Firstly, I would like to wish everyone in Sheffield Hallam Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year. I hope you are all able to have some rest over the holidays, spend time with family and enjoy the festivities.

Instead of sending a Christmas card this year, I have attached an e-Christmas card. I will be donating the money I usually spend on cards and delivery to S6 Foodbank so they can continue to do their wonderful work over the Christmas period. If you are able, please consider donating anything you can to their appeal. 

I have been in the constituency throughout this major incident, with the exception of when I went to Parliament to ask for more help from government. I have been based in the emergency hub – alongside my staff and a fantastic team of volunteers – delivering leaflets, helping answer questions and assisting with welfare checks and broader door-knocking. Last week,  we were joined by Ed Miliband , the Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero, to ensure that this issue was put to the top of my own party’s agenda.

In addition to on-the-ground support, I have been lobbying Ministers nationally for greater aid and have had rolling discussions with the council, Cadent, Yorkshire Water and others to support those in the area.

Many people will rightly want to know how this could have happened. This incident raises significant questions about infrastructure spending and resources. I have spoken to Ofgem and Ofwat to express my deep concerns about these issues and will continue to press this agenda nationally when I return to Westminster in the New Year. I also spoke to the Guardian, which you can read  here.

Once again, I am extremely grateful to everyone in our community who has helped a neighbour, provided free teas and coffees or a warm space, and to anyone who is still impacted – I’m so sorry that you have had to go through this devastating event. There is more information, including about compensation claims on my website  here.

In Sheffield…

• Last month I held a meeting with constituents to mark the one year anniversary of our Hallam Climate Manifesto, and the start of COP27, the climate conference in Egypt. A year after the launch of the manifesto, one thing is abundantly clear: it’s well past time that the voices of the majority were heard on climate issues, and for us to devolve power and deepen democracy, so that when politicians and lobbyists shirk and dither, ordinary people can lead the way. If you were not able to attend, you can watch contributions from the event  here.  I wrote  this piece  for  Now Then Sheffield on the importance of devolving power and deepening democracy. I also did an  instagram live with Best for Britain  in which I spoke about COP27.
• I also held a public meeting with constituents to discuss bus cuts in Sheffield Hallam and what we can do to fight them. Thank you to everyone who joined us. I will continue to raise this locally, regionally and in Parliament until a transformative solution is found. You can read more about the event

• Ahead of Carers Rights Day I met with an amazing group of young carers in our city to hear more about their experiences as well as their inspiring ideas for change.

• I joined University workers on the picket line, fighting for fair pay, to protect pensions and end the scourge of casualisation. Across the country 70,000 UCU members took strike action at 150 universities. I was proud to join these workers, sign their  picket line pledge,  and write to  Universities U K along with 50 MPs and Peers. I have also supported postal workers who have been striking to protect not only their jobs, but the post service we all rely on, and front line workers in the PCS union, many of whom are forced to rely on benefits to boost pay. Workers across our city deserve a better deal.

• For Small Business Saturday I visited some of the lovely local businesses near my office and popped into the Banner Cross Post Office—it’s so important to support vital lifelines for our communities, like our high-street post offices!  I also visited Blue Ball Inn last month, hearing both about the struggles pubs are facing with rising energy prices, but also the important role pubs like The Blue Ball Inn provide as anchors for our communities!

• I am proud to support RCN nurses in Sheffield who have voted to take strike action for the first time in the College’s history. Since 2010 nurses have seen their real terms pay cut by 20%. As a result, 83% said there aren’t enough nursing staff to meet all patient needs safely. This is a crisis and the Government has failed to act. I will be doing everything I can to support striking nurses over the coming months.  
  
• I visited St Luke’s Hospice to see the amazing and caring work they do, often in very difficult conditions. I thanked the team for the service they provide in our constituency for people right across Sheffield. If you are able to donate to their appeal, please do so  here.

In Parliament…

• I  convened a debate  on the urgent need to green the financial system. Since the Paris agreement, the world’s 60 largest banks financed $3.8 trillion worth of fossil fuel projects. The vast wealth in the financial system must be used to tackle the emergencies we face – not fuel them. The Financial Services and Markets Bill is the chance to make the financial system serve people and planet – but the government have wasted it. Parts of the Bill are going to worsen the consequences of the climate emergency. You can watch the full debate  here  and read my piece for Left Foot Forward here. I also tabled an amendment to the Bill, which you can read here. 
• In Parliament last month, the Government delivered their autumn budget, outlining their spending plans for the years ahead. The Government is implementing Austerity 2.0, when services are already at breaking point and people are already struggling to make ends meet. It was proven wrong the first time, and it’s wrong now. It’s time to ditch austerity and use the tax system to end the cost of living crisis. You can read my full response to the budget  here  and my piece for Labour List  here.  I will continue to campaign for an end to austerity and a proper funding settlement and pay offer for our public services and front-line workers.
• November 24th marked the one year anniversary since 32 people lost their lives in the Channel trying to reach safety in the UK. A year on and the families are still waiting for answers.  I asked the Prime Minister  why the investigation has taken so long and if he will concede this tragedy would not have happened if there were safe and legal routes to asylum. I joined people in Parliament Square to remember those who lost their lives and I spoke to Sky News about the importance of safe and legal routes. The families deserve answers and lessons must be learnt to make sure tragedies like this never happen again.

