Bracing sea air and blue skies for New Year’s Eve on the Norfolk coast🌊 Wishing everyone all the best for 2026, Happy New Year.

It’s great news that reports today suggest the UK is set to rejoin the Erasmus+ scheme. My very first campaign as an MEP - launched on my first day in the European Parliament - was to keep the UK in Erasmus. And it was something I called for in my last speech in the Parliament.

➡️The biggest upgrade to workers rights in a generation. Delighted the Employment Rights Act has now been passed by the House of Lords and will become law. Proud to have supported the development of this ambitious package of strengthened rights through our work on Labour’s National Policy Forum.

Voted✅ We need a Deputy Leader at the heart of Government - leading change and putting Labour values into action at the Cabinet table. @backbridget.bsky.social

We need a Deputy Leader at the heart of government driving the change our Labour Government was elected to deliver: putting Labour values and the priorities of Labour members into action from the Cabinet table. Proud to be backing Bridget for Deputy Leader. @backbridget.bsky.social

Today’s attack at a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur is horrific. My thoughts are with the whole Jewish community, the victims and their loved ones and all those affected by this abhorrent, vile attack. We must stand together against antisemitism and hate in all its forms.

“A city that knows how to make visitors feel like locals” So true. These were great words from the Leader of Liverpool City Council in his speech to Labour Conference on Sunday. Great to be back in this great city again. #Lab25

Superb Conference speech from the Prime Minister. Keir Starmer at his best: taking on the politics of grievance with a proud, positive, patriotic, unifying vision for our country and its future.

I’ve attended over 20 Labour Party Conferences, I can’t ever recall a moment like this. The Hillsborough Families are an inspiration.

The passion is what makes the Ryder Cup what it is, a brilliant, special sporting event. It’s always going to be a bit boisterous and noisy - but this is crossing a line and needs reigning in www.golfdigest.com/story/ryder-...

Excellent stuff from @heidialexander.bsky.social Our railways have been a huge part of our national story; sad how much of a national embarrassment our rail network has become: overpriced, overcrowded, unreliable. Great to see this decisive action to sort out the mess. www.ft.com/content/639b...

I was proud to represent Eyres Monsell in Leicester for ten years as a city councillor. 🏡Fantastic news this week that the Labour Government is bringing forward up to *£20 million* for Eyres Monsell - and local people will help decide how it’s spent. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A new youth and student agreement with the EU would be good for the economy and good for future generations of young people. www.thetimes.com/article/ea32...

Very best of luck to the Lionesses as they get their Euros campaign underway this evening. It was great to see the Lionesses on their way at the send off fixture in Leicester last weekend, brilliant atmosphere and lots of goals. Good luck in Switzerland! #Lionesses 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

After the 2019 election Labour was rock bottom electorally and on economic credibility. We should all be grateful for the crucial role Rachel Reeves played in bringing Labour back from the brink and is doing now in Govt, getting more money into public services and securing growth.

After the 2019 election Labour was rock bottom electorally and on economic credibility. We should all be grateful for the crucial role Rachel Reeves played in bringing Labour back from the brink and is doing now in Govt, getting more money into public services and securing growth.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Good luck Lionesses for the Euros. Great to be at King Power this afternoon for the send off fixture, brilliant atmosphere and lots of goals!

📺It was good to be back on the BBC Politics East Midlands sofa again this weekend. All weeks are busy in politics, but last week was a big week the Spending Review so it was good to be able to discuss what that will mean for the East Midlands region.

A big week in politics with the Spending Review, which will bring billions of investment to boost infrastructure and drive growth here in the East Midlands. 📺Catch me on this morning’s Politics East Midlands. 10am, BBC 1 and on iplayer

Back at the Beeb📺

Good to be back to speak at Bassetlaw Labour Party yesterday evening - it’s where I first joined Labour and did my first campaigning many years ago. A huge amount of ground covered in a wide ranging discussion. Thank you to members for sharing their thoughts across a wide range of policy areas.

In Bassetlaw to speak at their Constituency Labour Party meeting this evening. My first ever day at school was in this building - what was the old Abbey Infants in Worksop.

Visiting Gold Beach on the Normandy coast last week: remembering a generation who gave so much for our security and freedom.

