Graham opened Sir Keir Starmer’s final Prime Minister’s Questions with a good-humoured football-themed farewell.
Graham compared the Prime Minister to Jude Bellingham scoring the winning goal before joking that politics was a ruthless game and that Sir Keir had been shown a red card by “400 dodgy referees”.
He asked what advice the outgoing Prime Minister had for Andy Burnham to make sure that he did not also end up having “an early bath”.
Sir Keir joked that it was probably the first and last time he would be compared to Jude Bellingham. He said he would give his successor and the England team his wholehearted support.
The exchange marked the end of Sir Keir’s time as Prime Minister and provided a chance to look back at Graham’s work for Beverley and Holderness since the 2024 General Election.
Since returning to Parliament with a much-reduced majority of 124, Graham has focused relentlessly on local campaigns, helping residents and making sure Beverley and Holderness is heard in Parliament.
He has heard from 1,649 people through his surveys, helped 11,155 people in different ways and voted 337 times on behalf of his constituents.
He has also made 751 contributions in Parliament through questions, interventions and speeches.
The issue raised most often by local people was Labour’s decision to remove Winter Fuel Payments from millions of pensioners.
Graham organised protests in Beverley and Withernsea, launched a petition signed by more than 1,100 people, spoke against the cut in Parliament and presented the petition to the Chancellor.
That pressure, alongside campaigning by pensioners and MPs across the country, forced the Government to change course and restore the payment to millions of pensioners.
Graham has also repeatedly challenged the Family Farm Tax.
He launched a local petition, led a Westminster Hall debate and pressed ministers to listen to farming families worried about the future of their farms.
The Government later increased the threshold for the tax following sustained pressure from farmers, rural communities and MPs.
Graham has also used his parliamentary work to highlight the problems facing young people trying to get their first job.
He has warned that higher employment costs are making businesses less likely to take a chance on younger workers and has pressed ministers to protect the first rung on the employment ladder.
Alongside his work in Parliament, Graham has continued to campaign on local roads and transport, mobile phone coverage, support for farmers and businesses, and the protection of Preston’s historic Nun’s Walk.
Graham said:
“It was good to have a bit of fun at the Prime Minister’s final PMQs.
“People sent me to Parliament to speak up for them, question ministers and make sure our area is not forgotten.
“That parliamentary pressure helped force the Government to restore Winter Fuel Payments for millions of pensioners. It helped put the Family Farm Tax under sustained challenge. And it has highlighted how much harder it is becoming for young people to get their first job.
“Since the election, I have heard from 1,649 people through my surveys and helped more than 11,000 people in different ways.
“I wish the Prime Minister well for the future. But he leaves office having created a great many problems for our country. I hope Andy Burnham has a plan to fix them.”
