In 2021 there were repeated calls for the triggering of Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol. The ‘Safeguards’ provision in the treaty, Article 16 sets out the developments that it was agreed cannot reasonably be accommodated within the actual operation of
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision crisis is a national emergency. During the Westminster Hall debate that I led at the end of February, I was struck by the all too familiar stories shared by colleagues of parents and children
I couldn’t have agreed with Kim Leadbeater more when she said, ‘whatever the problem, sport can be the solution’. For every £1 we invest in sport, we get a £4 return in social and health benefits. As I argued in my recent
Last week I introduced a debate on Labour’s decision to apply VAT to independent school fees and remove business rates relief. The catalyst for the debate was a petition urging the government to “understand that not all independent school parents are wealthy,
Unreliable. Late. Cancelled. Those are three of the most common words I hear from my constituents when discussing the performance of our local train services in Mid Bedfordshire. And that is why I worked so hard to secure a debate in Parliament
Over the past four decades there has been a precipitous decline in the number of high street banks. Data from the British Banking Association showed the branches in 1986 was more than 21,000 whilst at the beginning of 2025 there were fewer
For too many parents in this country, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is not just failing—it is actively making their lives harder. Behind the concerning statistics lies a human cost: struggling single parents, children living in financial insecurity, and families trapped in
Our high streets are the beating heart of our communities. They are not simply places where people shop – they are gathering points, cultural centres and serve as symbols of local identity. They fuel local economies, support countless small businesses and provide
Social media is having a negative effect on children in this country. I know this as the father of two boys; but also hearing from teachers, parents and those working with young people who are seeing its effects every day. Social media
The campaign to eradicate the most common form of plastic rubbish in the world, cigarette butts, which make up around one in five of all littered items grows as more MPs and councillors back the move to force the tobacco companies to
