I’m a big supporter of local NHS community services – like district nurses and community matrons – who help older people and patients with long-term conditions stay healthy and living independently in their own homes. On Wednesday 31 July I visited the call centre that co-ordinates community services across […]
I recently visited Taylor and Bloxham, a local print company that employs over 200 people across 3 locations in Leicester. The recession, and increased use of the internet, means Taylor and Bloxham has to work really hard to develop and change their business. The Chief Executive Chris Bowen told me […]
For most of us, the recent spell of hot weather has meant getting out into the garden or the local park to enjoy the sunshine. But for many of my constituents in Mowmacre, the high temperatures are aggravating the stench from the local Biffa recycling plant to unbearable levels. This issue has gone […]
You may have heard that the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has proposed increasing MPs’s salaries by 9% (£7,000) in 2015. I think this is completely wrong when so many of my constituents are struggling to make ends meet and other public sector workers’ pay has been held to a […]
I recently popped in to the Leicester People’s Photographic Gallery, in the former Central Lending Library. It’s a brilliant place that showcases photos by amateurs and professionals alike, which is run on an entirely voluntary basis led by Ian Davies from Braunstone. I’d really encourage you to visit the gallery […]
When we talk about the need to improve social care, many people focus the elderly. But 1 in 3 people who use social care services are people of working age with a disability. I recently spoke in a House of Commons debate about the crucial role social care plays in […]
The NHS was created in 1948. It was, and remains, based on the fundamental principle that healthcare should be universal, free at the point of use, based on people’s need and not their ability to pay. On July 5th I helped celebrate the NHS’s 65th anniversary with a visit to […]
The Government has recently published a report on improving the training of healthcare assistants (HCA) – a crucial issue as these important staff provide an increasing amount of direct patient care. There have been many previous initiatives to improve HCA training but without a proper system for registering these staff, […]
Being told that a loved one has cancer is surely one of the most difficult things anyone can hear. As the news sinks in, families not only have to cope with all the pressures of going through treatment, but practical issues like sorting out work commitments and family finances, and […]
Even during these tough economic times, the public sector still spends a significant amount of money on external goods and services. I’m keen to see as much of this money as possible invested in local businesses as they are more likely to invest in Leicester’s economy and take on local […]
Food banks demonstrate both the best and worst of our society. The best, because volunteers give so much of their time and energy, and the worst because it is simply wrong that we need food banks at all, especially in a country like Britain. On Friday 5th July, the local […]
On Thursday 27th June I was on BBC Question Time with the Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts MP, the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats Simon Hughes MP, writer and social policy analyst Jill Kirby, and the comedian Mark Steel. We discussed the state of the economy, internet […]
