🎉 On Monday the Government announced their roadmap out of lockdown. We now know that lockdown restrictions will be rolled back in four stages. You can find out more about the different stages on my website here, but if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch. 

💉This week the Government U-turned on the important issue of vaccine prioritisation for people with learning disabilities. I welcomed the change, which I have been calling for since December. You can read my full statement on the announcement here.

😷  Last year I asked Government officials what steps had been taken to identify conflicts of interest in PPE contracts, and why lessons hadn’t been learnt sooner over the failure to honour transparency requirements and publish these contracts. Following the events of the last few days, Matt Hancock needs to address these failures, so that future government contracts worth millions of pounds are awarded fairly and transparently – and deliver for the public.

💰 During a debate in Parliament this week, on Government support during the pandemic,  I shared the story of my recently self employed constituent, Peter, who was ineligible for support & has been left unable to make ends meet. I called on the Government to urgently fix the gaps in support.

💷 I also spoke during a debate about the Government’s management of our economy. Low pay and insecurity has created a perfect storm for transmitting Covid-19 and the Government is failing to learn the lessons.

🏥  I spoke to BBC Look North about the importance of breaking the silence over the difficulties people can face during pregnancy, so we can change policy and end the postcode lottery in support.

🥣  Vital funding used to provide breakfasts to disadvantaged children at school is set to end in July. With food insecurity rising and the educational attainment gap growing, this programme of funding must be scaled up – not down. I signed a letter to the Government calling on them to extend and expand this funding.  

🥪  I also joined up with Sheffield MPs to call on the Government to reverse their decision to refuse to provide families with food vouchers over the Easter holiday, instead choosing to provide food hampers for only 1 of the 2 week break. 

📚 Children and young people with SEND have far too often been an afterthought in the Government’s planning for education. I raised this with the Government and called for those most affected to be put at the heart of all Covid policy.

🏳️‍🌈 This week the LGBT+ Parliamentary Labour Party network, of which I am a member, met to discuss upcoming campaigns, shared priorities and the elections in May. 

🚆I have been continuing to work on the campaign to restore railway stations along the Sheaf Valley. If you live near the Sheaf Valley railway line please take (and share!) our short survey, to help us grow support for the campaign. You can take the survey here. 

🙌 I also joined Sheffield City Labour Councillors for a super discussion on Community Wealth Building in Sheffield over the weekend! 

🌎  And a date for your diary! Next week we will be holding our 2nd #HallamClimateManifesto Assembly – to discuss how we can finance decarbonisation in our city, nationally and internationally. We will be joined by Ann Pettifor, who conceptualised the UK Green New Deal! You can sign up to the event here.