I’m backing the Curlew Action Plan. Species decline and extinctions aren’t inevitable. We have the evidence, the solutions and the plan. Now we need action. I’ll be supporting @curlewaction.bsky.social in the months ahead to help bring this iconic bird back from the brink.

Anti-nature policies are a dead end for Labour. You don’t secure lasting growth by risking long-term harm to the ecosystems we rely on. The public knows this. There’s no need for the Government to pick a fight with voters on nature. It’s bad policy and bad politics.

I’ve campaigned hard for a fairer deal for our family farms. That can’t stop with changes to inheritance tax. We must back farmers by ensuring the public sector buys local, British produce!

Justice by the people, for the people. Juries are the cornerstone of democracy and the rule of law. Last night I joined legal experts to hear concerns about proposals to limit the right to trial by jury. We must improve the criminal justice system without compromising justice.

No backwards steps for nature! We can't build homes or infrastructure because Tory cuts bled our planning system dry. Putting our Habitats Regulations through a shredder isn't the answer. I've tabled a Parliamentary Motion asking the Government to rethink its plans.

The global energy transition is progressing too slowly: 1️⃣ Record high CO₂ emissions from energy in 2024. 2️⃣ Fossil fuel use reached a new peak. 3️⃣ Demand is still growing faster than renewable supply. We have to find a better way to secure a prosperous future for everyone.

Labour promised a council housing revolution. Many housing associations are becoming too corporate and forgetting their roots. Our Government must grab the bull by the horns and get local authorities building again. Council housing means council housing.

Environmental limits on river water abstraction exist. Pretending they don’t for developers to boost profits won't magic away reality. It means dirtier water, water shortages, and failing crops. Developers profit. The rest of us pay the price. See how it works yet?

Flowing Chalk Streams have been turned into shallow dribbles. They're irreplaceable habitats. Once gone, they’re gone. Companies over-abstracted our rivers. Our inheritance vandalised for money. Our planning system must protect the nature people love over short-term profit.

Water scarcity is a major challenge. New reservoirs alone won’t solve it. Our projected deficit is 5 BILLION litres a day. A sustainable water system for drinking, agriculture and thriving rivers must come before tech giants’ quenchless thirst for their data centres.

I'm deeply sceptical about the proposals around Digital ID, and I share the concerns of many of my constituents. This week I raised these concerns in Parliament and said the Government must prepare to drop the plans in response to public feedback from its consultation.

Trashing nature is wrong and hugely unpopular. The public are right, too many politicians are out of touch and failing our environment. England’s biodiversity is in serious danger. Blaming nature for market failures won't help build anything—it will ruin precious habitats.

Wildlife is at risk. Habitats disappearing. Species declining. Ancient Woodlands threatened. This is the result of political choices over decades. It's time to bin off spurious anti-nature narratives peddled by terminally online lobbyists.

Turns out it's AI data centres, not nature, that is the blocker... 🤷‍♂️ I guess developers should have the power to pay to destroy data centres then? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Climate change is driving 40% of UK food price hikes. Protecting households from spiralling costs of living means protecting the planet. It's time to kick the expensive fossil fuel habit and accelerate the shift towards heating & powering Britain with efficient renewables. @nebriefing.bsky.social

Labour is lifting 450,000 children out of poverty. Almost half a million kids that will be healthier, happier and better educated. This means a more productive, prosperous Britain. It's that simple.

Hospices are being forced to cut services due to lack of funds. They don't just offer medical care—they provide dignity at life's hardest moments. That support must be safeguarded. Tomorrow's Budget must deliver sustainable funding—no more papering over the cracks.

Israel is blocking a million bottles of baby formula from entering Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians—including children, face imminent starvation. Our Government’s action must match the urgency of this moment. Immediate, widespread sanctions on Israel.

Today, Labour is putting passengers before profit. For the first time in 30 years, rail fares are to be frozen—saving commuters hundreds and easing the cost of living. Public ownership of our train services will put an end to extortionate price hikes.

Who owns Britain? Mostly aristocrats, oligarchs and big corporations. Inheritance tax changes won’t touch their corporations and trusts that never die. Labour should go after these wealthy landowners—not family farmers so vital to food security and climate action.

Sewage in rivers. Toxic waste near homes. Pollution in the air. In one of the wealthiest countries in the world—people shouldn’t have to live like this. I'm delighted Friends of the Earth back my Charter for Community Rights—a path to a fairer, greener future. @friends-earth.bsky.social

The status quo leaves people feeling powerless. Change is done to communities, not with them—leaving areas unfit for happy lives. Time to flip the script. The Charter for Community Rights puts power in local hands, enabling access to nature, healthy homes and liveable places. @thetcpa.bsky.social

The two-child benefit cap forces 109 children into poverty every day. It punishes kids for circumstances they can’t control and takes food out of their mouths. Labour values aren’t just words—they’re a call to action. Scrap the cap.

Communities are routinely at the mercy of profit-chasing companies and dodgy developers. Cuts to bus routes, unaffordable housing, trashed green spaces—too often wealth decides everything. A Charter for Community Rights will give people real power to shape their neighbourhoods.

Developers have no right to trash our environment—it doesn’t belong to them. Labour has always understood access to nature is for the many, not a privilege for the few. We created National Parks and the Green Belt. Nature is at breaking point—real Labour values will rescue it.

