"If we are to tackle male violence against women and girls, these websites have to be shut down" Our Chair @tonia-antoniazzi.bsky.social urges Government to outlaw pimping websites to stop sex trafficking 👏 Full speech 👉 hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026...

Best part of 20 years ago I worked with some of the early women's centres diverting women offenders from custody - Anawim, Calderdale, Together Women and so many more Incredible seeing money going into these services that make sure women who don't need to be in prison aren't sent

What do they expect MPs (and their staff) to do? With people phoning, emailing, banging on the constituency office door, turning up in Central Lobby. Just tell constituents you’re not interested?

They are still talking about how MPs shouldn’t do casework over on X. Honestly. Come to my ends - abandoned by much of the state for 14 years, high unemployment, 21k on the housing list - and then try being high-handed and dismissive about the problems local people face

UK energy costs in manufacturing are existential. If we want to have domestic capability to make the products of steel, chemicals, aluminium, ceramics, we need to bring forward the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme asap - and work out what more we can do - as Make UK point out

GOOD NEWS from Sandwell Council's housing repairs team... - in the past year more than 86,000 repairs have been completed - more than 95% of emergency repairs are done within 24 hours - resident satisfaction with repairs is now 95% - 91% of complaints in Q3 2025 got a timely response vs 67% in Q2

Fujitsu has paid nothing toward a £2bn redress bill yet still profits from public contracts. 2,500 sub-postmasters are still waiting for their full claim to be paid; 1,500 are still to receive any money. Business & Trade Committee new report, out today: 👇 committees.parliament.uk/publications...

Great talking to residents in Princes End with Cllr Archer Williams and candidate Joanna Quaye. Pic taken before it started bucketing with rain - but we kept going!

Bit blowy today but a lovely cuppa chai at Simply Cafe in Dudley Port

We won’t allow firms to gouge consumers under the cover of the conflict in the Gulf. Right that the CMA are investigating the heating oil market, including reports of some suppliers cancelling previously agreed orders to try and raise prices www.gov.uk/government/n...

It’s grimly fascinating. Proper “rich man in his castle, poor man at the gate” know-your-place stuff. They think making good speeches and doing charitable works means lawmakers should inherit a right to make law for the rest of us.

Popped over to X (yes, I know) and previously sensible people seem to be defending the idea of hereditary peers. We all know the Tories quietly retained them for the inbuilt advantage - but to see outright defence of hereditaries as a better method than life appointment is quite something

And it is done. Who your dad is no longer gives you a guaranteed say on the law of the land. We have tonight done what so many Labour people have sought to do throughout our history: no more hereditary peers

Just the most brilliant afternoon with the other members of the Business and Trade select committee learning about AI, work, job displacement and industrial uses - ahead of launching our enquiry into AI, jobs and growth soon

Asked the Chancellor about support for industrial energy costs given what is going on in the Middle East - and pushed for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme - which will cut bills by 25% - to be brought forward asap

Reform voted against it Remember that when they come round Friar Park and Princes End pretending to understand and asking for votes from low income families Let’s send them packing

Last night we passed plans to make school dinners free for children in all families on universal credit from September 2026 This will cut poverty by another 100,000 children And it will help 1000s of parents in my ends, cutting a weekly bill and making sure every kid eats well at lunchtime

Labour MPs just voted to expand free school meals to half a million more children, lifting 100,000 children out of poverty. The Tories and Reform UK voted against. Only Labour will give children growing up in our country the best start in life.

Tonight, the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill is back in the House of Commons. A reminder of the amendments we're backing, and why 👇

And once again Bluesky is outraged to discover that Labour has a tradition that isn’t liberal (I have my own criticisms of Blue Labour, but I am bemused by the furore every time someone Labour says work has dignity, place matters, relationships matter, change isn’t always good)

Happy 145th birthday Ernie!

Signed this letter along with 30 other Labour women MPs. It’s time for our court system to prioritise victims and survivors

Loved going to Asda Great Bridge to meet the young people doing a Supported Internship. They showed me the real work they were doing and told me about their hopes for the future This scheme gets 60% of completers into jobs - compared to a 4% employment rate for learning disabled yp. Magic

Happy international women’s day x

Have been a bit frustrated by some of the conversation about Labour's voter coalition. I've written about who the "Hero Voters" actually were, how we won them, and what we need to do to earn their support next time. chriscurtismk.substack.com/p/who-actual...

