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
Since my election to Westminster last year, I have heard numerous stories through conversations and casework about the almost complete breakdown of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision for families in Amber Valley. Last week in Parliament, last week I led
I have reported in these pages previously on the suffering of those who have been adversely affected by Covid-19 vaccines. Their suffering is largely in terms of the inappropriate delays in having their claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) considered,
Over the past few years, I have heard from many constituents who are struggling to heat their homes or power their businesses amid spiralling energy costs. This winter has sadly been no different. The situation has got worse and worse with energy
Late last year, Freedom of Information requests that I submitted to all UK police constabularies revealed just how damaging the Chancellor’s budget will be for our policing – and the significant number of officers it could cost us. The responses I received
In the United Kingdom, more than four in every ten marriages end in divorce. The breakdown of any marriage is likely to be the source of great sadness. However, when children are involved, the impact of divorce is often deeper and more
This week Labour colleagues and I from across the South East met with the Transport Minister, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill. We were all very pleased that the Government will be backing our efforts to bring European travel back to Kent. The
Pensioners deserve security in retirement. That’s what Labour told us before last year’s General Election. And I agree. But as soon as they got into power, they took that security away from pensioners in Mid Bedfordshire and across the country. People who
Every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive. Whether through education, extracurricular activities, or access to mental health support, investing in our children and young people is one of the most important things we can do as a society. Youth services—both universal
When 17-year old Illya Habibi was killed in a knife attack in December 2023 in my constituency, he was just minutes away from a local police station. Illya had his whole life ahead of him. He, alongside far too many more young
For over 25 years, Open Access has been a successful component of UK Rail. It has delivered substantial benefits to passengers in underserved parts of the country. Along with cost-saving and environmental benefits, Open Access has driven innovation, delivered choice and also
In the heart of Birmingham lies the vibrant communities of Erdington, Kingstanding, Castle Vale, and South Oscott, areas bursting with untapped potential. Yet, for too long, systemic barriers have held them back. My constituency ranks among the top five most deprived areas
Twenty-two years ago, I became part of a club no-one wants to join: the young widows club. My husband, Nick, had died of oesophageal cancer, leaving me with an 18-month-old baby and a toddler. Not long after, I joined a support group
Low-income countries are being crippled by unsustainable debt. Many governments now spend more servicing their debt repayments than they do on their healthcare and education systems. Clearly, the international debt architecture is failing. Despite $130 billion of debt cancellation in the last
Last week I was proud to present the First Reading of Sam’s Law – otherwise known as the Water Safety Bill – to the House. My bill’s aims are to introduce and maintain crucial safety equipment around reservoirs and other bodies of
Last year at the age of just 19, a young man took his own life. He was addicted to gambling. Despite efforts to escape he received 63 promotional emails in the two months before his death. Every day he received an offer
Ok yes – I did put on my rose-tinted nostalgia specs this week when I opened the debate in my name on the closure of high street services. I talked about my childhood home town of Tain. I mentioned the greengrocer that
This week the I presented the First Reading of the Harry Parker Bill; its official title is the Road Traffic (Unlicensed Drivers) Bill, but I and Harry’s family will always know it as the Harry Parker Bill. Why? Because Harry Parker, a
Post offices up and down the country are facing uncertainty despite providing vital services and contributing an estimated £4.7 billion annually to the UK economy. Although they provide much more than economic benefits, according to The Post Office, their presence adds to
This National Apprenticeships Week it is right that we celebrate the success of more than 750,000 apprenticeships powering skills and productivity in our local economies. I have had the privilege of visiting more than 100 businesses to meet apprentices since I was
A new campaign will launch today, which aims 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. Even in the UK where smoking rates have been
Since I was first elected in 2019 my constituents have been hit with a tidal wave of infrastructure that has no place in the countryside. The behemoth that is HS2 has had the widest impact across Mid Buckinghamshire and continues to do
In troubled times, many on the Left instinctively run for the protective skirts of Nanny Europe. I’m just back from Brussels with the Business & Trade Committee and I have to say that while the welcome was cordial, it was not warm.
