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10 Questions: Damien Egan – ‘Kingswood has the best of both worlds’
The newly-elected Labour MP for Kingswood, Damien Egan, overturned an 11,000 Tory majority to secure the seat in February.
He was formerly the mayor of Lewisham but quit the role to contest the South Gloucestershire constituency where he grew up.
Damien is set to be MP of Kingswood for only a matter of months as the constituency will be abolished in the upcoming general election. He has already been selected as Labour’s candidate for the new Bristol North East constituency.
is needed now More than ever
In the latest edition of Bristol247’s quarterly magazine, Egan agreed to answer questions submitted by our readers, with no topic off limits.
1. On what, if any, issues would you defy the Labour leadership? (@DanSteil1)
That’s always a situation you hope either doesn’t come up, or does so very rarely. I think when most people vote Labour they expect their MP to support the Labour Party’s policies and not undermine the party. There are issues where MPs are traditionally given a free vote, euthanasia is an example of this, and MPs vote with their conscience and not along party lines.
If I had disagreements with a policy, the usual response would be to discuss privately with the leadership to try and find a solution. In politics you hope to be able to influence a policy before it gets to that stage. A Labour government would have a huge task to improve our country and we only do that by working together and being united.
2. How can you ensure that young people choose to remain living in Kingswood? (@alexveale3)
Kingswood has a lot going for it, it’s a part of Bristol that people like to stay in, with generations of families living close to each other. We’re also seeing new families move into the area.
I think working with the council to get the town centre back to what it was is really important for Kingswood. We’ve lost too many shops and when that happens people start to go elsewhere – which creates a downward spiral for the local economy. The council has some pots of investment that it says will help bring businesses back, we’ve heard the big Wilko site in the shopping centre is opening again, as a B&M, that’s good news. Local business owners themselves are also starting to come together with their own plans. There’s a lot of enthusiasm and I hope it marks a change in fortune for the high street.
Access to good, well-paid jobs and having a nice home, that you can afford, are critical, wherever you live. Kingswood used to be a major hub for apprenticeships in my dad’s generation. Those opportunities have all but dried up but successful economies around the world invest heavily in apprenticeships and giving their young people work experience early. I think that’s a path we should follow. Education generally is also an issue. South Gloucestershire’s schools are the worst funded in the country. I spoke to parents who didn’t have secondary school places for their children.
Young people have also been particularly hit by bus cuts. We have parts of Kingswood where there are no buses. We need a reliable public transport system that helps people travel around our city easily, gets people to work and doesn’t hold people back.
House prices and rents in Kingswood are high, and younger people I spoke to were really worried about this. Especially renters, it’s very hard to find somewhere and conditions are often poor. People want security and there are things we need to do to make the rental system work better for renters.
3. Will you put your voice behind having minor injuries at Cosham Hospital? (@bristollittlebigband2022)
We are underserved when it comes to healthcare. Locally campaigners have fought to save Cosham Hospital for years and I’ll support those campaigns. Cosham is an important site and one that is easier for people in Kingswood to get to.
South Gloucestershire Council are calling for a health needs assessment of hospital needs for our area, which I fully support – and I would expect Cosham to have a big role in any recommendations that come forward. Our part of Bristol and the South West has grown rapidly over the past few years and we need to make sure that our area has all the health services we need.
4. What would have been the best qualities of Marvin Rees if he had been elected MP for Bristol North East? Betty James
Marvin has an impressive record as mayor of Bristol. I used to be a mayor, it’s a difficult job, full of frustrations but one where you can make a real difference for the area you serve. I think that when you step back and look at Marvin’s achievements you see that there are few who have made such a major impact on our city.
I’m sure that with whatever Marvin decides to do next, he’ll achieve great things.
5. What initiatives will you champion to improve the reliability and frequency of local transport? @stbonscc
Personally, I’d like to see more public bus franchising, like they have in London and Manchester.
I use the bus but am lucky to live near a good selection of routes, into town and around Kingswood. But local services have become less reliable and government cuts can really be felt. So many times, you can be standing at a bus stop waiting and waiting, watching the minutes to the next bus tick down and then suddenly it disappears from the board.
It isn’t a service people can rely on. The problem with the private ownership model is that it puts the profitability of routes above the public service need of transporting volumes of people around the city. As a result, routes get cut and then people can’t get around. Younger and older people are the worst impacted.
