed, she deserves a very happy retirement.

In Luton North, we have so many great people doing amazing things, whether that is Paul Prior opening up a veterans hub at the Leagrave and Limbury British Legion, Michelle Boldeau running a half marathon—rather her than me—to support the hospital’s charity, or Rose at the Ameina Centre, who welcomed me to meet amazing groups, such as Att10tive and Shanthona Women’s Group. That is not the sum of everything happening in Luton North—and I could go on for 30 minutes, rather than three—but I want to put those achievements on record. We are a strong, united, diverse part of the world, and long may that continue.

Just like many others, I wish everybody here a fantastic summer, and I thank those members of the parliamentary staff who are retiring—people like Richard, Margaret and Godfrey. I want to say a massive thank you to them not just for keeping us fed and looked after, but for their continued friendship, especially Godfrey, who has been extremely kind to my little one throughout the years.

I want to say a massive thank you to my team. I could not do this without them and they serve the people of Luton North in such a brilliant, committed manner— I could not ask for more.