The contrast is absolutely clear Labour focussing on mainstream inclusive schools where every kid is stretched and can thrive and find their path Reform bussing a few lucky kids to a grammar school and dumping three quarters in a secondary modern

Congratulations Cllr Julie Griffiths!

Really good to visit Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil today after they were awarded a £1bn contract to build military helicopters. This is a big win for the South West and for national security.

Sandwell Council’s fraud team has stopped fraud and error to a value of over £800k

Today is World Book Day! Was lovely to bump into Knit and Natter and the brilliant Years 2s from Albert Pritchard School at Wednesbury library

Breakfast in Morrisons cafe in Wednesbury = loads of chats and loads of casework

Really enjoyed my friend Chris McDonald, the industry minister, talking to Steph McGovern on Steph on Skills about manufacturing, his journey and getting more young people into apprenticeships youtu.be/CFnP3NJ9WxY?...

Glad to speak in the debate on DBT estimates - in support of manufacturing and the Industrial Strategy, calling for action on steel tariffs, for help with industrial energy costs in the BICS to be brought forward, and for the review of the ZEV mandate to be this year not next

If I had worked in the Number 10 that had cut childcare bills in half or more for nearly all families, I might not add “the cost of childcare” onto the list of things hitting middle earners.

I have taken the decision to step down from my ministerial responsibilities to allow me to focus on my job representing you, the people of West Lancashire, while I continue to receive oral chemotherapy treatment. My letter to the PM below 👇

Worth a read (EU focussed, doesn’t touch on other key issues for automotive like energy costs, the challenge of Chinese EVs and the pace of transition…)

Out and about in the renamed Hilltop and Ocker Hill ward with my friend Cllr Jenny Chidley - big issues roads, housing, Send (as always!)

This is great. Lots of good UK unionised jobs protected into the future. I was so pleased to meet the @unitetheunion.bsky.social conveyors before Christmas and have asked questions and written to ministers on this - phew!

Great session out in Friar Park talking to local residents with Cllr Hackett and Cllr Giles - but OMG the speeding on Carrington Road as we were chatting - picking this up AGAIN with the police and council

The tram stopped at the works just outside Wednesbury so I took the chance to snap some pics of the new extension to Tipton and Dudley rather than zooming past - shaping up beautifully 😍

Powerful moment in the Commons as Starmer calls on Farage to apologise for the Reform councillor who shared a post calling for Labour MP Natalie Fleet to be shot, pointing out that when Farage faced death threats Starmer condemned them. Farage totally ignores that & asks about the Chago Islands.

Big intervention by Gordon Brown If you have a vote in Gorton and Denton tomorrow - use it for Labour and to stop Reform

In the light of last week's arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the Business and Trade Committee today announced the next stages of our work on special trade envoys. Listen to the statement here: www.facebook.com/watch/?v=932...

This Labour government succeeded where the Tories failed – legislating to abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and transform private renting. Now Reform want to repeal our Renters’ Rights Act and deny tenants the security, rights and protections they’ve secured. Disgraceful.

And here we are. The choice is clear. A ban on zero hours contracts AND a ban on no fault evictions Or US-style fire at will and families losing their homes despite paying the rent just cos their landlord fancies it

My views on the SEND reforms news today. This is my view as a parent of 2 children with SEND and as someone who cares deeply about the welfare of staff in the education system.

This morning I set out our vision for the schools system our children deserve. You can read my speech about the Labour government’s ambition for all our children here:👇🏻 (1/6) www.gov.uk/government/s...

Labour is rising to the generational challenge of properly supporting children with SEND. We will set out our vision and ambition for a schools system where every child can achieve and thrive. www.theguardian.com/education/20...

@adammacqueen.bsky.social breaking recess to say thank you so much for the latest Tommy Wildeblood - I loved it, but reading your afterword was sobering. Imagine a world where Section 28 was defeated and we all grew up feeling normal and supported…

Fuck this is a awful, dreadful chart. Not to get all Gladstone about this but... gambling is a major social ill and absolutely needs cracking down on