I have today, Wednesday, called on the Government to take urgent action after new figures were released that show over 40 per cent of children in Leicester are growing up in poverty – which is a rise of almost three per cent in the last year. Here in Leicester West we have over 11,600 children living in poverty.  

These shameful figures lay bare this Government’s failure to tackle child poverty, harming their life chances and our country’s future success.

Children living in poverty are more likely to start school months behind children from better off backgrounds. They are also less likely to do well at school, go onto further education, earn the same salaries as their better off peers and therefore find a way out of the poverty trap.

Poverty doesn’t just affect families on benefits, it’s also working parents who are increasingly finding themselves and their children trapped in poverty. The shambolic introduction of Universal Credit and the rise in zero hours contacts alongside increasing rents and the rising cost of living mean more and more families across Leicester are struggling.

I believe that no child should be growing up in poverty. The Government must wake up to this crisis and take urgent action to ensure every child has an equal chance in life.

I have long campaigned for increased safety outside of our local schools. So I was so pleased to hear that following meetings that myself and Councillor Vijay Singh Riyait have held with the school and officers from the council, additional work is now being carried out near Belgrave St Peter’s Primary school to ensure young people can travel to and from school safely.

Plans have been agreed for a child bollard to be installed near the Red Hill roundabout and also on Abbey Lane. There will also be further pencil bollards installed on the corner of Thurcaston Road.

The school are also looking for a School Crossing Patrol Officer so if you know of anyone who may be interested, you can find more details here.

I was absolutely thrilled to join students at Beaumont Lodge Primary School on Friday for their World Autism Awareness Week assembly. They were looking at the importance of understanding and celebrating difference and the how important it is to be kind to each other.

They also asked me lots of questions about being an MP and were really keen to learn more about the Houses of Parliament.

I was extremely proud to open the new outreach office for homelessness charity Emmaus on Hinckley Road on Friday.

Emmaus is a fantastic charity that is dedicated to giving people who have been homeless the opportunity to rebuild their lives and get back on their feet.

Their brilliant new “Brighter Futures” project is there to provide even more help for people to find work and training with personalised support and advice – from help writing CVs, confidence building, housing advice and benefits and debt advice.

If you’d like to learn more about the project visit Emmaus Leicestershire