Today is the 81st anniversary of D-Day. Last week I visited the British Normandy Memorial overlooking Gold Beach where the names of 22,442 of servicemen and women who fell in the D-Day operation and Battle of Normandy are remembered. We are forever in their debt.

At the end of this week we will commemorate the 81st anniversary of the D Day Landings. I’ve visited Pegasus Bridge before, back in 2016, but it’s always as equally poignant and interesting going back to these significant places a second time.

It felt particularly poignant to visit Gold and Sword Beaches in Normandy this week, a few days ahead of the anniversary of the D-Day landings. We must always remember a generation who gave so much for our freedoms and security.

I used to speed through here twice a week. Now less frequently, but every time I think what a phenomenal, genuinely game-changing example of big infrastructure it is. 🇬🇧🚄🇫🇷

A visit to the Arras First World War battlefields this week. The photos don’t get close to capturing the scale and poignancy of the Vimy Ridge Canadian National Memorial. The 30m high towers stand at the highest point of the ridge, remembering 11,285 Canadians. Lest We Forget

‘I don’t think it has quite got home to us yet that it is all over’ ~ from a letter my late Grandad sent home to his mother from Italy, written the day after VE Day in 1945. Today he remember a special generation who gave so much for our freedoms and security. #VEDay80

‘the wars over..thats something to be thankful for. Cheerio for now Mum' From a letter my late Grandad sent home the day after VE Day from northern Italy, where he was based at the time with 651 Squadron Army Air Corps.

‘I feel the same sharp edge of fury at the way our country has been let down as people who voted on Thursday night do’ ‘I’m not going to navel-gaze or turn inward. I’m going to deliver for you and your family’ www.thetimes.com/article/a544...

Good to be out on the doors in sunny Stapleford today supporting our Labour candidates ahead of Thursday’s County Council elections ☀️

Very best wishes to everyone celebrating at Leicester’s Nagar Kirtan today, Happy Vaisakhi! www.leicestermercury.co.uk/whats-on/vai...

The stunning Northumberland coast last week. Happy St George’s Day, everyone 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Wishing everyone a very Happy Easter. A Northumberian coast view earlier this week, beautiful place.

Seaside treat 🌊🎣🍽️

Very best wishes to everyone celebrating locally and across the world, Happy Vaisakhi

Chag Pesach Sameach to friends and everyone celebrating Passover locally and around the world

Great to be campaigning for @ravkaur.bsky.social recently And to be there for campaign pic of the week!📸

Campaign pic of the week 🌹 #countycouncilelections #Enderby #Lubbesthorpe #thorpeastley #votelabour @eastmidlandslabour @rorypalmer.bsky.social

It’s five years today that Keir Starmer was elected Labour Leader. In my final few weeks as a Member of the European Parliament, I used my Leadership nomination to support Keir’s leadership bid.

Great to be there today to see the PM launch Labour’s local elections campaign here in the East Midlands. Good to be there with friends from across the region. Great speeches from Keir, Angela Rayner & party chair Ellie Reeves.

Eid Mubarak to my friends and everyone celebrating locally and around the world

It’s difficult to believe this most extraordinary of weeks for Leicester was ten years ago.

What a great show this afternoon 🎺🎶🎼👏 A real privilege to see the great Grimethorpe Colliery Band play, a national institution: music and tradition that should be celebrated. (No photos allowed in the show!) Every piece superb, fantastic show⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A nice bimble around Clumber Park to start the weekend 🥾🦆🌳

I’m really pleased to have been re-elected to the East Midlands Labour Party Regional Executive Committee. Looking forward to our work together in these next couple of years with Labour back in Government again.

I’ve just finished reading this, one of the very best books I’ve read in a long, long time. A truly incredible read, @dannythefink.bsky.social An extraordinary, profound contribution to our vital, timeless responsibility to ensure what happened in Europe 80 years ago is never forgotten.

Great to catch up with an old friend and Chair of the Labour Party @elliereeves.bsky.social at Labour’s East Midlands conference. I’ve known Ellie 20+ years, ever since supporting her campaign to be Chair of Labour Students a good few years ago now! Ellie is doing a great job as Party Chair.