I am delighted that my colleague Karen Buck MP’s Homes Fitness for Human Habitation Private Members’ Bill passed its Third Reading in the House of Commons on 26th October. I have long-supported the Bill and think it is a hugely important piece of legislation. It would require landlords to make […]
On 24th October I discussed the importance of increasing diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with the Young Fabians. I think this issue is a matter of social justice and an economic imperative. Jobs and opportunities should be open to everyone, no matter where you are born, what […]
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 […]
I am proud to have signed and voted for Stella Creasy and Conor McGinn’s amendment to the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Function) Bill that could lead to reform of Northern Ireland’s abortion and marriage laws. The amendment says that in the absence of the Northern Ireland Assembly […]
This year is the 70th anniversary of the NHS. It is also the 70th anniversary of our social care system—but this has received far too little attention to date. Yet social care is more important than ever before. A quarter of older people now need help with daily living—getting up, […]
Despite being promised that signing an EU trade deal after Brexit “would be the easiest in history”, the reality is that the Withdrawal Agreement!which the Government is currently struggling to secure only covers our financial settlement for Brexit, Citizens Rights and the Northern Ireland border. I am extremely concerned that […]
I am deeply concerned that company Healthcare Environment Services (HES) has been found to have not properly stored or disposed of hundreds of tonnes of hospital waste, including body parts. The Environment Agency has now launched a criminal investigation into HES, after finding the firm was in breach of environmental safety limits at four sites […]
On 11 September, I met council workers and staff from trade union Unison to discuss the impact of Government funding cuts on local authority services. Research from Unison found less than 10% of council workers think local residents get the help and support they need from their council at the […]
On 10 September, I attended a fascinating meeting of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee to hear talks on space innovation from professors at the University of Leicester. The global space market is set to grow by 80% to £400bn by 2030 and the UK is well placed to make the […]
Leicester is a world leader in space research and engineering. We have specialists working with NASA and partners around the world, while our new Space Park is set to create 3,000 jobs. So on 18 July I asked the Universities Minister how the Government would be addressing the free movement of EU scientists during Brexit negotiations and what he would be doing to […]
I was a guest on the BBC’s East Midlands Sunday Politics on 15 July. On the show, I discussed how important it is for businesses in our region to get greater certainty over Brexit. East Midlands businesses have said the Government’s Chequers Brexit plan isn’t good enough because it lacks […]
On 10 July, I was interviewed by Sky News about the Government’s Chequers Brexit plan. This plan is simply not good enough. Manufacturers say they don’t like it because it will be costly, complex and bureaucratic. It will be bad for Britain because it doesn’t include the vital services sector, […]