Why should the Burnham government prioritise targeted grid upgrades in its first 100 days? How would this save consumers money, revitalise our industries and lead to new and innovative growth? And what are constraint costs anyhow? 👇

Great to see everyone at the @britishprogress.org summer party – congratulations to Julia, David and the whole team for continuing to drive the economic growth agenda. Honoured to be your parliamentary champion!

The UK is paying the price of dependency on global oil and gas markets, as Trump’s war in Iran and the crisis in Ukraine has proven in the last few years. We must uncouple electricity prices from gas and reap the rewards of our investment in cheap, clean power.

One of the most fascinating chapters of 'We Are Not Machines' describes how Swedish trade unions and companies negotiated to find a win-win solution from automation thanks to the union representatives having seats on the company board. (1/3)

What might a ‘cost of living populism’ look like & how would it do electorally for Labour/Burnham? Some new research via @persuasionuk.bsky.social TL;DR such a platform boosts Lab’s vote share by 15ppt (!) to 34% in our MRP experiment. This & anti-Reform squeeze is prob their best hope 🧵

Rising food prices are one of the clearest examples of the cost of living crisis, and it's something that shoppers have to contend with every week. In @thefabians.bsky.social new pamphlet, I set out what a new Labour government can do to to bring inflation down.

“Britain simply has an economy with no shock absorbers”. Trump’s war in Iran is crashing living standards - this story by Tom Calver in the Times describes the urgency of a bold cost of living agenda that improves domestic resilience to inflation👇

I gave a pitch at this year’s FT Women in Business summit: more business women should consider running for Parliament! Thanks Miranda Green for chairing a really fun panel. We need 60 women in order to achieve gender parity in Parliament – can you help us find them?

As Reading Buses and Manchester’s Bee Network have shown, a productive state can improve the supply of essentials - and supply-side reform is essential to a progressive, left economics.

On #Newsnight yesterday I set out how I'd like to see our next prime minister deal with the crisis at Thames Water. We have to accept that the Tory experiment with our water companies has failed. (1/2)

Keir Starmer has shown incredible grace and leadership with his moving statement today, which will allow the Labour Party to move forward and revitalise itself. (1/3)

Huge congratulations to Andy Burnham, our new Labour MP for Makerfield, and all the volunteers and campaigners who made this win possible - we saw a huge swing to Labour from Reform compared to the local elections in Wigan only a month ago🌹

Thames Water's HQ is in Reading, but it's the distant creditors who are running the show. Today in PMQs, I asked the Deputy Prime Minister how we can makes sure Thames Water's restructuring is in the best interests of customers, not the investors who have gotten us to this point.

I'm very glad to see the government has raised objections to the current Thames Water deal proposed by its creditors. I've previously written to Ofwat to ask them to reject this deal. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I really welcome today's announcement that the government will be bringing in a social media ban for under 16s, after the consultation found the overwhelming majority of parents support it. (1/3)

labourlist.org/2026/06/capa... pleased to have written this with my good friend @graemedowniemp.bsky.social about focusing on outcomes over targets.

Tomorrow I’ll be bringing Thames Water’s management into Parliament to answer a simple question (that they have failed to answer so far): what are our constituents getting in return for their increase in bills? (1/2)

As an economist, former FT journalist and now Labour MP, l don’t think the bond markets have to fear a change of Labour leadership. The biggest problem for gilt investors and MPs alike is inflation – & it remains our common enemy. My @financialtimes.com op-ed 👇 (1/5) www.ft.com/content/2a64...

Student loans are an issue of intergenerational fairness, and I'm glad to be digging into this issue as part of Parliament's Treasury Committee. Thank you to each of the 52,000 people who submitted evidence for the our inquiry into student loan fairness.

Thanks to Hannah Brenton for covering the much-needed revival of economics discussion in the Labour Party this (hot essay) summer. The "Great Moderation" of the pre-financial crisis decades is over – we need new ideas to tackle the new challenges we face.

Had a great time doorknocking in Makerfield last week with friends from Reading. Lovely to see all the many amazing volunteers!

We are all paying the cost of Trump’s war in Iran in the form of higher bills. Making it easier to trade electricity with our allies in Europe will strengthen our energy resilience and keeping bills down in such uncertain times.

Really enjoyed being part of the lively discussion @resolutionfoundation.org launching their new paper on economic priorities for the next three years. Thank you to my co-panelists Tom McTague, Sir John Curtice, James Smith and to Ruth Curtice for hosting!

I am aware of the localised meningitis outbreak in Reading, and my thoughts and condolences are with the young person who has tragically passed away.

The cost of living crisis and our low growth are two symptoms of the same problem: an economic structure that hasn’t been working for a long time. We need to take on the root causes of those costs.