There has been good news. Dan Norris, the metro mayor, secured more funding per head than any other metro mayor and that means we’re seeing some bus routes brought back. If Labour win the next general election, we would extend the franchising powers available to metro mayors to all local transport authorities, giving them more power to choose routes and reduce fares.
6. How will you continue to represent Kingswood when you’re also running as a candidate for Bristol North East? Charlotte Jones
Just over a third of the Kingswood constituency will be going into the new Bristol North East so that makes the task slightly easier in that there is some overlap between the two. I’m from Kingswood, grew up here and know our ‘side’ of Bristol well, so that helps a lot. My office is already busy helping people all over the current Kingswood constituency.
I’m sad to lose parts of the constituency at the election but until we know when that is I’m very conscious that I represent the people of Kingswood under its current borders. When the election is called, I know Labour will have excellent candidates to support whichever new constituency they’ll be in and I look forward to hopefully working with them.
Damien revisited his old school with Labour leader Keir Starmer in the run up to the by-election
7. What’s your favourite thing about Kingswood? (@gthebash)
The town centre itself. I know that sounds funny given that we know it needs so much more investment, but I love the shopping centre, it’s very practical and well designed. Kingswood is full of beautiful historic buildings, Kingswood Park is very special and I’m happy to hear the council is improving it. When I was growing up, my mum worked in a shop called Cheap Jacks (now Buyology) and my dad in a factory where the big Lidl is now. My school was also in Kingswood so it really was the centre of our lives, I feel at home in Kingswood.
The other thing about Kingswood is the views. People don’t realise but from all over the constituency you have views of the countryside and I find that very peaceful. To me, Kingswood has the best of both worlds, close to the city centre but also to the countryside – and if you’ve got a bike you can use the cycle path to explore it all.
8. Where have you been? Before the election you were knocking on my door and all over the internet and now there is no sign of you? (@PaulPhi68760146)
It’s been a busy time since the election. The by-election was intense, knocking on doors all day and campaigning for six weeks straight. It’s an anxious time as well; I’d given up my job, moved and, in the back of your mind, you’re not sure how it will go. We got the result in the early hours of Friday morning February 16, by Monday I was giving my oath and starting work in Parliament.
There has been a lot to learn and a lot more I still need to understand. I’m trying to think how I can get the best for our area with this new job. So, understanding how Parliament works is critical.
In a typical week I’ll be in Parliament Monday to Thursday, then at home in Kingswood the rest of the time. So, there’s a lot to fit in in a small amount of time.
I’ve recruited a small team and will shortly be advertising for more so we can respond to people quickly, and I want to set up events where I can meet people face-to-face, I find this is always better. We’re still looking for a permanent office, I’d really like to be in or near Kingswood town centre.
I’m meeting with schools, police, businesses and community groups in Kingswood and there’ll be plenty more time for door-knocking with elections coming up in May.
In Parliament, I made my first speech – one of the most nerve-wracking experiences in my life! But it seemed to go OK. I gave honest feedback to Parliament about what people told me were their top issues in the by-election; cost of living, dentists and doctors, crime, education, buses and the state of the high street. As the MP, I’m conscious that I’m our community’s voice in Parliament so I want to make sure that in my speeches I’m reflecting not just my own views, but what people in Kingswood tell me they want to see change.
Damien has been selected as Labour’s candidate for the new Bristol North East constituency
9. What are the priorities for you in the short time you’ll be in office before the general election? Kathryn Gordon
The immediate priority since being elected has been to quickly set up an office and understand how Parliament works.
Next is about how to raise and influence the issues that people in Kingswood told me they cared most about; cost of living, NHS crisis, safety, as well as education, buses and the state of the high street.
I’m trying not to think too much about when the election will be and focus more on how I can make a difference in a short space of time.
10. How would you feel if you were asked to vote in the House of Commons for the UK armed forces to go to war on an issue that you disagreed with? Toni Smyth
I think you would feel a huge sense of responsibility to make the right decision. The most important responsibility of any government is the security of our country. These aren’t decisions that can be taken lightly and in any event like this, you would want to be fully knowledgeable of the facts and aware of all the risks.
I am worried about the long-term cuts to our forces and our defence capability – I spoke about this in my maiden speech. We are living in an ever-changing world with increased threats and sadly peace isn’t something we can take for granted.
Next in the 10 Questions hot seat will be the Labour mayor for the West of England, Dan Norris. Email your questions to ed-team@bristol247.com
This story was originally published in the May & June 2024 Bristol24/7 magazine
All photos: Damien Egan
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