Last week I secured a Westminster Hall debate on road safety around schools. This issue has become the most common subject of correspondence I have had from constituents, even more so since mid-November when my constituency of Chester South and Eddisbury was
In the race to combat climate change, solar farms have emerged as a beacon of hope. But as these sprawling fields of gleaming panels multiply across our countryside, they’re casting long shadows over another crucial resource: our precious farmland. It’s a classic
When campaigning to become an MP, I heard about the struggles parents face when trying to get support for their children with Special Educational Needs (SEND). During the past few months, I have seen just how far reaching the crisis is. I
If I asked you to read this sentence aloud, chances are it would be remarkably easy. Speech is something most of us take for granted—every day it allows us to express our thoughts, feelings, hopes, needs and, of course, our politics. Put
The United Nations have decreed 24 January as International Day of Education to remind us of the powerful role education can have in building communities, strengthening economies, and empowering individuals. Education is one of the most effective ways to ensure that young
The Government wants to turbo boost UK growth. My ‘Buy British Bill’ aims to do just that. The UK spends £300 billion on public procurement. But all too often, this money goes overseas to foreign suppliers or multinationals, rather than supporting UK
I tabled a Bill last week to recognise a Palestinian state. It did not get debated. We ran out of time, a little like what is happening to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. They are running out of time. My
I recently had the opportunity to bring an issue that’s close to my heart to the national stage in Parliament: support for our high streets at the heart of our communities. This was through an adjournment debate I secured on the impact
Every time we eat a meal, turn the radiator up, or go for a long Sunday walk in the countryside we are benefitting from the hard work of rural communities. Yet these communities, like my constituency of North Northumberland, are not receiving
We are deep in that time of the parliamentary cycle where Fridays see a host of Private Member’s Bills being debated. Friday 24th January, whilst Storm Eowyn raged across Northern Ireland and Scotland was no exception, with my bill the Gambling Act
Illegal migration is out of control, and it is local communities up and down the country who are footing the consequences of catastrophically ineffective policy. 220 asylum hotels across villages, towns and cities sit as stark reminders on the doorsteps of the
Every now and then a topic captures the public’s imagination and rightly generates much-needed debate. A year ago, everyone was talking about the Post Office Horizon scandal and finally asking important questions about how this had been allowed to happen. But hardly
I wanted to secure last week’s adjournment debate to recognise the importance of Crewe Railway Station, not just to my constituents in Crewe and Nantwich, but to the entire region of Cheshire East, the North West of England, and the nation as
Imagine navigating life as your vision gradually fades, knowing that no treatment currently exists to halt or reverse the process. For thousands of individuals in the UK living with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), this is a stark reality. Yet, within this challenge
This year marks the centenary of Stoke-on-Trent, a city born out of the federation of six towns in 1925. It is a city built on partnerships, a union of equals that must now consider its future as it enters a second century.
Seventy-four per cent of the total floodplain in the United Kingdom is agricultural land, including, 60% of our best and most versatile land. As a result, the argument about what should happen with floodplains—whether they should be allowed to flood, be rewilded
We are nothing without our heritage and its vital we preserve it. Nothing perhaps encapsulates the UK’s heritage more than our historic places of worship. Church buildings form a vital part of the identity of Britain’s landscapes and townscapes. They are the
The stark reality for migrant workers in the UK is that they are under-protected by our employment rights framework and victimised by our immigration rules. Migrant social care workers are particularly vulnerable to this kind of ill-treatment because of the hostile environment
It all started with a knock on the door. The kind of knock that too many parents have experienced and too many more dread. Last week, a woman from West Bromwich told me her story. She had already heard through friends that
Britain’s Submarine fleet has a long and distinguished record, always at the heart of this nation’s deterrence and defence policy. In 1900, the Royal Navy ordered its first five submarines – the Holland Class. In 1901, six officers were recruited for the
Statistically, you will have never heard of endometriosis. Despite the fact it was first identified in 1860 and affects one in ten women and those AFAB, the vast majority of the population are oblivious to the pain and suffering that many go
