I recently visited Great Croft in Camden, a day centre for older people run by Age UK. I spent a couple of hours talking to the people who use the centre, and the fabulous Age UK staff, and I even had the chance to make myself useful by helping to serve […]
There are around 6.4 million unpaid carers in the UK who provide care and support to family, friends and neighbours. Not only do carers provide a lifeline to some of the most vulnerable older and disabled people in our society, they also save the country an estimated £119 billion each […]
On Thursday evening, I sat on the BBC Question Time panel with Energy Secretary Chris Huhne, Sainsbury’s Chief Executive Justin King, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales and Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan. We talked about the strikes, press intrusion, executive pay, green government and criminal apologies. You can watch the show by […]
Christmas is a special time, particularly for children. But I also know this time of year can bring added pressure and stress. Many families in Leicester West are struggling to make ends meet and worrying about how they are going to find enough money to give their children even the […]
On Sunday, I appeared on the East Midlands Politics Show to discuss the health of the NHS in our region, alongside the former Conservative Health Secretary and MP for Charnwood, Stephen Dorrell MP. We talked about waiting times, NHS finances, the quiet crisis in social care and the need for […]
Last week I hosted the annual National Green Apple Awards ceremony in the House of Commons. The awards, now in their 18th year, are run by The Green Organisation and are designed to celebrate best practice in the environment and sustainable development. They cover a huge variety of activities, from […]
I recently met a group of youth and community development students from De Montfort University, who came to visit the Houses of Parliament as part of their studies in social policy and politics. We had a lively discussion about the future of youth services, and how students and young people […]
Bethany Mickleburgh, a brave 14 year old in my constituency who is fighting leukaemia, desperately needs a bone marrow transplant. On Saturday, I joined nearly 2000 people at the Tigers Stadium in registering as potential blood stem cell donors. In true Leicester fashion, we broke the record for the number […]
The Tory led Government are slashing the money we need for vital local services by an estimated 35% in real terms. Council services have been hit harder than almost any other Government Department and these are the deepest cuts the City has ever had to face. They present a real […]
I recently visited the Oncology and Radiotherapy wards in the Osborne Building at the Leicester Royal Infirmary to see the brilliant work Macmillan Cancer Support does to help patients with cancer and their families. The NHS staff I met said the key to providing excellent quality care is having a […]
Last week I had the pleasure of hosting the launch of a report on the impact of Leicester’s 2009 Special Olympic Games. The report, called “Learning Disability, Sport and Legacy”, was produced by De Montfort University and Leicester University. It found that the games not only brought real health benefits […]
With the nights drawing in and the weather getting colder, people are switching their heating on – and worrying about the cost of their gas and electricity bills. Energy charges are up a staggering 20 per cent this year. The average annual dual fuel bill is now £1,345 per household, […]
