Polly has called for the government to appoint a dedicated Minister for Coastal Communities to drive the revitalisation of coastal areas like East Thanet.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Polly said that investing in public services and economic growth in coastal communities had the potential to deliver rapid change to communities that have long been neglected under the Conservatives, but that there needed to be a champion in government to turbocharge the drive for change.

She said coastal communities offered so much potential to support the government’s decade of national renewal, including large numbers of young people in need of high-quality, well-paid jobs like those in construction, or thriving creative communities that could drive the revitalisation of local economies in coastal areas. She said a Minister for Coastal Communities was needed to drive forward a cross-government coastal communities strategy, a call that was supported by a large number of coastal MPs in the debate.

Polly has made championing coastal communities a key priority as an MP, and is both the Co-Chair of the Coastal Communities All-Party Parliamentary Group of MPs and Chair of the coastal grouping of Labour MPs.