Hemel Hempstead MP makes health campus pledge during maiden speech in Parliament

Mr Taylor said his family’s connection with Hemel Hempstead came from the building of the new town following the Second World War.

He continued: “This new town was one of Labour’s finest achievements – providing families with decent housing, good quality factory jobs, education, and healthcare. From Chaulden, where my dad grew up, to Highfield, where my mum did, to Grovehill, where my aunt and uncle live, each area of council housing was centred around shops, a community centre, a place of worship, schools, and a GP surgery. I therefore welcome our new government’s commitment to build genuinely affordable housing and new council homes whilst also ensuring the right infrastructure accompanies them.”

He joked he would be “happy to show ministers the virtues of our ingenious, and much misunderstood, Magic Roundabout”.

The MP said healthcare will be one of his priorities, and he is keen for a new community hospital to be built. Mr Taylor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he would be “fighting to ensure that improvements to health services are felt right here in Hemel and our surrounding communities” and added that “an absolute hard line is making sure we don’t see any reduction in the standard of services for residents”.

He said: “I support, and am pushing for a health campus – this must be the most ambitious version possible, with plans for a community hospital on the table.”

Education for children with special educational needs was pointed to as a particular area of concern. Mr Taylor said: “The SEND situation in Dacorum and Hertfordshire is particularly bad – it is an issue that came up repeatedly when talking to voters as a candidate, and it’s top of my postbag now as an MP.

“At my most recent surgery, one parent, Natasha, told me her son Alfie had been diagnosed with autism at age 5, yet was repeatedly refused an EHCP, and has been waiting for a specialist appointment for almost 2 years.”

Mr Taylor is a member of the all-party parliamentary group on SEND, and last month joined MPs from across Hertfordshire to sign a letter calling for action from Hertfordshire County Council on SEND education.

Recently, Hertfordshire County Council revealed there has been an eleven per cent increase in the number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) created in the last year, with 1,699 finalised in the year to June. 56 per cent of EHCPs were completed within the required 20-week period.

After the government announced an extra £1bn spending on SEND education in its recent Budget, Mr Taylor told the Sun: “After 14 years of the Tories gutting vital support services, this is a great start to rebuilding and giving our wonderful SEND pupils the help they deserve and need. I will continue pushing for even more.”

Mr Taylor was elected ahead of Conservative candidate Andrew Williams who received over 4,000 fewer votes in the July election.