In a recent @leftlion.bsky.social column, I wrote about James Graham's remarkable West End stage show ‘Punch’, which is on at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday the 4th of April.

Efforts to narrow the definition of womanhood, police people’s gender expression, and reduce people to their biology don't protect women - they harm us. Attacks on trans rights should never be done in our name. We must stand in solidarity with our trans siblings.

It’s devastating that Girlguiding has announced plans to exclude existing trans girl guides from September. The Supreme Court ruling is being weaponised to bully previously inclusive organisations into abandoning members of their own community. [1/2]

There are only a few days left to have your say on Local Government Reorganisation in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The consultation closes on the 26th of March: www.mynottinghamnews.co.uk/final-chance...

The arson attack on a Jewish ambulance service in Golders Green is a deeply shocking act of antisemitism in our capital. These ambulances provide free medical transportation and emergency response to people in North London. [1/2]

The far-right’s reaction to criticism of Nick Timothy's comments shows that they are experts at playing victim to evade scrutiny and manufacture outrage.

Within just 48 hours of the Tories refusing to sack Nick Timothy for his Islamophobic comments, the far-right is circulating a list of MPs “of foreign descent” trying to “silence” him. [1/2]

Eid Mubarak to Muslims in Nottingham and around the world. May your celebrations be full of joy and blessings! I’m thinking especially of those marking this day under difficult circumstances — through war, displacement and persecution.

The Tories' Shadow Justice Secretary is stoking hatred toward Muslims for praying in public. His comments are completely beyond the pale and if the Tories had a single shred of decency, they would sack him.

Reform sells itself as an anti-establishment party fighting for ordinary people. Yet its deputy leader, Richard Tice, stashed profits in an offshore trust and dormant companies to avoid paying nearly £600,000 in corporation tax, screwing over the rest of us. Reform is the establishment.

In Parliament, I recently hosted a screening of Hostile, an award-winning documentary directed by Sonita Gale that examines the long-term impact of hostile environment immigration policies on migrants. You can watch it online: www.hostiledocumentary.com/watch-the-fi...

This is great news for our city's young people. The new Young Futures Hub will be based at Beaumont Community Centre in Sneinton, and a £925,000 government investment will bring together mental health, education, and employment support under one roof, as well as additional youth workers.

Everything coming out of the Mandelson files confirms that his links to Epstein were known to all, and that appointing him showed both terrible judgment and a disregard for due process. [1/2]

Football fans shouldn’t be priced out of attending matches, but affordability is now the number one factor affecting attendance at the City Ground. NFFC Supporters’ Trust surveyed over 2,000 fans about ticket pricing and found that 84.4% of respondents want matchday ticket prices to stay frozen.

Every word of what Charlotte Nichols said in her speech against restrictions to jury trials is bang on. She spoke today for many victims who feel that their voices have been erased and their experiences instrumentalised. If you haven’t watched it, you must.

Today I am voting against the government’s plans to restrict jury trials in England and Wales. I desperately want victims to have swift access to justice. But the evidence is clear: the courts backlog was caused by chronic underfunding of our criminal justice system, not jury trials. [1/2]

The longer Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal war on Iran continues, the more people across the region will be killed or displaced, homes will be destroyed, and millions will suffer the economic consequences [1/2]

This #InternationalWomensDay, I’m thinking about all the women who are living through war and occupation, being denied education, punished simply for expressing who they are, and trapped in exploitation and servitude. [1/2]

It was great to chat with @uniteeastmids.bsky.social about why trade unionists should organise within the Labour Party and push the government to pass legislation that protects and empowers workers. The Employment Rights Act is a historic first step. It must be implemented in full and built on.

We have a once-in-a-generation chance to replace a cruel, broken asylum system left behind by the Tories. Instead, the government is doubling down on dehumanising policies that will needlessly ruin lives.

Black people are at the highest risk of statutory homelessness in most regions of England. During the Women and Equalities Committee’s inquiry into Black homelessness, I asked if the government would raise Local Housing Allowance rates to better support households in need.

I am appalled that the government has scrapped permanent refugee status for those seeking safety in the UK. From today, refugees entering the country will face reviews every 30 months and be forced to return if their country is deemed “safe”. [1/2]

US and Israeli strikes on Iran show contempt for international law. Iran has now responded with strikes across the region. The UK mustn't be dragged into Trump and Netanyahu's war. We must instead do everything possible to facilitate de-escalation and prevent more innocent people from being killed.

