👑 This week the Government announced their policy priorities for the year ahead in the Queen’s speech. Along with my Labour colleagues, I have been holding them to account over their undemocratic plans to introduce Voter ID, their failure to address the crisis in our social care system, and the lack of legislation to help address the unemployment crisis. I also signed this letter calling on the Government to introduce the climate and ecological emergency bill into their policy agenda – unsurprisingly the Government brought forward no legislation to tackle the climate emergency.

🗳️ Following the local elections, I spoke to BBC radio Sheffield about the importance of developing a Labour policy agenda which unites the country post Covid, rebuilds our NHS and tackles the climate emergency

🖊️ The Joint Committee of Human Rights are taking evidence from the public on the Government’s new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. I have grave concerns about this bill, which I know are shared by many of my constituents. This week I have been encouraging Sheffielders to submit their concerns before the deadline today! If you’ve not already, please take 5 mins to submit your concerns here. 

✉️ I have joined up with four Sheffield Labour MPs to write to the Government and call on them to take action in response to the violence in Jerusalem, which has caused a chain of escalating military action resulting in the deaths of civilians on both sides of the conflict, including children. The UK Government must use all its influence to seek a peaceful resolution. 

✍️ I signed this Parliamentary motion calling for the removal of barriers which cause migrants to become undocumented and the introduction of new routes to regularisation. 

💵 I also spoke to the Guardian about the UK’s furlough scheme. When companies are taking large chunks of public money, questions have to be asked about why big bonuses seem to be paid. You can read the full article here. 

🏥 This week was ME/CFS awareness day. I want to recognise the millions of people worldwide – including ~250,000 people in the UK – who suffer from ME/CFS and other chronic immunological/neurological illnesses. I will continue to push for more research into this poorly understood condition.

🏞️ I met with the CPRE Yorkshire, The Sheffield Star and Councillor Anne Murphy about a project we are launching to erect a blue heritage plaque near the birthplace of Hallam born environmental campaigner Ethel Haythornthwaite. 

🐦 Over the weekend I spoke at the RSPB’s Sky Dancer Day, as a Hen Harrier species champion. It was great to hear everyone’s passion for our uplands and this amazing species. 

📺  And on Thursday I spoke at the Festival of Debate Question Time event hosted by Jackie Weaver! 

🌎 Finally thank you to everyone who came to our #HallamClimateManifesto event this week and to the great speakers from Friends of Loxley Valley and ACORN Sheffield. There was a lot of interesting discussion about better facilitating active travel, ensuring equitable access to green space and creating a zero carbon city.