• Since my question the government has published an interim report. However it is only one page long and doesn’t contain much information. I will continue campaigning for justice for the families and safe and legal routes for all asylum seekers. 
• I was disappointed to hear the High Court ruling on the Rwanda Plan. Instead of this cruel policy, we should make safe routes accessible, clear the asylum backlog and promptly house people in safe accommodation with the right to work. You can read my full statement here.
• I chaired a roundtable with Care for Calais and PCS union on their new report: a humane alternative to the Rwanda plan. It is inspiring to see unions and front-line organisations are leading the way on alternatives to the Government’s broken hostile environment.

• Suella Braverman is not fit for office. Political decisions she made have left children in dangerous, inhumane conditions in Manston. And during a debate in Parliament she described asylum seekers as an “invasion”, the day after a petrol bomb attack on a migrant centre. I called on the Home Secretary to resign in Parliament. You can watch my question  here.  I also wrote  this piece  for Politics Home on the horrors at Manston and the need to dismantle the Hostile Environment. 
  
• I have been calling on the Government to finally leave the outdated and destructive Energy Charter Treaty  (ECT). The ECT is an agreement that allows fossil fuel companies to sue governments for billions over climate decisions that hits their profits. Over the last two months more and more European countries have decided to leave the Treaty and the European Parliament has voted to leave the Treaty. The UK Government must now follow suit.
  
• Ahead of the decision on the Cumbria Coal mine, I wrote to the Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove asking him to rule out the new mine. The mine won’t create secure jobs, help our steel industry or fix the energy crisis. But it will lock us into another decade of coal. You can read my letter  here.
  
• Along with members of the Environment APPG I wrote to the Prime Minister calling on him to unblock the expansion of onshore wind and other renewables, attend COP15 on biodiversity and produce an energy efficiency action plan. 
• Thank you to those in Sheffield who asked me to meet with Pancreatic Cancer UK. More than 800 people in the UK will die from pancreatic cancer this month. And survival rates have barely improved in decades. We urgently need a properly funded cancer plan.

• In light of the murder of LGBTQ+ people in a club in America, and the growing attacks on the Trans community, Trans Awareness Week this year has never felt more important  As discrimination and abuse of the trans community grows, so must our efforts to address issues members of the Trans community face and fight for a world free of transphobia. 
  
• Two in five of the now 4 million children living in poverty are not eligible for free school meals. The Government must end this scandal and introduce Universal Free School Meals. I raised this with officials from the Department for Education during a Public Accounts Committee Session. You can watch the clip  here.  I also signed Zarah Sultana and the NEU’s  Early Day Motion . 
  
• I attended Evidence Week in Parliament and met many interesting researchers, including researchers from  John Innes Centre who were presenting insights on the scope for climate and disease-resistant plants and gene-editing.
  
• I welcomed a new  important report from RSPB  which showed that attacks on birds of prey are the second highest since records began, predominantly as a result of land management for shoots. We are in a Nature Emergency. The Government must take tougher action to stop this illegal persecution. As the Hen Harrier Species Champion I am particularly concerned about how high levels of persecution will continue to affect the population recovery of this amazing species. Hen harriers are one of the most persecuted birds of prey in Britain. More must be done to protect them. 
  
• The arrest and five hour detention of journalist Charlotte Lynch on suspicion of “conspiracy to commit public nuisance” is seriously alarming. The right to cover protests without fear of arrest is a vital part of a free and democratic society. I’ve tabled  a Parliamentary Motion calling for an urgent investigation into what happened.
  
• I spoke at a fantastic event in Preston with the CWU on Community Wealth Building. It was great to be part of so many interesting discussions on what people are already doing to bring about economic and social transformation right now in communities across the country, and what more we can do to scale up this work. 
  
• I joined the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV at their excellent event in Parliament to hear about their many important ideas for better sexual health services in the UK. There is no good health without good sexual health!
• I attended an event on Osteoporosis and Bone Health and had enlightening conversations with constituents, volunteer advocates and clinical leads from our local hospitals. 
• I questioned the Government  on their lack of action & refusal to work with local leaders to find a solution that will save jobs and livelihoods at Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
• I joined trade unionists from South Yorkshire at the Trades Union Congress mass lobby yesterday. Workers across the country are demanding a government that listens and acts to support working people,

Take action

Ahead of the often difficult Christmas period, I am asking everyone in our constituency who is able, to join me in donating to Sheffield S6 Foodbank and Baby Basics, who provide support to new mothers struggling with the costs of looking after a new baby.

S6 Foodbank

Baby Basics

I was pleased to host a discussion between Chris Packham and Lord John Randall to discuss the campaign to protect the Woodcock bird. You can find out more about the campaign by watching the interview  here  and you can  sign the petition  below.

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! And once again, happy holidays!

Olivia Blake

MP for Sheffield Hallam