Our party has just come third in Gorton and Denton, a previously safe Labour seat - an area where we haven't lost an election since 1931. It is those running our party who are to blame. We need change at the top and serious lessons need to be learnt:

Four years ago today, Russia launched its full-scale illegal invasion of Ukraine. Since then, Ukrainians have been forced to choose courage in the face of unending horror. Hundreds of thousands have been killed, countless more injured, and millions are still displaced. [1/2]

The public inquiry into the 2023 Nottingham attacks begins today. I’m thinking of the bereaved families of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and Ian Robert Coates, the survivors, and everyone who has been affected by the terrible events that took place in our city. [1/2]

Alongside criminal investigations, which I have also called for, there should be an independent, statutory inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein's links to British public figures and institutions. My motion calling for this has already gained 73 signatures. Please contact your MP and ask them to sign it.

No one must be above the law, and this is a significant development. A criminal investigation should also be re-opened into the serious accusations made by Virginia Giuffre against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

I'm delighted that today the majority of the 2016 Trade Union Act was scrapped - a draconian Tory law that was deliberately designed to tie unions up in knots with red tape. Now unions will have more rights to help win better pay and conditions in workplaces.

As part of my commitment to share my salary with local causes, I’ve donated £3,000 to Breaking Barriers Building Bridges. It’s an inspiring organisation dedicated to supporting young people in Nottingham by offering a variety of services, including football training, youth clubs and mentoring.

Across our city, important celebrations are starting for many communities. To Muslims beginning Ramadan, and Christians starting Lent, may this period be one of reflection and renewal. And to all celebrating the Lunar New Year, may the Year of the Fire Horse bring with it prosperity and happiness.

This ruling is disappointing but one thing is clear: the EHRC’s draft code of practice got the law wrong and must be changed. Women's and men's toilets can be provided on a trans-inclusive basis for customers and service users. [1/3]

I am extremely relieved that the High Court has ruled that the proscription of Palestine Action is unlawful. The court found that the ban was a disproportionate interference with the right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. 1/2

Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe claiming that the UK is being “colonised” by immigrants as he sits on a mountain of tax-dodged cash perfectly sums up what the far right is all about. They blame migrants to distract from the super-rich ripping us off. Divide and conquer. We must never fall for it.

There is no LGB without the T. We rise together and we fall together. Part of my speech in Parliament for LGBTQ+ History Month:

It doesn't have to be like this! The Government's immigration plans are the wrong answer to the wrong questions. We need to support our communities and all who live in them. Restoring the right to work for asylum seekers makes sense! Thank you @nadiawhittomemp.bsky.social youtube.com/shorts/4bHLN...

I was proud to vote for the Employment Rights Act, but we must ensure that bad employers can’t exploit legal loopholes. This #HeartsUnions Week, I’m calling on the government to prioritise strengthening trade unions’ access to workplaces and the banning of exploitative zero-hour contracts.

Briefings smearing the character of Labour MPs who are stating the obvious (that the PM’s position is untenable), instead of defending the indefensible, are utterly disgraceful. 1/3

I have tabled a motion in Parliament, supported by 33 other MPs from 6 different parties, calling for a public inquiry into the British public figures and institutions with links to Epstein. With child sexual abuse on this scale, it is unfathomable that other people did not know.

Mandelson never should have been appointed given his known association with a convicted paedophile. The Prime Minister was then slow to sack him, slow to remove the whip, and slow to apologise. Like many people, I am angry. I have to be honest and say once again that we need a change at the top.

Though it took too long, I’m relieved that persistent campaigning against the two-child benefit cap means that the government will finally lift it in April. But this can only be the start of undoing harmful policies that push people into poverty and keep them there.

There must be full transparency about the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US. Any government amendments seeking to exclude publication of information on the grounds that it could be “prejudicial to international relations" are simply unacceptable. [1/2]

Peter Mandelson’s association with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been long known. He should have been expelled from the Labour Party and stripped of his peerage many years ago. He never should have been appointed US ambassador. [1/2]

The Epstein files should have been released a very long time ago. The full files must now be published. Every powerful individual and institution that perpetrated or covered up heinous acts of sexual abuse must be compelled to testify and face criminal investigation. [1/3]

I’m really pleased the Council of Europe has voted to pass @kateosbornemp.bsky.social's resolution for a trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy. Now it’s time for our government to follow suit.

I’m deeply concerned by reports that Kurdish communities are facing severe shortages of food, water, electricity, heating, medical supplies, and communications as Syrian government forces lead an offensive against the Kurdish-led SDF in north-east Syria. [1/2]

It is beyond disappointing that the government will not to compensate WASPI women, despite the Ombudsman’s ruling that those affected should be compensated. When in opposition, we made promises to WASPI women. They should have been able to trust us in government to right this historic injustice.

It was a pleasure to visit The Level Detox centre run by Framework. We discussed the importance of trauma-informed care in detox and the need for societal changes to support those experiencing addiction.

On Holocaust Memorial Day, I’m thinking about the lessons victims and survivors of genocide passed on to us. They showed us how quickly cruelty can be normalised. How discrimination is systematised by the state. How hateful groups gain power, turning friends and neighbours against one another.