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Dear *|FNAME|*,
Earlier this week, Parliament rose for Easter Recess after a busy few weeks of legislation. However, the urgent situation around the collapse of British Steel means I will be back in Parliament again tomorrow. Steel is an industry of massive strategic import. We need low-carbon steel for wind turbines and railways for our green transition. We need the ability to make it from scratch for our defence sector. I have been clear that nationalising British Steel is the best way to retain manufacturing capacity, guarantee jobs and secure the industry’s future. I will be following the government’s response to this evolving situation closely.
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The government has also enacted other meaningful improvements to workers’ rights in recent weeks. Last week saw a significant boost to minimum wage and national living wage, putting more money back in the pockets of our lowest earners. This week saw new neonatal leave rules enacted, which mean that families whose babies are born prematurely are now eligible for an extra 12 weeks paid leave. As someone with a keen interest in improving outcomes for mothers, babies and families, this is a very welcome step. It should make a massive difference to many families during an incredibly difficult and vulnerable period of their lives.
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Closure of Brixton Post Office
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This week, we had news that the remaining 108 Crown Post Offices will cease operations from Autumn this year, including Brixton Post Office. This is bad news for postal services with all of these Post Offices set for closure or, at best, franchising. I have issued a statement on this, urging the government to do everything in its power to protect our postal services and guarantee existing services levels.
Read my full statement on the issue on my website →
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British MPs Denied Entry to Israel
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On Monday, there was a ministerial statement on Israel’s decision to deny two British MPs entry to the West Bank. The government has rightly spoken out against this decision, with the Foreign Secretary rightly condemning it as “disgraceful”. In my intervention, I asked for clarity on what it will take for the government to stop supplying arms for use against civilians in Gaza.
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Bernie Grant Memorial Lecture
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On Tuesday evening, I had the honour of giving this year’s Bernie Grant Memorial Lecture in Parliament, 25 years after the great man’s passing. Bernie Grant was one of Labour’s first Black MPs. He didn’t just make history, he changed it, reminding Britain of the truths it tried so desperately to forget about empire, colonialism, slavery, and the lasting debts owed to African people and their descendants. I founded the All-Party Group for Afrikan Reparations to continue this proud legacy and bring the voice of the global reparations movement into Parliament. In Bernie’s name, we will continue to challenge colonial amnesia, hold institutions accountable, and demand reparations not as a favour but as a right.
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Relationship Education in Schools
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Last week, I took part in a debate on relationship and sex education in our schools. I pointed out that there are still significant shortcomings in our approach to relationship and sex education, with many children falling through the gaps. In an era where we are seeing patriarchy reasserting itself through new cultural and ideological forms, from inceldom to the manosphere, this problem takes on renewed urgency.
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We need comprehensive relationship and sex education that is age-appropriate and delivered by well-trained teachers, who could be crucial in combating this ideology. Like all forms of discrimination, misogyny is ignorance. Education is the best tool against ignorance, but it must be properly funded and teachers properly trained to deliver it.
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Supporting People Living with HIV & AIDS
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Over a number of years, Catholics for Aids Prevention have built a welcoming peer-led community of people living with HIV and AIDS in our area. It was good to meet with them on Friday afternoon in Stockwell to find our more about their work and the support they offer to people living in our constituency.
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Global Sustainability Summit & Awards
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On Friday, I attended the Global Sustainability Summit & Awards in Parliament. This event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and changemakers for discussions on climate action, ethical supply chains, and the intersection of sustainability and economic development. True sustainability is about designing systems that waste nothing and value everything: from natural resources to human labour.
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Hosting German students in Parliament
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On Thursday, I hosted students from Germany in Parliament for a discussion on ‘The West’ as part of their studies on this concept. It is great to see educators encouraging critical thought on this issue, giving students the skills to challenge Eurocentrism and reconsider concepts from alternative cultural and political perspectives.
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