Campaign Successes
View Steve's campaign successes since his election...
After advocating for months for funding for Torbay Hospital's Tower Block, Steve helped to the secure the £8 million pounds needed for fire safety works at the Tower Block.
He is continuing to campaign to see the rebuild of Torbay Hospital, as put forward in the new Hospitals programme, moved forward.
Steve obtained U-turn from the government on their plans to scrap Healthwatch, an independent body which investigates our health organisations to check they are performing properly.
Healthwatch is crucial for giving vulnerable people a voice in how they are treated within health organisations.
Steve repeatedly advocated for the government to introduce a ‘Carers Allowance Taper,’ which would mean that hardworking carers who earn pennies over the threshold for Carers Allowance do not lose their entire allowance.
He was very pleased to see that the government listened to these calls and announced this policy in the Autumn 2026 Budget.
Steve ensured the preservation of Paignton Post Office after it was threatened with closure. He handed in a petition with over 500 signatures from residents to the Government to press the Prime Minister to keep the Post Office open
Steve secured £20 million pounds of pride in Place funding for Torquay, which will help revitalise the town.
After an extremely hard-fought campaign, the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust announced that they would not be going ahead with the Case for Change, which would have seen the PPCI department at Torbay Hospital moved to Exeter, making it riskier for all Torbay residents.
Steve Darling MP and the Heart Campaign put a great deal of work into the campaign including several letters to Government Ministers.
Steve fought off the threatened closure of the Custody Suite at Torquay Police Station.
After Steve wrote to the Home Secretary to raise serious concerns about the proposed closure, the Devon and Cornwall Police reversed their decision and said that the custody centre attached to Torquay Police Station would remain open for the foreseeable future.
Along with Lib Dem Councillors, Chris Carter, Nigel Penny and Cat Johns, Steve ensured a direct bus between Paignton Bus Station and the main entrance of Torbay Hospital has been reinstated, ending the need for vulnerable and older residents of Paignton & Preston to have to walk up a large hill to the Hospital.