Welcome to my regular newsletter, keeping you updated on my work as your Member of Parliament. As summer draws to a close, I wanted to update you on what I have been up to over the past few months in Parliament and in Sheffield. Firstly, after years of campaigning, I am overjoyed to announce that the Government has finally signaled their support for the end of the immoral “three miscarriage rule”, where women are only entitled to tests or support after their third consecutive miscarriage. This is a huge win and a testament to all those who have been campaigning on this for so long. The Pregnancy Loss Review, which was published over the summer, includes a number of the recommendations we have been calling for, including the introduction of a graded model of care for women who experience multiple miscarriages, and 24/7 access to miscarriage care. In response to the Independent Review, the Government committed to 20 short-term actions to improve miscarriage care, covering training, education, and public information. They have also committed to reviewing the clinical and financial requirements of implementing a graded model of care nationally. These changes will make an unimaginable difference to the 1 in 5 women who will experience miscarriage in their lives. Speaking about my miscarriage and the experiences of the hundreds of women who have been in touch hasn’t been easy. I really didn’t think it would take this long and there have been times when I’ve wanted to give up. Finally it all feels worth it. I want to thank everyone in Sheffield who has shared their experience with me and joined the campaign. Without you, this would not have been possible. You can read more below on how we got here in my piece for the Sheffield Telegraph here.
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In Sheffield… |
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In Parliament… |
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Dates for your diary |
Monday 4th September: SAYiT are holding a conference on Responding to Anti-LGBTQ+ Hate Thursday 21st September: Social Good Sheffield are holding a meet up. Sunday 1st October: Blue Ball Inn are holding an annual charity auction. Saturday 21th October: Sheffield Transformed are holding a workshop that will explore how left-wing activists and politicians in 1980s Sheffield attempted to resist the dominance of Thatcherism. |
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Get involved |
The All Party Group for the Green New Deal, which I am a member of, have teamed up with the All Party Group on Race and Community to launch an inquiry on racism and the environmental emergency. We are asking activists and BPOC-led groups to contribute to this inquiry. Please consider taking a look and sharing it with activists and groups who may be interested. |
The Government are trying to close nearly 1,000 ticket offices in England. Without ticket offices, many Disabled, elderly and vulnerable people will not be able to access rail services at all. Please respond to the consultation and reject these plans. |
South Yorkshire Refugee Law and Justice are looking for volunteers to join their Legal Advice Volunteer team and gain hands-on experience providing legal representation to asylum seekers and migrants across South Yorkshire. If you are interested, find out more 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! Olivia Blake MP for Sheffield Hallam |