I was pleased to welcome Heidi Allen and Frank Field to Leicester recently to hear from residents, charities and organisations about the impacts of Universal Credit here in Leicester West. As trustees of Feeding Britain, Heidi and Frank are travelling the country to listen to people who have been affected […]
Today I visited Money Matters in Leicester to find out more about how they are supporting people living in Leicester West who are facing hardship after moving onto Universal Credit. They told me about clients who find it difficult to complete the forms, delays in people receiving their first payments […]
On 8 January Labour secured an Urgent Question in Parliament following reports that the Government has delayed a vote on moving 3 million people currently claiming benefits including Housing Benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance – known as ‘legacy’ benefits – onto Universal Credit, and has instead decided […]
Leicester has seen an increase in serious and violent crime of 12.5% since 2015, more than double the national average. The number of knife offences recorded by Leicestershire Police since 2010 has risen by 63%, more than three times that seen across England and Wales. However, Leicestershire Police hasn’t received […]
A no deal Brexit would be catastrophic for Leicester and the UK, seeing businesses that rely on exporting to the EU hit by new tariffs and delays at the border, meaning costs would rise and jobs would be put at risk. On 7 January, I wrote to Theresa May, alongside […]
Since the rollout of Universal Credit began in Leicester, the number of people going to foodbanks has gone up by 20%. With Christmas just around the corner, many people will really struggle. So please, if you can, donate to your local foodbank – not just over Christmas but throughout the […]
On 30th November, I marked Carers Rights Day. This is the annual event to raise awareness about the needs of the UK’s six and a half million unpaid carers. I’ve been backing Carers UK’s calls for 10 days of paid leave for carers who are also holding down paid work. […]
I’m proud to have joined more than 120 MPs in signing a Unison letter calling for more funding for local government in the Budget. Leicester City Council’s budget has been cut by 50% since 2010 and vital services are under more pressure than ever before. I am extremely disappointed that […]
I am supporting the Breaking Point campaign and calling on the Government to end austerity for councils at next week’s Budget. The Government has cut more than £16bn from local government since 2010, and Leicester City Council’s funding has been cut by 50% in total. This is having a devastating […]
On Friday I attend an event to celebrate the achievements of community group B-inspired, congratulated them for taking over ownership of the Health and Social Care centre and heard more about their plans of the future. I always enjoy visiting the B-inspired team. They are an absolutely fantastic organisation which […]
On Friday I met with the Rev Alison Adams from Leicester Cathedral to learn more about the City’s Homeless Charter. The charter aims to bring people together to look at how we can prevent homelessness and make Leicester a place where no one needs to sleep on the streets. Charities, […]
On Tuesday 16th October I was delighted to join staff from Leicester West business Pepsico in Parliament where they were one of six companies to win a Business Innovation Award from the Institute of Physics. I am very proud of the team at PepsiCo, who were the first food business to […]
