I would like to wish everyone currently marking Ramadan in Sheffield Hallam, Ramadan Mubarak! Chag Sameach to everyone marking Passover next week. And a Happy Easter! I hope many of you are able to take some time off over the holidays and enjoy spring. I am looking forward to spending more time in Sheffield, speaking to people across our constituency.

This month the Government brought forward a new anti-refugee Bill which will make it impossible for some of the most vulnerable people to claim asylum in the UK. It is a dangerous piece of legislation and an assault on the right to claim asylum. I have been working with campaigners and front-line workers to table an amendment to this inhumane Bill to create a “safe passage visa” which would actually save lives in the Channel. You can read more about this campaign and what else I have been up to below. 

In Sheffield…

• It was a pleasure to  visit Tapton Secondary School   and High Storrs to answer questions from students about the political issues of the day, being an MP and how Parliament works. 
  
• After working with residents to raise the issue, I am pleased to say I have now received confirmation from the Council that the waste dumped on a drive in Fulwood is now being considered an enforcement case and the developer is being contacted to remove the materials and landscape the area. 
  
• Along with Crooks and Crosspool Councillors Ruth Milsom and Minesh Parekh, I’ve written to Royal Mail urging them to rectify the problems at the Sheffield West Delivery Office by properly resourcing this vital local service. 
• I have been continuing to support residents with issues arising from the Stannington Major incident and have held a public meeting with Yorkshire Water and Cadent. I will continue to press for more action and lessons that need learning in how emergencies are responded to. 
• I had a great weekend out knocking on doors in Sheffield Hallam with young people from our city involved in Green New Deal Rising. Over the next 18 months they will be holding mass canvasses like these up and down the country –  making the case for a transformative Green New Deal. You can get involved  here

In Parliament…

• I am extremely concerned that the Government’s so-called “Illegal Migration Bill ”, which is currently going through Parliament. will effectively ban asylum claims from anyone who hasn’t arrived in the UK through one of the few bespoke schemes, such as Homes for Ukraine or the Afghanistan Resettlement scheme. It will also grant the Home Secretary extensive new powers to detain and deport asylum seekers, including unaccompanied children. Thank you to everyone who has written to me about this Bill. I have voted against it at every opportunity and will continue to fight it in Parliament. 
• I have also tabled an amendment to the Bill, supported by over 40 cross-party MPs, calling for the introduction of a “safe passage visa”. The visa would give entry clearance to those already in Europe wishing to come to the UK to make an asylum claim and is supported by the PCS Union, who represent border force workers, and Care for Calais, who support refugees and asylum seekers in France and the UK. Over 40 cross-party MPs have supported the amendment. We owe it to every person who has died in the Channel trying to reach safety to drop the inhumane deterrence policies and look at real solutions that will save lives. You can watch my speech during the debate  here , or read my piece for the  Independent ,  Politics Home  and  Labour List  here. 
  
• I supported a number of other amendments including  Bell Ribeiro-Addy’s amendment  to stop try and stop the Bill altogether.
• As Co-Chair of the APPG on Migration I joined up with For Refugee Women and Rainbow Sisters to launch their report into the experiences of LGBTQ+ women seeking safety in Parliament. I will be doing everything I can in Parliament to raise the harrowing experiences in the report and fight for change. 

• I joined 15 cross-party parliamentarians  to write to the Government  calling for UK withdrawal for the Energy Charter Treaty. The Treaty is a license for fossil fuel companies to sue governments over steps to reach net-zero. It is incompatible with the Paris Climate Agreement and we must join other European countries in leaving the treaty. • It was great to join Platform London and Friends of the Earth Scotland in Parliament to launch their 10 demands for a worker-led just transition. You can read the report  here.  The event included powerful speeches from offshore workers, who helped author the report and the RMT union.  We also watched Offshore, a documentary by Hazel Falck shining a light on the history of struggle in the offshore industry and what the coming energy transition means for these workers and their communities around the UK North Sea. You can find out about other viewings  here.
  
• 1 in 5 households reported skipping meals, going hungry or not eating for a whole day in January. In one of the richest countries in the world, no child should be too hungry to learn. I’ve signed  Zarah Sultana’s letter  calling on the Chancellor to finally extend free school meals. 
• I joined campaigner Feargal Sharkey in Parliament to back Labour’s plan to end the sewage scandal. As a coastal nation and a country of beauty, our waters are vital for quality of life and livelihoods. But since 2016, the Tories have allowed over 1000 years’ worth of sewage to be dumped into our waters. We need urgent action from the government to end this scandal. 

• On the Public Accounts Committee I questioned the Department for Education Permanent Secretary and directors on education recovery in schools. I asked if there has been an impact of long-term health conditions, such as the spike in eating disorders and long Covid on attendance.
  
• I questioned officials on the quality of school buildings after a tragic incident at a school locally involving a parent getting injured and what they are doing to improve funding for schools to ensure our schools are safe.
  
• This month has seen hundreds of thousands of workers across the country strike for better pay and conditions. As well as joining workers on picket lines, I have sent my solidarity to all of the junior doctors, teachers, university staff, transport workers, public sector workers, and local journalists forced to strike today. Thank you for fighting to save our public services. I also sent my solidarity to Amazon workers in Coventry taking historic strike action. 
• It was an honour to support the placement of Patterson Joseph’s book The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho into the House of Commons Library. His book reimagines the life of Charles Ignatius Sancho who become the first Black person to vote in Britain and lead the fight to end slavery. I am pleased that this will be available to parliamentarians and that this historical novel highlights and individual of great importance to our fight for universal suffrage. Highly recommend a read! 

Get involved

XR Sheffield are putting on coaches from Sheffield to London for anyone able to attend the big climate protests on Friday 21 April and Saturday 22 April. You can book your spot  here .