Welcome to my regular newsletter, keeping you updated on my work as your Member of Parliament.
Happy Bank Holiday weekend! For those of you who are able, I hope you have all enjoyed getting out and about more and are enjoying some of this rare sun. Whilst Parliament was closed for recess over Easter, I have been meeting with local and national campaign groups, and checking in with vaccine volunteers and frontline services in Hallam.
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Whilst the Conservative Government have been busy fighting scandal after scandal, from Greensill lobbying to Boris Johnson’s expenses, I have been continuing to campaign for funding for our frontline eating disorder services and an end to the damaging practice of peatland burning.
I’ve received emails from hundreds of you, on a range of issues from outsourcing and pay in the NHS, to the Overseas Operations bill and the Government’s new policing legislation. If there is ever an issue you would like me to speak up about or campaign you would like me to join, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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• Firstly thank you to everyone who came to our Hallam Climate Manifesto event last week – to discuss how we can build an alternative food system that works for people and the planet. Special thanks to our speakers from Our Cow Molly, Foodhall Project and BFAWU.
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• Don’t miss our next Assembly on the 11th May at 5.30-7.30pm. We will be joined by community union Acorn Sheffield and Dr. Lee Crookes, a critical geographer and planner from the University of Sheffield, to discuss how we can transform our neighbourhoods and build stronger communities.
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• Earlier in the month I took part in the Planning Inspectorate inquiry into the proposed development of Loxley Valley. I raised a number of concerns including the strength of objective community feeling and the appropriateness of the site. You can read my statement here.
• Following the lack of any funding announcement during the budget, I am continuing to campaign for more support for eating disorder services during Covid-19. I met with South Yorkshire based eating disorder charity SYEDA – whose work providing support for people with eating disorders and their carers has been more vital than ever this past year – and campaigner Hope Virgo from the Dump the Scales campaign. I have also written to the Chancellor, spoken to Politics Home about the issue, and written a piece for the Yorkshire Post.
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• I have also been continuing to work with my constituent on an urgent case to find her sister, who has gone missing following a protest in her home town in Mexico. I have been in contact with Amnesty International, written to the FCDO and spoken to the press. If you are able to, the family are asking for donations to pay for legal support.
• During the Easter break, I met with volunteers at vaccine centres in Hallam and heard about the amazing work they have been doing making sure our city is vaccinated again Covid-19!
• After the sad news that John Lewis will be closing its Sheffield store, I met with John Lewis bosses about their decision and raised concerns about the impact of this decision on staff and our city.
• To celebrate the 70th birthday of the Peak District National Park, I wrote a piece for the Sheffield Star, commemorating the work of my historic constituent Ethel Haythornthwaite and the Sheffield trespassers. I also met with representatives from Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust to see some of their work and hear more about the natural flood management and vital woodland restoration projects.
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• Following the news that there have been 702 reported incidents of burning in Yorkshire since October – a 21% increase on the previous season – I coordinated a letter, signed by 30 MPs and Lords, calling on the Government to tighten their proposed legislation and strengthen current enforcement so that the burning season just passed is the last.
• I have written to the Home Secretary Priti Patel to raise serious concerns about the new proposed Home Office changes to immigration detention guidance which will make it harder for wrongfully detained survivors of trafficking to be released. Following a debate in Parliament on asylum accommodation and immigration detention, I have set out my views and my work campaigning for a just and humane asylum system here.
• I have also signed this EDM , calling for an end to outsourcing in the NHS, and ownership to be returned to a publicly funded, publicly provided, comprehensive health care service, available to all that is free at the point of delivery. I also signed this Parliamentary Motion calling for a 15% pay rise for all healthcare workers. Thank you to everyone who got in touch with me about this issue.
• I spoke during a debate in Parliament on the Greensill lobbying scandal. The Government would do well to remember that they are elected to represent the people, not private interests, and that those private interests should never view public finance as an easy access cash machine. You can watch my full speech below!
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• Whilst I sadly didn’t get the chance to speak during the Finance Bill debate, you can read what I was planning to say here. We desperately need a Government that will drive a green transformation in our economy, advancing living standards as we tackle the climate emergency.
• Following our Public Accounts Committee inquiry, I spoke to local journalists about the Treasury’s lack of “understanding, leadership and coordination”, in face of the global climate emergency, and the need for the HMRC and HMT to set out a clear, longer-term vision for how it will work to help the UK achieve net zero. I also wrote a piece for Tribune Magazine about the need for the climate movement to use COP26, the UN climate summit, to be transformative, democratic, accountable and just. You can read the full article here.
• Following the complete omission from Boris Johnson of any information about when students could return to face to face teaching, I joined up with MPs in Sheffield to write to the Department of Education demanding an urgent announcement. The Government has now announced that students can return from the 17th May.
• I also joined Sheffield Labour MPs to write to Dominic Raab and call on him to immediately press the Government of Israel to stop the eviction of the the Sumarin family and protect the thousands of others currently under threat of eviction in Palestinian territories.
• I spoke during a debate in Parliament, opposing the government’s plans to make trespass a criminal offence, and attack the right of a whole community of people – the Gypsy Roma and Traveller Community – to live as they wish. As a Sheffield MP I will continue the tradition of our city’s forebears and fight any attempts to criminalise our right to roam.
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It has been amazing to see so many groups in our city come together united against the policing bill. If you’ve not already – please get involved in the campaign. We must build a movement in our city and across the country to stop this draconian, dangerous and discriminatory legislation! You can join Sheffield Against The Policing Bill’s mailing list here:
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This month was #TransDayOfVisibility! To the non trans community in Hallam, it is important that we educate ourselves and join these important fights for trans equality.
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Last year a partially sighted man died after falling off a train platform with no tactile paving to indicate the edge. It’s unacceptable people with sight loss face additional risks while travelling. Please sign RNIB’s petition to make railway stations safer:
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Miscarriage support is an issue very close to my heart. It is unacceptable that parents only currently qualify for support and care if they’ve had three miscarriages in a row. People should be able to access care after every miscarriage. Please sign this petition to improve miscarriage care:
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• 1st May: On International Workers Day there will be a national day of action across the country. Sheffield Against the Policing Bill have organised a march in the city centre. Find out more here.
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• 3rd May: Chesterfield Trades Union Council will be marking Chesterfield May Day with a rally.
• 11th May: Please come along to our next Hallam Citizens’ Climate Manifesto event, where we will discuss how we can transform our neighbourhoods to tackle the climate emergency. Sign up here.
• 4th May – 6th June: South Yorkshire’s Festival of Debate, the largest annual politics festival in the UK, has a number of exciting events over the next month with a range of speakers, from former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell, talking about his ‘Claim the Future’ project, to an event with Assist Sheffield about the Hostile Environment. You can find out about all of the events here.
• 13th May: I will be speaking at one of these events, a question-time style panel with activists and commentators from South Yorkshire and beyond, hosted by Jackie Weaver! You can submit questions and sign up to the event here.
• 18th May: Organising for Power have organised a series of events led by labour organiser and educator Jane McAlevey, and hosted by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. Find out how you can attend the next event – Workers Rising Everywhere – here.
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Thank you for reading my newsletter. If you would like to share it with your neighbours or friends in Hallam, you can share the sign up link with them here.
As always, please get in touch if there are issues you would like me to raise or campaigns you would like me to get involved with!
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