2026: Week 6 - Teignmouth Lido and Palantir

This week brought the news that the Executive at Teignbridge District Council have voted to sell the Teignmouth Lido, and also not to open it this summer.

Whilst the sale was not unexpected, I had hoped that the Lido would be opened this summer, not least to offer any interested community group the chance to “learn the ropes” in running and maintaining such a community asset.

With Local Government Reorganisation just around the corner, I can understand why district councils are looking at their assets and divesting those that would otherwise be sold off once they come under the care of a large unitary council. Unfortunately providing leisure services, such as swimming pools, is not a statutory duty of local government, so there is a very real possibility that whatever unitary we find ourselves in would sell the lido to the highest bidder. 

Thankfully the Lido is currently listed as an asset of community value, and therefore the council has to allow a period of 6 months from the decision to sell in order for interested community groups to put in a bid.  I am aware of an established group that is hoping to do so, I also understand that there are a few Teignmouth Councillors who have pledged to help them, and I would like to add my support to this in the hope that the Lido can be opened this summer and successfully run by a community group, for the people of Teignmouth.  It would be a huge loss to the town and surrounding areas if this valuable asset were to be lost.

Last weekend I held a pop up surgery alongside Kingsteignton Town Council’s coffee morning, where I met with several residents to discuss various issues that they are experiencing. I’ve always felt that meeting with residents is one of the most important parts of my job as your MP, time allowing I am always happy for constituents to book in for surgeries at my constituency office, or to hold pop up surgeries around and about the area. Once the weather improves you are also likely to see me out and about at markets, supermarkets and local community spaces, I am determined to maximise opportunities for people to come and talk to me.

It has been a rather busy time in Westminster the past couple of weeks, and I have raised various issues to ministers in Parliament.  I have asked questions about Palantir, the company who hold various AI and technology contracts within our military and the NHS.  There are legitimate concerns around this company, not least that it appears they are linked to a lobbying company co-founded by the disgraced Peer, Peter Mandelson.  I will continue to press the Government for full transparency on these links and asking how Palantir was awarded such huge government contracts with what appears to be minimal oversight.

I have also been pushing for better funding to be made available to communities that have been hit hard by storm damage.  Our constituency was hit by three back to back storms during January, and the costs to clean up after these storms are huge.  I don’t believe that our local councils should be left to shoulder the costs of this clean up alone, in the light of Climate Change and the ever increasing likelihood of storms such as these there needs to be an emergency fund available for communities to access.