People used to be able to see improvements in earnings through their lifetime. But for the last 20 years real incomes have all but flatlined. So a cost-of-living focus needs to make work pay, repair social security and control household costs. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

The UK is duty-bound to prevent genocide. In Gaza, history will judge whether we acted when the warning signs were crystal clear. What evidence would be required to accept the risk if neither the ICJ nor the UN Commission of Inquiry suffices?

I have real concerns that changes to visa rules, family rights and settlement will damage public services by forcing migrant workers into impossible choices The government must retain the five-year leave route, stop retrospective rule changes, and recognise public service work.

The Bar Council and Criminal Bar Association say there’s no evidence that limiting jury trials will cut court delays. I urged the Minister to publish any evidence behind these reforms and explain why no pilot schemes were run.

The Labour Party needs to be a signpost, not a weather vane and serve the best interests of the working people of this country. To achieve that we need to hear the debate amongst the whole swathe of the Labour Party, not just a narrow faction. I spoke to BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

What would you improve in your community if you had £40m? In my regular North East Bylines column I look at the Labour Government's Pride in Place programme and encourage people living in TS3 to make their voices heard. Read the article here - northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teess...

Labour Together deploying private investigations into legitimate journalists is sinister and has no place in the labour movement. MPs who received their donations should ask questions. Those who were aware, including McSweeney, must address this. democracyforsale.substack.com/p/exclusive-...

The Commons is today due to debate the obligation to assess the risk of genocide in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. I expressed my disappointment at the time for this vital debate being shortened and the need for proper scrutiny.

Today I am launching a survey to ask how we should spend £40m in Thorntree and Park End. The Labour Government is investing this huge sum through its Pride in Place programme. But it is up for people in TS3 to decide how best it is spent - take part andymcdonaldmp.org/pride-in-pla...

What was known at the time was more than sufficient to say, "You do not touch this man with a barge pole. He's dangerous for us." Speaking to @skynewsrss.bsky.social about Lord Mandelson earlier today.

Tonight, Labour MPs voted to scrap the two child limit – a move that puts us on course to drive the biggest reduction of child poverty in a single Parliament. The Tories and Reform UK voted against it. Don’t let anyone tell you voting Labour doesn’t make a difference 🌹

The task of every Labour government is to reduce child poverty, and today that is exactly what's happening. Removing the two-child limit will lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. That's what a Labour government is for.

There is real concern there has been disclosure of info by Mandelson that may be have been used for commercial gain. I asked the Minister to confirm that full engagement will be had with the criminal authorities.

Is there any wonder there's such a disconnect between politics and the people when people who occupy these positions, like Peter Mandelson, discharge it in this way with his association with these sorts of characters, and are so glib with our national interests. I spoke to @lbc.co.uk.

“Yet another colossal misjudgment by Mandelson. He should be immediately expelled from the Party. “His agreement to influence UK tax policy on behalf of a convicted paedophile and sex trafficker is a fundamental breach and betrayal of his Ministerial duties and obligations.”

On BBC Tees today about my continued support for the WASPI campaign. 5,000+ women in my constituency and around 3.6m in the country have been wronged. The issue was made by the previous Tory government, but when state injustice occurs it's up to today's government to right it.

The hopes of the WASPI women were raised when the Govt reconsidered new evidence. Returning to no compensation whatsoever will be a very bitter pill to swallow. The imperative for Labour is to raise living standards for all but the sense of disappointment will be profound.

Now more than ever we need NEC Reps committed to standing up for democracy and radical policies in the Labour Party. Support the CLGA's slate. futureweneed.com

Some more pictures from this week's @sciappg.bsky.social which I chair. We met with members of @spinalinjuries.bsky.social along with MPs of all parties to discuss the need for a National Strategy on Spinal Cord Injury.

The government is introducing a cap on ground rents. I welcome this given their increase in recent years. I encourage the govt to go further, clamp down on escalating rents and service charges - and deal with the cost of living crisis. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Blocking Andy Burnham from standing signals a leadership prepared to risk defeat by Reform rather than tolerate a victory by someone outside its faction. This act of self-sabotage must be reversed.

The decision by Labour’s NEC officers’ to block Andy Burnham from even applying to stand in Gorton and Denton is an appalling act of political misjudgement. The full NEC should now step in and reverse the decision. My article for @tribunemagazine.bsky.social 👇 tribunemag.co.uk/2026/01/burn...

Today on Holocaust Memorial Day we remember those who have lost their lives in genocides across the world. The theme for 2026 is Bridging Generations - that remembrance doesn't end with survivors - it lives on through children, grandchildren and all of us. We will remember them.

Today in my role as chair of the @sciappg.bsky.social I met with members of @spinalinjuries.bsky.social. At the event we welcomed MPs of all parties to discuss the need for a National Strategy on Spinal Cord Injury.

How we turn things around for the Labour Party is by uplifting people's material living conditions and showing them very clearly that having a Labour government makes a material difference to their lives. We've already done some great things. We need to press on and do more.

"The new Board of Peace is an assault on the UN and its agencies, setting up a parallel infrastructure, with none of the values and principles." A must-read article from @debbieabrahamsmp.bsky.social for @labourlist.bsky.social 👇 labourlist.org/2026/01/reun...

