Constituency Event with Dr Peter Prinsley MP

On Friday 18 July 2025, the Eastern Powerhouse convened an event in Bury St Edmunds for local businesses, and FE/HE institutions, to meet with the newly elected MP for Bury St Edmunds & Stowmarket, Dr Peter Prinsley. The purpose was to discuss local business interests and concerns, raise these issues with the local MP to assist future Parliamentary representation, and foster cross-sector collaboration.

To kick-off the discussion, opening remarks were made by Dr Peter Prinsley MP, Dr Nikos Savvas (Group CEO, Eastern Education Group), and Mark Morrin (Research Associate, Eastern Powerhouse).

Discussion Summary

About the Eastern Powerhouse (Mark Morrin, Research Associate)

• The Eastern Powerhouse is a membership body of private companies, colleges, universities and local authorities across East England.

• It was founded to elevate and amplify the region’s voice and counter historical underinvestment in the East, compared with other parts of the country.

• The approach taken to regional development mirrors other parts of England (e.g. Northern Powerhouse, Midlands Engine, Western Gateway) to promote the economic potential of the East and make the case to Government for strategic investments in skills and infrastructure that can unlock future growth.

• The political shift since the General Election is seismic. There are 27 new MPs in the East and Labour is now the majority party in the region. This provides much needed energy and a fresh approach to political representation across the East.

Education as Transformation (Dr Nikos Savvas, Group CEO, Eastern Education Group)

From Particle Physics to Purpose

• After decades in advanced research of particle physics — building Stanford’s particle accelerator— Dr. Savvas found deeper fulfilment in further education, where one learner’s success story ignited his vocation as a teacher and college leader.

• Learner-Centred Pedagogy

• Emphasises personalised learning pathways: Level 1 to Level 3 modular progression that rekindles learners’ confidence.

• Integrates pastoral support with academic tutoring, enabling students to overcome personal challenges (for example, teenage motherhood or disengagement).

Community Impact & Social Mobility

• Targets NEET cohorts by embedding career coaching and employer partnerships into the curriculum.

• Engages families through home-based homework clubs, transforming household attitudes towards education and raising intergenerational aspirations.

Strategic Partnerships

• Co-designed apprenticeships with major regional employers, doubling local apprenticeship starts even as national numbers declined.

• Collaborates with the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector to provide wraparound support—mental health, housing advice and job placement—for vulnerable learners.

Institutional Achievements

• Quadrupled post-16 enrolments across rural catchments in West Suffolk.

• Rescued Ipswich FE provision post-bankruptcy, turning around finances and learner outcomes within 12 months.

• Established three Outstanding colleges under one group—a rural UK first—with over 8,000 16–18-year-olds and the largest adult education cohort in the region.

Vision for Public Transport Devolution

• Rural bus timetables force one-hour-plus journeys on 20-minute routes.

• Proposes college-run bus services as proof-of-concept for devolved community transport budgets, improving learner access and modelling public-sector innovation.

Political Wins and Devolution (Dr Peter Prinsley MP)

Dr Prinsley emphasised that he is new to parliament and has only recently become a full-time politician.

Devolution

• Place-based devolution was identified as an important and potentially transformative development in the region.

• The MP positioned Bury St Edmunds as a neutral option and potential “Capital of East Anglia” to host the Norfolk-Suffolk mayoral office.

Hospital Campaign

• On the back of his question at PMQs the MP has already secured a win for the constituency with the rebuild funding for West Suffolk and Great Yarmouth Hospitals announced in the Budget.

• The MP added that other hospitals in the region are also identified for rebuild funding.

National Policy Engagement

• The MP has contributed to assisted dying debates and negotiated with junior doctors to avert strikes by improving working conditions, rota patterns and student-loan concessions.

Digital Transformation Advocacy

• The MP champions the ten-year NHS plan and the potential for digital transformation: patient-owned medical records on smartphones, AI-driven population health insights and unified data platforms across primary, secondary and community care. 

Q&A Themes

The public finances

• SMEs voiced distress over National Insurance rises, minimum-wage increases and energy costs.

• Dr. Prinsley MP challenged attendees to suggest alternative revenue sources to sustain health, education and transport improvements.

• Proposed measures included taxes on  large corporates, windfall levies on energy giants and targeted gambling duties.

Connectivity & Infrastructure

• Calls for direct rail links to London, faster Ely–Haughley junction upgrades and increased Cambridge–Norwich frequency.

• Surface transport priorities: A14 widening, Ipswich bridge repairs and rural freight corridors.

• Community transport: pilot FE-led bus schemes to build evidence for devolved transport powers.

Devolution & Cross-Authority Collaboration

• Strong consensus in the room on the benefits of forming a combined authority for Norfolk &, Suffolk, and Essex, in addition to CPCA which could strengthen the regional voice.

• Mayors collaborating on strategic investments—transport, digital hubs and skills clusters—to break siloed local approaches.

Digital Transformation & Data-Driven Policy

• One business representative advocated the need for continuous feedback loops to improve services: capture failure-data, iterate projects and deploy AI-enabled policy “sandboxes.”

• Dr. Prinsley MP emphasised the potential of a unified digital medical records as a preventive-health catalyst and operational efficiency driver.

Local Growth Opportunities

• Leverage Cambridge’s £100 billion life-sciences cluster for West Suffolk spin-outs, satellite labs and talent pipelines.

• Develop innovation hubs and co-working spaces at strategic rail stations along the East Coast corridor.

Skills & Workforce Development

• Co-design training with FE colleges to fill local shortages in logistics, advanced manufacturing and digital services.

• Initiatives like Women in Logistics to broaden sector diversity and harness under-tapped talent pools.

Suggested actions

A number of suggested actions emerged from the discussion.

Norfolk-Suffolk Devolution Deal

• Convene MPs, business networks and education providers to inform mayoral authority scope, governance and funding streams.

Launch Transport Pilot Schemes

• Trial FE-led community bus operations to demonstrate impact, gather usage data and underpin bids for devolved transport budgets.

Coordinate Strategic Infrastructure Campaign

• Organise combined authority (inc. CPCA, Norfolk & Suffolk, Essex) lobbying on Ely & Haughley rail junctions, A14 capacity upgrades and direct London services.

Establish a Regional AI & Digital Hub

• Form an innovation centre with West Suffolk College, the University of East Anglia and local councils to prototype AI in health, transport and skills delivery.

Forge Cambridge Cluster Partnerships

• Facilitate MoUs between Cambridge biotech/tech firms and West Suffolk institutions for R&D satellite centres and joint apprenticeships.

Embed Data-Driven Policy Units

• Create measurement and feedback teams within local government to capture project outcomes, iterate quickly and scale successes.