Come Join Me for a Coffee and a Chat! If you live in the Redmarley area, come grab coffee and have a chat with me! I’m hosting a drop-in Coffee Morning on Saturday, 18th April, 10:00 am–12:00 pm, and I want to hear what matters most to you — both locally and nationally. Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../coffee-morning-with-matt ... Or contact my office at 01594 540534 or matt.bishop.mp @parliament.uk , and we’ll add you manually. For clarity: Specific venue detai

The Countryside Alliance has launched a new interactive rural crime map to highlight the reality of crime affecting communities like ours in the Forest of Dean. If you have experienced rural crime locally, please consider sharing your story here: https://www.countryside-alliance.org/report-rural-crime

I recently visited Severnbanks Primary School and was pleased to meet with Headteacher, Mrs Bradley. It was great to see first-hand the positive environment the school has created for its pupils. We had conversations on a number of important issues, including the support in place for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). I was particularly impressed by the school’s approach to SEND, and the clear commitment from staff to ensuring every child is supp

Having heard from constituents about tipping across the Forest of Dean, it was important to visit the site at Over and see first-hand how this is affecting the local community. While I have spoken to many residents about this issue, seeing the scale of it in person brought home just how significant the challenge is. The effect on local and wider communities was evident during my visit, with air quality significantly affected by strong odours and fumes, and part of the site ev

Over recent months, I’ve had the chance to speak with many residents across the Forest of Dean about the proposed Local Plan, and I’m very grateful to everyone who took the time to share their views. Your feedback has been clear and consistent: we do need new homes in the Forest of Dean—but this is not the right way to deliver them. I’ve set out my thoughts in a full statement below. Please do take a moment to read it.

I recently watched Five Acres students perform in the Shakespeare Schools Festival at the Riverside Theatre, and it was a fantastic night full of talent. Huge congratulations to the students for this brilliant performance—your confidence, passion, and commitment to the show were clear to see. It was great to see local students on stage, showcasing the talent we have here in the Forest of Dean. I have no doubt we’ll be seeing these students on many different stages in the year

Best of luck to The Dean Academy , who have entered this year’s National Reading Championship Quiz, which is being run by the Literacy Trust and ALCS UK. The quiz is a great opportunity to show what star readers you are and how well you work as a team! Good luck, and have a great time! #NRC #growagenerationofreaders

I had a great visit to the Key Stage 1 class at Redmarley Primary Academy last week. They’ve been learning about Kings and Queens, and it was great to chat with them about how laws are actually made today. They had some brilliant questions — including how we decide on new laws and what happens when people don’t agree! Always nice to see so much curiosity and enthusiasm at such a young age. Big thanks to the staff for having me!

Last week I held Session Three of my Mock Parliament programme at Dene Magna Sixth Form in Cinderford. This session focused on preparing students for debating in the Chamber. Alongside practising parliamentary protocol and etiquette, students cemented their understanding of key procedures, such as “bobbing” to catch the Speaker’s eye, how to intervene during a speech, and what makes a strong contribution to a debate. Students were also given the tools to help them write and d

Last week, I was grateful to visit Forest Pulse HQ in Mitcheldean to see all the fantastic work they are doing for our community and to take a look at their new sensory room. Chris and the team attended my most recent SEND event, and it was great to continue those vital conversations during the visit and to hear their invaluable insights into SEND and the support needed here in the Forest of Dean. Thank you to Chris and the team for showing me around their fantastic space and

Today, on International Women’s Day, I want to recognise a woman who has spent decades standing up for women across the Forest of Dean – Di Martin. Born at the Dilke and a proud Forester, Di was the first in her family to go to university and has always carried a strong sense of justice and fairness. Her life changed dramatically at 31 when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour, leaving her temporarily disabled and facing immense challenges. Rather than holding her back, this

Last week saw the second session take place for Mock Parliament. A huge thank you to Dean Academy for hosting us. During the session, we discussed parliamentary protocol and learned the etiquette of the chamber — from debating and speaking in the House of Commons, to how to properly address the Speaker, and much more. It was fantastic to see protocol put into practice as students selected their cabinets and stood against one another to apply the theory they had learned. It’s

Great result for a constituent who sought my office's help in securing an accessibility ramp to get in and out of their home following their hip operation. I am pleased the ramp has now been fitted, and we were able to help and support this family. Please get in touch with my team and me at matt.bishop.mp@parliament.uk if you need support too.

My team and I, alongside SENDIASS, are holding more advice sessions next week, with a couple of 1:1 slots available for parent carers, families, or individuals seeking support, guidance, and advice. Please see the details below: Date: Tuesday, 3rd March Time: 9:00am – 5:00pm Where: Coleford If you would like to book an appointment, please email my office at: matt.bishop.mp@parliament.uk

Huge congratulations to Five Acres High School, Dene Magna Secondary School, and Primrose Hill C of E Primary Academy – all recognised as being among the top quartile nationally for supporting the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. Their excellent outcomes are a real credit to the dedication of staff, the hard work of pupils, and the support of families. The Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson MP, and I have both written to the headteachers to congratulate them on their

It was great to visit Bream C of E Primary School and see the brilliant work they’re doing through their breakfast club, and the difference it’s making for pupils and families. These clubs help parents manage work, give children a positive start to the day, and make a real difference to their life chances. That’s exactly what our Plan for Change is all about for children in the Forest of Dean, making sure children and their families have support in place that enables them to

Last week I launched a Mock Parliament, bringing together students from all six of our secondary schools. It was fantastic to see young people exploring how Parliament works, debating topics they care about—from AI to climate change—and building confidence to use their voice. We were also joined by the Rt Hon Jonathan Reynolds MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip), who held a Q&A with students and explained the role of a whip in government. This was the fir

Last week, I was lucky enough to be able to catch up with Jane and Dave at Dean Radio and chat about a range of topics that matter to constituents in the Forest of Dean and across the country. It’s always great to do local radio and I look forward to chatting with Jane and Dave again soon. Thanks for having me!

A constituent in the Forest of Dean, a victim of domestic abuse, has seen her case listed and relisted multiple times since 2023, with delays repeatedly granted due to medical claims by the defendant. Repeated adjournments risk denying justice for victims, and I am pleased that Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services, agreed to meet with me to discuss how cases like these can be addressed without further traumatisation.