EVERY week, I enter the online ballot to ask a question at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs)—and often try to catch the Speaker’s eye in the Chamber too.
Last month, I was finally drawn from the ballot. I decided to use this opportunity to ask about a local war veteran, Staff Sergeant Pauline Cole.
For the past six months, I’ve been closely supporting Pauline, who has been badly let down by the system. She managed to receive military compensation for injuries sustained while serving our country. Shockingly, this has resulted in her Pension Credit being cut from £77 a week to just £11.
This is because the Government currently treats military compensation as income, even though civilian compensation is not counted in the same way. As a result, veterans like Pauline are being forced to use their compensation to cover day-to-day living costs—money that should be protected and respected.
I first raised this injustice in the House of Commons on Remembrance Day last year and have since met with Ministers to push for change. But without decisive Government action, I decided to raise it directly at Prime Minister’s Questions.
In response, the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer agreed to ensure that Pauline “gets the appropriate meeting she wants and needs.” I’ll be holding him to that promise.
I invited Pauline to watch on from the public gallery. A truly special moment in her fight to end this injustice, which has now dragged on for years.
It’s an honour to represent Pauline — someone who has given so much to this country.
We owe her, and every veteran, a debt of gratitude. I will continue fighting for justice for her and all those who have served.
Tackling Delays in Eastbourne’s Postal Service
Since becoming Eastbourne’s MP, I’ve heard from dozens of residents across our town who are facing serious delays in receiving their post. These delays have had real consequences — with many Eastbourne folks telling me they’ve missed medical appointments, had vital medication arrive late, and had difficulties paying bills on time.
Despite these challenges I want to highlight that our posties and delivery office staff are doing a brilliant job. They go above and beyond to get us our post, and they are not to blame for these delays. I want to thank them sincerely for everything they do.
The problem appears to be systemic, not localised to one area. Delays are affecting residents served by both the Eastbourne and Westham delivery offices, and similar issues are cropping up in other parts of the country too. This suggests a wider issue within Royal Mail’s operations, rather than with our hardworking postal workers.
I first raised concerns with Royal Mail shortly after I was elected, providing them with a list of affected postcodes based on reports from residents. Despite repeated follow-ups, the problems persisted.
When we met with executives in January, Royal Mail told us that the delays stem from a mix of changes to delivery rounds and long-term staff sickness, with around 10% of the local workforce off sick.
In early April, I escalated this further by writing to OFCOM and the Department for Business and Trade, urging them to investigate these persistent issues.
Last week, I met with senior Royal Mail staff, including their Regional Operations Director, to swiftly demand action.
I have now been told that Royal Mail has recruited additional postal workers and has put support in place to help long-term sick staff return to work.
I’ll be watching my own letterbox closely to see if these measures make a real difference—and I’m ready to call Royal Mail back into my office if the problems continue.
Please do keep me updated on your postal reliability, so I can continue to press for improvements on your behalf.
Get in touch!
As I approach the first-year anniversary of my time as Eastbourne’s MP, I wanted to remind readers that my team and I are here to help and support you.
You can email me at josh.babarinde.mp@parliament.uk or swing by my office at 100 Seaside Road during our drop-in hours of 1000-1200 each weekday, where a member of my team will be around to chat.
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