On a bright autumn day in Ramsgate, Kent, the quintessential British seaside appears to be thriving. Peter's Fish Factory, a classic chippy, is bustling with lunchtime customers, while local MP Polly Billington poses for photographs at the pier entrance, showcasing a community art project commemorating the Dunkirk evacuation.
Behind this picturesque facade lies a much grimmer reality confronting coastal communities across England and Wales. Billington, who chairs the recently reformed coastal parliamentary Labour party, is determined to address what she calls 'deprivation bingo' - the common challenges facing seaside towns including unreliable public transport, poor job opportunities and geographical isolation.
The Coastal Deprivation Crisis
Recent government statistics reveal the alarming scale of the problem. Nine out of ten of England's most deprived neighbourhoods are in coastal areas, with seven located in Blackpool, one in Hastings, and another in Tendring, Essex. Young people bear the brunt of this deprivation, experiencing poorer mental health outcomes directly linked to their living conditions.
'I know there are kids who live here who can't get to a job because there isn't a bus service or who cannot get to the college they want to go to because they can't afford the train fare,' Billington states. 'If you limit the possibilities of these young people, you can't then say, 'why aren't these kids doing something?''
Cross-Party Call for Coastal Leadership
Billington's solution involves creating a cabinet-level coastal communities minister to coordinate efforts across government departments. Her position finds support from unlikely political allies, including Liberal Democrat MP Steff Aquarone, who represents North Norfolk.
'In my constituency and in dozens of others like it, we're just not getting viable solutions to our local employment needs, our offer for young people, our health care,' Aquarone explains. 'That's because the coastal way of life isn't properly understood and it is not central enough in the government's decision making.'
Aquarone, who led a parliamentary debate on coastal issues earlier this year, was 'blown away' by cross-party attendance, noting that concern about coastal communities transcends political divisions.
Political Stakes and Policy Solutions
The urgency for action is amplified by electoral considerations. Recent modelling by Hope Not Hate suggests Reform UK could capture numerous coastal constituencies at the next election, including Labour seats such as Lowestoft, Scarborough, and Billington's own East Thanet constituency.
Ben Cooper of the Fabian Society, who authored the report 'Breaching the Sea Wall', identifies housing affordability and opportunities for young people as particularly acute concerns in coastal areas. 'Unless they tackle that feeling of disconnect in many of these places, Labour will still struggle,' Cooper warns.
Policy proposals include a coastal version of the successful London Challenge education programme that transformed London schools during the Blair years. Both Billington and Aquarone emphasise the need to focus on coastal communities' potential, not just their problems, suggesting targeted investment in sectors like social care could provide clear career pathways for young residents.
As Billington concludes: 'We need to speak collectively in one voice or we risk being overlooked and ignored.' With deprivation intensifying and political pressure mounting, the call for dedicated coastal leadership grows increasingly urgent.
