With the State Opening of Parliament and a series of new ministerial appointments, May has been an exceptionally busy month for MPs in Westminster, resulting in a quieter period for our Fellows. Here, we look back over the engagements that took place over May on the Fellowship Programme.

On Friday 1 May, Gregor Poynton MP visited NextPharma in his constituency of Livingston, his Fellowship has now changed focus to explore and better understand some of the key businesses within the area he represents. NextPharma is a pharmaceutical manufacturing and development company that supports the production of medicines,  including analytical, formulation and site based manufacturing. Through a tour of the site, Gregor got to understand their operations and speak with employees. Then they visited the lab where an analytical and formulation demonstration took place, the visit concluded at the production facility.

On Friday 8 May, Amanda Martin MP continued her Fellowship with a visit to Barratt Redrow’s new housing development at Harbour Views in Hampshire. Barratt Redrow is the UK’s largest housebuilder, and focuses on delivering sustainable communities, high‑quality design, and large‑scale residential growth. The company’s developments in Havant, including Harbour Views, play a significant role in the regional supply of new homes that support Portsmouth’s housing market in Amanda’s constituency, strengthen workforce mobility, and contribute to wider economic growth.

On Friday 15 May, Baroness Smith continued her Fellowship exploring opportunities for young people in Wales through a visit to Airbus, a key hub for commercial wing manufacturing and a major Welsh employer, supporting approximately 6,000 jobs and contributing an estimated £311 million annually to the Welsh economy. Baroness Smith met apprentices to discuss their training and career pathways, followed by a tour of the A350 wing facility, where Airbus develops and produces wings for its commercial fleet.

The following week, both Gordon McKee MP and Peter Fortune MP continued their respective Fellowships with visits to Meta HQ in London. Gordon’s discussions centred on technology innovation and how emerging digital tools are shaping opportunities for UK businesses, while Peter focused on AI skills development and the capabilities needed to support a growing, AI‑enabled workforce.

We would like to thank the organisations for their continued support in facilitating these Fellowship visits, as well as all the parliamentarians involved with the programme.