Labour MPs Push for Action on Deprivation in Coastal “Sea Wall” Constituencies

Published: 26 September 2025, The English Chronicle Desk

A group of Labour MPs representing coastal constituencies is calling for urgent action to tackle entrenched deprivation in their areas, warning that failure to act could leave the party vulnerable to Reform. The MPs plan to use the upcoming Labour party conference to push for a comprehensive programme to boost post-16 training and apprenticeships, akin to the London Challenge, which transformed struggling schools under Tony Blair’s government.

The Coastal Parliamentary Labour Party group, established earlier this year by Polly Billington, MP for East Thanet, includes 66 MPs representing towns along the Kent, Essex, and northern coastal belt. The group is demanding the appointment of a dedicated minister for coastal communities, increased investment in public transport, and concerted efforts to reduce persistent health inequalities.

The campaign marks a deliberate focus on “sea wall” constituencies, contrasting with the party’s recent emphasis on red wall seats in formerly industrial northern and midlands towns. While definitions of the red wall vary, the coastal MPs point out that their seats face comparable or greater levels of deprivation, particularly in education, skills, and youth employment.

The group highlights the challenges facing young people in coastal towns, many of whom are neither in education nor employment. Those who pursue higher education often leave for larger cities, draining local talent. The MPs argue that targeted investment in vocational skills and non-graduate job opportunities could help reverse these trends.

Billington emphasised the potential of coastal communities at a pre-conference briefing, saying: “My constituency may sit in affluent Kent, but the deprived towns of East Thanet have far more in common with Blackpool, Scarborough, or Rhyl than they do with leafy Sevenoaks or Tunbridge Wells.” She noted the unique difficulties faced by coastal areas, including poor transport links, reliance on seasonal tourism, and limited employment opportunities.

Yet she also highlighted the potential these communities hold. “They boast spectacular natural landscapes, world-class opportunities in clean energy, and under-served job markets full of ambitious young people waiting for better opportunities,” she said. “It seems hard to believe now, but in the 1990s people wrote off London as a lost cause, with underperforming schools and serious problems with crime. But the last Labour government ignored the doomsters and launched the London Challenge, which transformed the lives of London’s youngsters and delivered lasting change to communities across our capital.”

Research has consistently shown that coastal towns dominate UK statistics for deprivation, with young people disproportionately affected through limited education, employment, and health prospects. Labour MPs warn that without intervention, these areas risk falling further behind, both economically and politically.

Ahead of the conference, ministers announced a new levelling-up-style fund targeting hundreds of deprived communities, including coastal towns, designed to revive high streets and public spaces through initiatives such as the Pride in Place programme. Among the beneficiaries are parts of the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, Southend in Essex, and Torbay in Devon.

A Labour spokesperson said: “Britain faces a choice between decency and renewal with Labour, or the division and decline offered by Reform. Labour’s conference will set out how we choose the path of renewal towards a fairer country that has rediscovered its pride and is taking control of its future.”