Green spaces vanish and unaffordable housing goes up when developers call the shots. A Charter for Community Rights would give local people real power over place-making and the ability to challenge decisions. Power to the people—not the deepest pockets.

There is no conflict between housebuilding and nature—the real conflict is between greed and the kind of country we want. Planning deregulation lets developers put profit before people: cutting quality, hiking prices, and leaving families waiting for council homes.

If we want our national pride back, our political class needs to spend less energy scapegoating refugees and put more into cracking down on flagrant criminal pollution of our countryside. "Oh dear, what a shame, never mind" isn't good enough. Time for "you're nicked, mate!"

Hospices are on the brink. I’ve signed @hospiceuk.bsky.social's letter to the Secretary of State calling for fully funded equitable palliative care, proper NHS contracts and funding for NHS pay rises for hospice staff. It's time to recognise hospices as a vital cornerstone of our health service.

Nature isn’t the enemy of housing—it’s essential for healthy communities. Scapegoating wildlife won’t speed up building, but it will cost us vital habitats. The EAC report is clear: stop this lazy narrative, fix skills shortages, and protect our environment.

📢 Important step forward for chalk streams! I’ve campaigned for months to protect these irreplaceable habitats from serious decline. Glad that the Government will review specific protections in national planning policy. A fairer, greener future is possible if we fight for it.

Nature and housing can go hand in hand. We’ve seen it in the past with garden cities—and now towns planned within a new forest. They show what’s possible. Empower councils to build sustainable council housing that puts people and nature before profit.

Baldock in North East Hertfordshire is set to double in size—but our train station still lacks step-free access. That’s not how you build communities that foster happy, connected lives. New homes must come with solid infrastructure, investment, and services that keep pace with growth.

Today I asked the Prime Minister to support Garden House Hospice in Letchworth. Hospices don’t just provide care, they offer comfort in people’s final days. Our welfare state must support us from birth to end of life—hospices shouldn't have to fundraise just to keep the lights on.

People are fed up with change being done to them, not with them. I’m calling for a Charter for Community Rights—to take power from private interests and give it to communities. Everyone deserves a say in their area and an environment built to flourish—not just survive.

This Armistice Day I paid tribute to our fallen soldiers at memorials in Royston, Buntingford and Braughing. The sacrifice of youth and futures cut short will always mark our nation. Few exemplify this more than Rupert Brooke, whose poem "The Soldier" I read at the Johnson Matthey service.

On Armistice Day, I welcome the Government’s £2m boost to protect war memorials nationwide. We must always remember the courage and sacrifice of those who fought and died for our country. I’ll keep working to ensure their legacy is preserved for generations in North East Herts.

Farage thrives on powerlessness—but his shallow politics offers more of the same, just with someone to blame. Labour must offer hope—real power for people to shape their communities. The Charter for Community Rights replaces blame with agency, and cynicism with change. My @huffpost.co.uk op-ed. 👇

This is a serious test case—if water companies are responsible for this horrendous pollution, there should major fines and prosecutions. If this can't be done, reform clearly needs to go much further.

This week I placed a cross in Parliament's Gardens of Remembrance on behalf of North East Hertfordshire. We will always remember those who gave their tomorrow for our freedom. Their sacrifice must live on in our commitment to peace, justice, and public service.

I'm pleased to be back in the Parliamentary Labour Party and will be pressing on with business as usual representing North East Hertfordshire. My statement on today's news. 👇

Yesterday, the Lib Dems & Reform tried to weaken protections against exploitative zero-hours contracts & unfair dismissal. I voted with Labour to strengthen your rights & deliver secure, well-paid jobs for all. Lib Dem & Reform MPs sided with vested interests & rogue employers.

This is more like it! Plans for a new national forest and housing going hand in hand with nature. Great to see Labour inspired by Garden Cities like Letchworth. Not just better for nature—harnessing green spaces make communities healthier and happier too! www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Leaseholders are being exploited in every corner of North East Hertfordshire. One constituent put it plainly: “They’re making people’s lives miserable.” The harder wealthy landowners fight leasehold reform, the clearer its necessity. Labour will deliver for leaseholders.

75 years ago, the House of Commons chamber was rebuilt, rising from the ashes of WWII. It remains a powerful symbol of Britain’s democratic resilience. Last week, I joined fellow MPs to honour that legacy. It was a privilege to take part in the Speaker's commemorative photo.

British farming is in crisis—a third of farmers are making a loss or barely breaking even. Supermarkets rake in billions while squeezing producers for every penny. We need a fairer deal for farmers to protect food security and restore nature.

Leasehold is the worst kind of parasitic exploitation. Hardworking homeowners ripped off by offshore financiers and aristocratic landowners. We need an economy that rewards those who work for a living—not the rich who exploit them. Labour must end this scandal fast.

Water company shareholders have pocketed over £85 billion of our money. 💸 So why are rivers being pumped with pollution, homes routinely filled with waste and farmland contaminated with raw sewage? Because the system’s designed to make a few people rich—not deliver a decent, affordable service.

I voted to stop Nigel Farage ripping Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights. It protects free speech and expression—and was vital in securing an inquest on the Hillsborough disaster. Farage wants to take your rights and make it harder to challenge injustice.

I’m calling for a Charter for Community Rights. Nigel Farage feeds off the sense of powerlessness across the country. His shallow politics offers no solutions—just someone to blame. The alternative to Reform UK is real empowerment: giving local people a say over their lives.