I would like to let constituents know that my office will be closed from 24 December to 5 January. I hope that everyone has a safe and restful Christmas, but those who need support over the holidays can find some useful contact details below.

I’m concerned by media reports that Reading F.C. has been served with a winding-up petition amid an ongoing dispute. 🧵1/2

Important work from the Government to help IT sub contractors who were affected by the loan charge. I thanked Treasury Minister, Dan Tomlinson, for his work on this, which will help many residents who work in tech.

I was pleased to visit The Abbey School this morning to attend their Jane Austen coffee morning as part of her 250th year anniversary. The school took its name in honour of Jane Austen, to keep the memory alive of the old house in Abbey Gateway where she was a pupil.

The Labour Government is freezing rail fares for the first time in 30 years, while Great British Railways will simplify ticketing and payment options to improve journeys for rail users.

Great to welcome Georgia Gould, the Minister for School Standards, to River Academy last week for an important SEND event with insights from parents, teachers and the voluntary sector. It was incredibly helpful for the Minister and I to hear directly from these stakeholders.

My weekly update including information on: 🚅 The Railways Bill 🎨 Reading Gaol arts centre campaign 📚 SEND Regional Engagement Event

It was interesting to visit the Royal Mail and to meet depot manager, Dan Harvey and our wonderful team of local posties.

I spoke about the importance of community based arts organisations and arts education in schools, as well as my campaign to turn Reading Gaol into an arts and heritage hub.

The Labour Government is freezing rail fares for the first time in 30 years, while Great British Railways will simplify ticketing and payment options to improve journeys for rail users.

We’ve been working with the Co-op to collect food to support the work of ReadiFood and New Beginnings Reading, two fantastic local organisations helping those facing financial hardship. 

Thanks to everyone who organised the event, and the large number of shoppers who donated food. 🧵1/2

I would like to congratulate the winners of my Reading Central Small Business competition - Madoo, Walk Works, Kamal’s Kitchen, Nylon Hair Artists, The Greyfriar and Eclectic Games. 🧵1/3

My weekly update including:
 🏬 Small Business Saturday 🚃 Promoting public transport 🌆 Constituency work

New jobs and housing are being created in Reading due to the Elizabeth Line, and more growth could come from improving services to Oxfordshire. I spoke about this during a recent debate in Parliament.

Thanks to ITV Meridian for covering this important issue. I have been calling for the Home Office to look into this case.

Our 2025 Toys and Teens Christmas Gift Appeal launched today! Find all the information you need to support us here: www.readingfamilyaid.org/toys-teens-a...

The expansion of the Labour Government’s free breakfast club programme is great for kids and parents, but also for employers and the economy; providing children with a healthy start to the day, and easing parents' commute in the morning.

My weekly update including: 💷 Supporting the Budget 📚 Visit to Reading School 🚨 Helping tackle anti-social behaviour

Many thanks to Hilary Benn MP, my colleague Liv Bailey MP for Reading West, our hard working councillors and all our amazing volunteers for your help with a wonderful day of campaigning.

Great to be joined today by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, and to talk with residents about the positive news from this week’s budget.

For too long, Reading missed out on the funding our services needed. Labour is now fixing the broken system and putting local need at the heart of council funding. A real chance to turn things around for our area — and I’ll be fighting to make sure we get our fair share.

The Labour Government has delivered the first rail fare freeze in 30 years, easing the cost of living for commuters across Reading. This historic intervention will keep household costs down and drive economic growth.

Children growing up in our country deserve the best start in life – nothing less. Today’s Budget means we will deliver the largest reduction in child poverty in a single Parliament.

It was a privilege to be able to show my support for Olly Stephens' parents when they launched the charity Olly's Work. 🧵1/4

I was proud to welcome the Prime Minister to Reading today. Keir Starmer announced that half a million more children will benefit from Best Start free breakfast clubs from April, during a visit to a breakfast club at St Anne's Primary School in Caversham.

During a debate in Parliament I raised the importance of working with our international partners to protect our environment, and tackle the climate crisis.

I was very pleased to meet with representatives from the Co-op, Mitie, and USDAW to discuss the steps they are taking to help tackle shoplifting and improve the safety of shop workers I would like to thank all retail employees, particularly as we head into December, for the fantastic job they do.

During a ministerial statement on the BBC I praised the role of the BBC Monitoring Station in Caversham. I also called on the Secretary of State to thank BBC staff for their work, and stressed the importance of the BBC and its role as an independent public service broadcaster.

The Labour Government has now approved enough clean energy to power 7.5m homes. Solar is the cheapest form of power available for the country and this government is committed to clean power to deliver energy security and bring down bills for good Find out more here www.gov.uk/government/n...

It was a privilege to attend the Great Western Railway Service of Remembrance, and to remember members of railway staff who gave their lives to defend our freedom. It was an honour that The Queen attended the service.

Hurricane Melissa has caused widespread destruction in Jamaica. Please follow the link below from the Jamaican High Commission to see how you could support the relief efforts there: supportjamaica.gov.jm

It was an honour to be able to pay tribute to the Gurkhas after the Service of Remembrance at the War Memorial at Forbury Gardens. 🧵1/2

I asked the Secretary of State for Education about the benefits of teaching triple science in schools and the impact this has on social mobility.

My weekly update: - Acts of Remembrance - The Hillsborough Law - National Curriculum review

I take great pride in the amazing variety of small and medium businesses in Reading, and was pleased to be able to highlight this in Parliament. Please take the time to nominate your favourite local business in my Small Business Competition at: mattroddamp.com/sbs2025

It was an honour to be able to show my support for the Gurkhas by attending the Remembrance Ceremony at the Gurkha Memorial outside the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall. This event was organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Gurkhas and for Nepal.

I raised the importance of reclaiming and restoring historic buildings in our town centres to maintain the character of local areas, while supporting business and also interest in culture.

It was a privilege to pay tribute to all those from Reading who gave their lives for our freedom.

I raised residents' concerns around the over-concentration of HMOs in particular streets, and how this can impact on existing communities. I have also asked the Minister to look into how the regulation of HMOs can be tightened.

Wonderful to join my colleagues at the Labour Asians Society Diwali Reception.

My weekly update including: 🏠 The Renters Rights Bill 🌳 Tackling the climate emergency ⛵️ Safety on our rivers

I spoke about the importance of water safety and asked what more could be done to help businesses and sports clubs rescue people who have gotten into difficulty on our rivers.

Reading has incredible heritage and green space, with so much for visitors to enjoy. It was good to meet Visit Britain and show my support for encouraging people to visit Reading and the country as a whole.