Andy Burnham's highly regarded by the people of Manchester. Surely a Prime Minister should be embracing such a politician and taking the opportunity to have the best players out there on the pitch. And to put him to work for the good of the Labour Party and for the country.

I would have liked Andy Burnham to have been selected as a candidate. I suspect people in Gorton & Denton Labour Party would have also liked him to have stood. But here we have a Prime Minister, who's voted against a candidate who would win for Labour.

"People need security to plan their finances, security to plan their lives, and security to build a future for themselves and their families." ✍️ Lee Barron MP writes more about his question on the right to a guaranteed hours contract at PMQs this week. labourlist.org/2026/01/lee-...

The UK should not join Trump's misnamed Board of Peace. His invitation to those subject to ICC arrest warrants for war crimes, makes a mockery of it's title. Another tool of coercion that rides roughshod over the UN and genuine multilateralism. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The Northern Ireland Legacy Bill Remedial Order is a necessary and overdue step if this Government is to retain the confidence of the people of Northern Ireland, that it is serious about justice, accountability and dealing honestly with the legacy of The Troubles.

Israel is banning aid organizations in Palestine funded by the UK public. Yet the UK continues membership of the Civil Military Coordination Centre under Trump's 20 Point Plan and Gaza Peace Board. UK govt must act to ensure aid is delivered and agencies can work in Palestine.

Labour's Warm Homes Plan will deliver £15 billion of public investment and roll out upgrades to up to 5 million homes. The plan could save homes hundreds on energy bills and help to lift up to a million families out of fuel poverty by 2030.

I welcome the PM standing up for the rules-based order. That is why humanitarian access to the State of Palestine must be decided by Palestinians, not Israel or the Board of Peace. The UK must act to support Palestinian sovereignty.

🚨𝗡𝗘𝗪! Comment piece from @mwheelermp.bsky.social on why he's launching our campaign to make sure the new right to a Guaranteed Hours Contract is implemented properly. "Now that the Employment Rights Act has passed, there’s a risk people think ‘job done’." labourunions.org.uk/comment-the-...

The PM is right to reject President Trump's attempt to take possession of Greenland. As the UN Gen Sec has asserted, the assertion of US military dominance has undermined international law. We must stand up for peace, justice and self-determination. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cx...

I welcome the Govt delaying the Public Office (Accountability) Bill rather than pursuing measures opposed by Hillsborough and other family groups. It is right to work with victims and families who have suffered from a lack of candour by state officials. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

On Monday, I will not support carve-outs that keep parts of the state beyond accountability. That would fundamentally undermine the purpose of the Hillsborough Law. I will vote with @ianbyrnemp.bsky.social to end the culture of cover-ups that denied justice. labourlist.org/2026/01/open...

Today's announcement for offshore wind auction secures cheaper, cleaner power by 2030 and can help bring down bills. Great news for Teesside which has the capability to produce the monopiles for turbines - supporting local skills and potential jobs.

I welcome Northern Powerhouse Rail announcement. It is achievable, but must be delivered fast. Better links between cities must benefit Teesside too. I want to see the bi-mode battery trains on Tees Valley lines needed to improve train times. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I'd like to thank all of the staff I met at Tees Valley Hospital for affording me such a warm welcome. It was a pleasure to meet so many people wholly dedicated to their work and to tour this very impressive facility.

If confirmed, this step back is welcome recognition that compulsory digital ID was an ill-thought though proposal without public or political support. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

More than 40 civil society groups including @tuc.org.uk @greenpeaceuk.bsky.social and @pscupdates.bsky.social have joined forces to condemn new police powers to restrict protest. This amplifies the concerns I've expressed to Home Office ministers. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Over 18 million workers across the UK will benefit from new stronger protections at work.    They include new day one rights for parental leave, new parents rights to bereavement leave, and better sick pay. These are rights and security people deserve. www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

Real wins for workers are a step closer as the Gov confirms new rights start in April: 🚼 Right to paternity leave from Day One 1️⃣ Right to unpaid parental leave from the first day in a new job But this is just the start, add your name to back the New Deal in full labourunions.org.uk/deliverinfull/

I asked people in Middlesbrough to share their ideas for a statue of Chris Rea. Unsurprisingly one was to honour the most Boro moment ever on TV - Bob Mortimer's wonderful story on Would I Lie To You of how Chris Rea once "popped" an egg in his bath. Here's how it might look....

A campaign has been launched by talented local musician Jamie Sample for us to honour Middlesbrough's must successful musical son Chris Rea. I've thrown my support behind the idea. What do we think? Read more and sign the petition here - www.change.org/.../erect-a-....

We had a wonderful day in Middlesbrough yesterday showing off some of the wonderful developments going on in the town at the moment to Government Minister Alison McGovern. There is a lot to be excited for in 2026 including the new Southlands Centre, which is going to be terrific.

The Labour Government's Road Safety Package includes cracking down on drink and drug driving, making advanced safety technology mandatory and investing in infrastructure. It aims to reduce deaths and road injuries by 65% by 2035 and is welcomed by families campaigning for road safety. 👇

The Employment Rights Act is a historic step and the most important for workers in a generation, but there is more to do. Working people, unions and advocates must continue to push for a world where decent work isn't a privilege, but a guaranteed right. morningstaronline.co.uk/article/hist...