From the many conversations I've had with my Labour colleagues in Parliament, there is a consensus about the importance of setting out clear fiscal rules and getting the cost of borrowing down. The best way to address the cost of living is to get growth up and inflation down.

My statement on the Prime Minister:

As we near the end of a busy campaign, a big thank you to all of our Labour friends & family who came to help canvass in South Reading & Woodley – you’ve been brilliant!

It's the big day! The Renters' Rights Act brings us: 🏘️ An end to no-fault evictions 🔑 The right to challenge unreasonable rent hikes 💷 A limit of one rent increase per year 👩‍👩‍👦 A ban on discrimination against renters with children

The Chancellor didn’t rule out a fixed-term freeze on private sector rents when I asked her in Parliament today. As Trump's war in Iran continues to drive up costs, this move would provide vital security for young families, who are most affected by the cost of living.

Close co-operation between the UK and EU benefits all of us, culturally and economically. Watch MPs @yuanfenyang.bsky.social, @rosiewrightingmp.bsky.social, @steveracemp.bsky.social, Johanna Baxter and @rachelblakemp.bsky.social make the case ahead of the UK-EU summit later this year.

The contributions made by Gurkha veterans to our armed forces and our country must never be forgotten, which is why I’ve invited the Veterans minister to visit the amazing Gurkha community centre that we have in Reading, and discuss how we can better support our veterans.

I’m looking for local talent to join my team! I’m recruiting for a Constituency and Parliamentary Assistant to help lead on local campaigns as well as to support my work in Parliament. The deadline to apply is Thursday 9th April at noon. Apply here: yuanyangmp.org/vacancies/

The cost of living should be the top priority for this Parliament, so it was amazing to host so many people, including the government's Cost of Living Champion Richard Walker, at @costoflivingaction.bsky.social's parliamentary launch. Have a watch!

Almost one year ago, I was denied entry to the West Bank by Israeli authorities, alongside my fellow Labour MP, Abtisam Mohamed. Later that year Dr Simon Opher had the same experience. Since then, the three of us have carried on campaigning on human rights in Palestine in Parliament.

There are thousands of British and Allied graves in Gaza, where those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the First and Second World Wars are remembered and protected by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. (1/2)

We've had six cuts to interest rates in a row since the general election, and the markets expect inflation to be back on track this year, but the cost of living at home and the unrest abroad means that it can be hard for people to feel the impact of the government's work.

Today the Treasury Committee has launched a inquiry into the student loan repayment system, and I went on BBC Breakfast this morning to talk about why it's so important. We have to make sure this system is fair for everyone, and we’d like to hear from young people in particular.

Student loans: how fair is our repayment system? Today our Treasury Committee is launching an inquiry into this very topic - and we’d like to hear from young people in particular. Anyone over the age of 16 in the UK can feed in to our inquiry here: forms.office.com/pages/respon...

Thanks to Private Eye for mentioning my scrutiny of FirstPort - we need a far better deal for residents paying property management fees.

I am a Member of Parliament today in part because of the brilliant work from groups supporting women in politics, like the Labour Womens’ Network, and the work of so many other amazing women who we celebrate on International Women’s Day.

The cost of energy, and of food, has been a big burden for families, so I asked the Chancellor during her Spring Statement to go further to bring down the cost of living. (1/3)

“We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore.” There was huge applause in the room when the Prime Minister said this at the Munich Security Conference last week. (1/2)

Stability of status is what enabled my parents to plan for the future and to give me a proper education. I took part in the parliamentary debate on Indefinite Leave to Remain to emphasise the importance of this stability for immigrant families who are already here.

Today's GDP figures show a much needed pickup in real GDP per capita - 2025 was the first year this measure grew for three years. In April, energy bill reductions from the 2025 Budget will come into effect, tackling inflation and bringing the cost of living down.

I was on BBC Radio 4 last night discussing what the government needs to do in the coming years. For me, it's the focus on the cost of living – whether it comes to rail fare freezes, energy bills, food, rent and mortgage costs going down because we're getting inflation under control.

Almost a decade and a half since I was one of its founders, I’m glad to see @rethinkecon.bsky.social play a huge role in educating young economists across the world. Great to speak to Matthew in his new piece in @theguardian.com about Rethinking Economics: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Turning inward to a leadership contest now would be both wrong and counterproductive when there is still so much vital work ahead. Our focus should remain on delivering the change voters asked for, not distracting ourselves from it.

I first met the Palestinian Ambassador Dr Husam Zomlot before I became an MP, and I’ve met with him several times since then to discuss the crisis in Gaza. (1/3)

I brought my parents into Parliament again – and surprised them by winning the New Labour MP of the Year Award by the Patchwork Foundation!