Welcome to the first newsletter for 2022 and what a start to the year we’ve had so far.

Every day more allegations are revealed that demonstrate the flagrant way in which the Prime Minister and his staff breached the rules in Downing Street.  I’ve received so many messages from people who are devastated that they made heartbreaking sacrifices whilst they were partying.

And it speaks to the character of the Prime Minister and his administration that they are continuing to lie about their behaviour, insulting the intelligence of the public by pretending that they didn’t understand the rules.

The longer this continues, the clearer it is to the country that not only can Boris Johnson not deal with their issues, but nor can any of his potential successors, which is clearly the conclusion that Christian Wakeford came to when he left the Tories and joined the Labour Party last week.

Mental Health provision in schools

I’ve conducted research into the government’s flagship mental health funding for schools and found that, in Sheffield, our 214 primary and secondary schools will have to share £53,000 – which equates to 72p per person.

This pitiful sum is a drop in the ocean and shows just how little value has been placed on children’s recovery from the pandemic. This Government’s meagre plan risks failing a generation of schoolchildren, and it’s the most vulnerable in communities nationwide who will pay the price.
Read more

Bus services in peril

Bus service in peril
Bus service in peril

We know that bus services across the country are a lifeline for many people. They help us get to work and leisure, but we also know that they have been hit hard during the pandemic.

From March onwards, bus services will be cut even further if the government do not support operators with further Covid funding. This weekend, we also learned that funding to level up buses across the country towards London standard will be slashed in half.

I’m working to ensure that the government work with Local Transport Authorities and operators to secure services for our communities and that they provide the much-needed funding they promised.
Read more

Woodlands Primary School – name change

Woodlands Primary - name change
Woodlands Primary - name change

I’ve been working closely with Valley Park to support them through the pandemic and was delighted to join them to celebrate their change in name to Woodlands Primary School and help kick off their tree planting project – although this was a very cold and snowy day.
Read more

Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill

Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill

The Government attempted to impose draconian new powers in the Policing Bill that would all but remove our right to protest.

I voted against this Bill in the House of Commons and was pleased to see the Bill defeated a record 14 times in the House of Lords.  We also forced through important measures on drink spiking and a new ‘Duty of Candour’ law, known as the Hillsborough Law.
Read more

Rising Energy Prices

One issue that has been concerning constituents over the past few weeks, and is really concerning me, is the rising energy prices that are due to hit people in April this year. I have been inundated with people contacting me to share their stories and looking for this Government to take steps to protect them.

I conducted research earlier this month that revealed that the cost to Sheffield households from April onwards, when the energy price cap is lifted, could reach a staggering £146 million.
Labour has a plan that would give security by keeping bills low, saving most households £200 – with extra support for those who need it most.  Labour held a vote in the House of Commons. This was rejected by the Tories showing how out of touch they are with the plight that faces millions of people in the country.

Sheffield people are paying the price for a government that is staggeringly out of touch. I’m continuing to fight to ensure that people have the support they need to cope with the energy price hikes due in April.
Read more

Action still needed for dangerous cladding

Action needed for dangerous cladding
Action needed for dangerous cladding

Earlier this month Michael Gove finally made some progress on dangerous cladding more than four years after the horrific Grenfell Tower fire which saw 72 people lose their lives and many more injured.

The announcement was welcomed by some tenants but still left many unanswered questions including how to resolve the backlog in Building Safety fund applications, how will they persuade developers to do the right thing and stop freeholders passing on the costs to residents and what action is being taken on non-cladding defects.
Read more

School Ventilation

School ventilation
School ventilation

Labour have been calling for months for the Government to do more on ventilation in schools but so far all they have committed to is less than one in three schools receiving a single air purifier.

I have been speaking to schools over the past few weeks to understand the challenges they are still facing. What I’m hearing, overwhelmingly, is that schools, teachers, teaching assistants and all staff are pulling out all the stops to support their children, but they are struggling with staff absences and lack of funding from this Government.
Read more

Debt Advice Service receives a reprieve

You may recall, that I told you in my December newsletter that many people who worked for the Citizens Advice debt advice service were facing service cuts and redundancy, due to an ongoing recommissioning process.

I’m pleased to report that this recommissioning process has been halted and services will be provided for a further year, a real victory particularly for Unite the Union which was campaigning hard on this.
Read more

Social housing issues

Social housing issues
Social housing issues

There are a lot of issues that constituents contact me about and ask for support with, but one recurring issue is always social housing and its condition.

It is a terrible indictment on our society that we have so little social housing available and what we do have is in a very poor state.
I’m continuing to support residents with these issues, and working with the Council but the Government needs to provide Councils with adequate funding so they can make the necessary repairs and build more social housing.
Read more

Labour’s plan to live well with Covid

Labour
Labour's plan to live well with Covid

This month, the Labour Party also outlined our plan to ‘Live Well with Covid’. The virus isn’t going away, and new variants will emerge, that’s why we need a robust plan to manage this. Labour Plan will prepare us for the next wave and protect our lives, livelihoods and liberties.  Our plan includes, retaining a jab army of volunteers who could rapidly rollout a vaccine. Draw up a roadmap for decision-making to give certainty on what action should be considered and stop the Tories selling-off the UK’s vaccine manufacturing centre.
Read more

Halt to Smart Motorways

Labour has long warned of the serious flaws of smart motorways. This month, the Government have finally decided to halt the roll out of smart motorways – it’s a tragedy that they have not done this before lives were lost.

We know that smart motorways in their current form, coupled with the inadequate safety systems are not fit for purpose and are putting lives at risk.
Read more

Islamophobia in the Tory Party

Islamophobia in the Tory Party
Islamophobia in the Tory Party

It’s been shameful for the Tory Party this week, rather than deal with allegations of Islamophobia within their party with the seriousness it deserves, they spend the weekend doubling down and refusing to take action.

Only after pressure for the media and others has the Cabinet Office launched an inquiry. This is welcomed but I the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, the government is once again having to spend its time investigating the behavior of the Prime Minister and those around him.

Link to Instagram Link to Twitter Link to YouTube Link to Facebook Link to LinkedIn Link to Snapchat Close Fax Website Location Phone Email Calendar Building Search