Rebecca believes that hard-working British families should have the right to good-quality, affordable housing. The South West Devon MP has been a vocal critic of unscrupulous property management companies such as FirstPort and argues forcefully for infrastructure investment to accompany new housing developments.
The South West Devon MP brings a wealth of experience about housing to her role. Way back in 2003 Rebecca worked as a graduate administrator in the Plymouth City Council Homelessness Team and, as a councillor, acted as Chair of Planning Committee and Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Homes and Communities.
Since being elected, Rebecca has taken FirstPort to task. Rebecca has penned a joint letter with 12 Conservative colleagues and met twice with FirstPort to raise constituents' concerns with the national management team and demanding improvements. This was followed up with another letter in March 2025 to ask FirstPort what steps had been taken to improve customer service, billing, complaint handling, and transparency. A follow up meeting has been secured.
The local MP is also working closely with the Sherford Consortium, local authorities and other key stakeholders to improve local services and infrastructure in Sherford. Significant progress has been made with the opening of a convenience shop, country park, and sport pitches which host football, hockey, tennis, and walking football.
Housing complaints are sadly not limited to FirstPort and Rebecca resolves individual cases every week. This includes supporting families navigating physical and mobility issues to access funding through the local authority's Disabled Facilities Grant and working with tenants to put right damp and mouldy properties. Rebecca recognises the need to build and maintain homes appropriate for tenants and homeowners at all stages of life. She also argues that new housing developments must be built in the right places, utilising brownfield sights and protecting Devon's prized natural environment for future generations.
Rebecca has also raised the alarm about a mass-landlord exodus triggered by the Labour Government's Renters' Rights Bill. Sitting on the Public Bill Committee which scrutinises the proposed legislation, the local MP has argued that abolishing ‘no-fault’ evictions without improving the court system to manage disputes will likely push private landlords out of the sector and place even more pressure on our local housing stock.
View recent articles on Rebecca's work to support sustainable housebuilding in South West Devon below.
