About
I am the Rt Hon Michelle Donelan and I have been a Member of Parliament for over nine years and former Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, former Secretary of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and an Education Minister for almost three years.
Creating opportunities is something I am truly passionate about – it is the reason why I entered politics, and it was the theme of my Maiden Speech in Parliament in 2015.
I believe an MP’s job should be to knock down barriers, open doors and create opportunities for all.
I have always believed in people - but we need to ensure everyone has the choices and chances to succeed. I want to help make this a reality for all – a country where there is not just a safety net to catch those who fall, but also ladders out to help people thrive, no matter what background they come from.
Some of my proudest achievements over the past nine years as an MP and a senior cabinet minister are:
- Securing millions of extra investment into Wiltshire schools and successfully campaigning for per-pupil funding to be increased by 13.3%. Education is one of the closest things we have to a silver bullet in improving social mobility, which is why I have consistently championed this issue and I have been successful in increasing the total funding allocated to schools for 5-16 year old pupils to £7,690 - up 49% since 2010/11.
- Leading the way in delivering the ground breaking Online Safety Act, which will help keep our children safe and will make the UK the safest place to be online in the world.
- Standing up for our pensioners and tackling loneliness. Inside and outside of cabinet, I have been a strong voice for our elderly - who, having worked hard all their life, deserve dignity in retirement. I fought to retain and maintain the Triple Lock on pensions, which has brought so many pensioners out of poverty. I have also held many Over 60s fairs in our pocket of Wiltshire to help elderly constituents find social groups and new hobbies. I have always stood up for our pensioners and I have been vocal about the disastrous decision by the Labour Government to scrap the winter fuel payment this winter.
- Be as accessible and approachable as I can be. Often those who most need the help of an MP do not know where to turn, which is why over the years I have held thousands of surgeries, held stands at all the village fetes, held pop-up stands in supermarkets. I have also responded to tens of thousands of letters, emails and phone calls as well as proactively resolving issues in our community.
- Standing up for Defence. I pushed for an increase in defence spending which when we were in government, we announced an extra £75 billion over six years. I have been vocal about the need to ensure our forces have the best equipment and accommodation plus the best care once they retire. I have welcomed the additional £2.4 million boost we committed to veterans' mental health services and our new support package. I will always stand up for greater investment in our Armed Forces to keep us safe.
- Raising thousands of pounds for good causes. I have always been instrumental in supporting various community causes, raising significant funds to drive positive change. By walking the entire length of the Kennet and Avon Canal (in just 3 days with no training prior) I raised £7,500 for Holt pre-school, which helped them secure the pre-school for future generations. I raised £10,000 for Melksham Free Dining through a charity dinner and auction I held- helping MfD to open an extra day and serve hundreds of extra hot meals to vulnerable residents each week. I have always and will always supper Wiltshire Air Ambulance and I have helped raise thousands for them by taking part in their ‘It’s a Knockout’ competition for the past few years - as well as rattling a donations can for them at each of my village fete stands.
- I have helped tons of local students find their dream job by creating and holding Wiltshire’s first Festival of Engineering as well as holding Wiltshire’s biggest career fairs. Supporting local jobs and skills development has always been a passion of mine and I was also able to attract the investment needed to open the UK’s first business-led Cyber Centre - which has created 250 new jobs and 1,700 training opportunities in our pocket of Wiltshire.
- I started and progressed my campaign to upgrade Melksham Hospital to help take pressure off our local GP surgeries and to enable nearby towns and villages to utilise the facility without a long journey. High levels of house building have rocketed this need. Melksham has had more than its fair share of housing over the years, and local health facilities have not grown in line with these new houses. Many also have to travel to larger hospitals in Bath, Bristol and Swindon for routine tests and procedures, which can be time consuming, expensive and inaccessible for those relying on public transport to get treatment or visit loved Ones. I’ve been building the community case for investment and showing that an upgraded site in Melksham is viable. I have met with the previous Health Secretary multiple times to push our case – and I will always fight our corner and stand up for local residents