Radiation exposure, that has caused decades of suffering and unimaginable loss for our servicemen, their families, and indigenous communities, during Britain’s nuclear testing programme in the 1950s and 60s may yet stand as one of the gravest state injustices of our time.
Every day, as a Member of Parliament I am contacted by constituents facing urgent and often deeply personal challenges. Some are about local services, others about health or family crises, and each one is a reminder of the real lives behind the
When we talk about women’s safety, the focus is often on policing, criminal justice, or individual behaviour. But one of the most important factors is often overlooked: the way our towns, villages and public spaces are designed in the first place. Planning
Last week I led a debate on a matter of profound importance to thousands of people across the country, including many in my constituency of South Devon. And that issue is coastal erosion – or more specifically, what happens when human-built infrastructure,
In the 1930s, 169 lidos were built by local councils across England, especially in the south where the sun was more likely to shine. They were a manifestation of robust municipalism, and the view that local government should provide a range of
We have all heard the narrative. “She got pregnant to trap him.” “She’s after his money.” “No wonder he doesn’t want anything to do with her.” That was the story I heard on repeat when I was impregnated as a child. If
There is an emerging scandal in our country. Endometriosis is a chronic illness which causes many women debilitating pain, agony and trauma, yet access to the specialist services needed to diagnose and treat it properly are out of reach. Alongside incredible women
Like so much else in life, our railway stations and the services they offer can be described in romantic and poetic language – but also in a more prosaic, business-like way. Railway stations – said novelist E.M. Forster – ‘are our gates
The late-night vote on 18 March to back the decriminalisation of mothers who abort their babies at any stage of gestation has left many reeling. Like many of those outraged by this decision, I am not against abortion in all circumstances. But
Last week I held a debate in Parliament on community ownership and social enterprise and put direct questions to the Government – if we want to revive the towns left behind by deindustrialisation, we must start by supporting people in our communities
Across the country, an estimated one million pensioners are losing out on pension increases they ought to be entitled to, simply because the hard shift they put in to pay into their pension happened to occur before 1997. This isn’t good enough.
Over the past few weeks, the Home Secretary has embarked on one of the most significant overhauls of asylum and immigration policy in decades. Yet this has been done without a single Government sponsored debate on the floor of the House of
