I visited the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) for five days in February 2023 as part of a parliamentary delegation organised by the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and the Balfour Project.

This delegation takes place 3-4 times a year to allow different British Parliamentarians to witness first-hand on a cross-party basis the humanitarian and political situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  I have been planning to visit ever since I was first elected to Parliament but had to postpone a number of times due to votes in Parliament, a worsening of the security situation and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The visit took place in a context of escalating tension and violence, and mass protests in Israel against the government’s planned reforms to the Israeli Supreme Court. 

I condemn the violence on both sides of this intractable conflict. Israelis have the right to live in peace and security, without the threat of Hamas rocket attacks; Palestinians have the right to self-determination, freedom and security too. 

The early diagnosis of cancer is essential in improving patients chances of survival. Yet under the Conservatives, the length of time cancer patients wait for diagnosis and treatment has risen every single year since 2010.

The Covid-19 pandemic placed immense pressure on our NHS, and has resulted in a backlog of undiagnosed disease.  I know how hard our local NHS teams are working to clear the backlog, but they need support from central government.

Labour has set out our plans to double the number of medical school and healthcare professional training places in the UK, to address the current workforce crisis and ensure there is a clear plan to meet future needs >>

This weekend, I spoke to one of my constituents who is preparing to return to work after maternity leave with her second baby.  She told me she is facing a staggering £2,700 bill for childcare every month.

Spiralling childcare costs are an unbearable cost of living pressure for many families with young children. For the past 13 years, the Conservatives have failed to put children and families first. The upcoming Spring Budget is a vital opportunity for the government to help ease the pressure that many families are currently facing, but the Minister’s response was not at all encouraging.

Our childcare system is failing families, early years professionals and our economy.  Labour will build a modern childcare system supporting families from the end of parental leave to start of secondary school. You can see my question to the Minister here>>

After twelve years of Conservative government, our childcare system is failing families and our economy. The cost of a full time childcare place for a child under two has risen by £2,000 since 2010, and according to one recent survey more than 6 in 10 parents now spend more on childcare than their domestic costs.

Parents, providers, the TUC and CBI all agree that urgent action is needed. But the government’s answer is silence, with no mention of childcare in the Chancellor’s most recent budget statement.

Labour will build a modern childcare system supporting families from the end of parental leave until end of primary school. The first step on the road towards this is our plan for fully funded breakfast clubs for all primary school children making sure every child starts school ready to learn. You can watch my speech in Parliament yesterday here >>

The appalling crimes of David Carrick, committed while he was a serving police officer over a period of almost 20 years are utterly shocking and have further dented the confidence of women in the Metropolitan Police. 

For confidence to be restored, it is vitally important that there are consequences, not only for Carrick himself, but also for officers within the Met who had the opportunity to apprehend him much earlier and who failed to take seriously enough concerns that were raised about him. 

This week I pressed the Home Secretary on the urgency of this issue >>

I was delighted to start the new Parliamentary term by joining 300 early years practitioners at the Newham Early Years Conference. It was inspiring to be in a room full of people committed to giving every child the best possible start in life. the best start in life.

I was delighted to be able to talk about Labour’s ambition to reform the early years sector to deliver high quality childcare and early year years education that works for children, parents and early years professionals.

2023 is the 75^th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks. This year, as we celebrate the enormous contribution the Windrush Generation has made to our local community, it is vital that we continue to fight for justice for everyone affected by the Windrush Scandal.

The Home Office has responded painfully slowly to Wendy Williams’ Windrush Lessons Learned Review. Just 8 recommendations have been fully implemented, more than four years since the review’s publication, and reports now suggest the Home Secretary plans to abandon many of the commitments made in response to the Windrush Scandal.

These is a shameful betrayal of the Windrush Generation and their families. Today I asked the Minister to confirm whether her government is still committed to the full review>>