The Digital Divide: How disadvantaged students have been let down

07 Sep 2020

As students all over the country return to school, we cannot forget that not all of those returning will do so on an equal footing. ‘The Digital Divide’ is one of the many issues that COVID-19 has highlighted within modern Britain. Disparities in internet access, especially for the elderly and…

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Students have been let down by the government’s A-level failure

14 Aug 2020

Congratulations to all Bristol students getting their A-level results this week. This situation is far from ideal, but I had hope you all feel your hard work has been recognised and you get what you need to move forward. Unfortunately, there are many of you who feel robbed by this…

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Local BBC journalism is more important than ever

22 Jun 2020

During a pandemic, lockdown and unprecedented economic crisis, the BBC’s local current affairs programmes are more important than ever. So I was concerned to hear that some of these programmes are ‘under review’. I have sent this letter to Stephanie Marshall, Head of BBC West and South West, stating my…

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Education during the COVID-19 crisis and the government’s strategy to reopen schools

16 Jun 2020

I welcome Boris Johnson’s u-turn today on the provision of free school meal vouchers for children this summer, after Marcus Rashford’s campaign and calls from Labour MPs in support of the 1.3 million children who would have been potentially left hungry this summer. This is one of the important issues…

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Bristol’s arts organisations need urgent support: My letter to the Culture Secretary

16 Jun 2020

Bristol is rich in culture and nightlife. But its festivals, bars, concert venues and museums are all suffering after three months of lockdown. It is hard to know when these businesses and organisations can return to anything resembling normal. Following a series of meetings with cultural organisations, I have compiled…

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The actions of Dominic Cummings and my letter to the Prime Minister

09 Jun 2020

Hundreds of people in Bristol West have written to me about the actions of Dominic Cummings and the Prime Minister’s defence of them. Some of you have written to me for the for the first time and it says a lot that this is what has prompted people to write.  …

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George Floyd’s life mattered: A Bristol perspective

Many hundreds of people have written to me about the recent terrible killing in the USA of George Floyd. First, I condemn the killing utterly. No-one who has seen the footage could possibly do anything else. A man died clearly struggling and in pain as a direct consequence of the…

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Keeping Bristol’s cultural scene alive beyond COVID

01 Jun 2020

In the summer, Bristol usually buzzes with live music, full bars, vibrant festivals and creative events. This aspect of the city’s life has been completely shut down during the lockdown, transforming the city. Together with Kerry McCarthy, Member of Parliament for Bristol East, I recently held an online public meeting…

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A once-in-a-generation chance to end rough sleeping

22 May 2020

While we all know about the health emergency and the economic problems caused by COVID-19, there is also an emergency in housing. If the government does not respond to this crisis in the right way, many more people will be forced from their homes and end up sleeping on the…

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Urgent action to protect renters in the COVID crisis

14 May 2020

Unless the government acts fast, we could see an unprecedented spike in evictions and homelessness, as the economic repercussions of the coronavirus crisis are already hitting people’s ability to pay their rent. As Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, I’ve put forward a five-point plan the government needs to…

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COVID-19, access to correct PPE for NHS and social care workers

28 Apr 2020

If you are worried about your access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (BNSSG CCG) have created a PPE Mutual Aid Hub, which can be accessed by all NHS and non-NHS health and social care organisations. NHS organisations requiring additional…

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COVID-19 and housing – my letter to the government

16 Apr 2020

In this time of national lockdown, decent homes are more important than ever. And the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated many inequalities, forcing some people to the brink of homelessness In my new role as shadow Secretary of State for Housing and Homelessness, I have put forward a number of pressing…

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COVID-19, charities and cultural industries: My letter to the government

09 Apr 2020

I am compiling the concerns of constituents and putting them forward to specific ministers. Many people working for charities and in the culture sector have contacted me with problems accessing the COVID-19 support packages. My letter to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is below:

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Supermarkets need to put vulnerable people at the front of the queue

06 Apr 2020

I am pressing the many supermarkets in Bristol West to do more to prioritise those most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. Vulnerable people are still finding it difficult to order food and vital supplies online, despite government advice that they should be avoiding all unnecessary social contact. I have been…

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COVID-19: Standing up for students

03 Apr 2020

I have siged the letter below to Universities Minister Michelle Donelan. It has been coordinated by my colleague Paul Blomfield MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Students and signed by 110 MPs and Peers from every party represented in Westminster. Students in Bristol have raised many of these…

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COVID-19, housing and council funding: My letter to the government

03 Apr 2020

From ongoing conversations with Bristol City Council and hundreds of constituents, I have compiled a list of concerns about how the COVID-19 crisis will affect local government and housing in Bristol. I have included them in the letter below to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, to push…

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COVID-19, immigration and asylum

02 Apr 2020

The COVID-19 crisis has had a profound effect on the way people move around the world and relations between countries. As chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Refugees, I wrote a joint letter with Kate Green MP (Chair, APPG Immigration) to the Home Secretary.

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COVID-19 – food deliveries and Bristol businesses

02 Apr 2020

Several initiatives have been set up in Bristol to support people who are self-isolating or unable to leave the house.   Some of these schemes also help independent local businesses which are struggling at this difficult time. I’ve been using these initiatives to support local businesses already and I’d like to…

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COVID-19 health response: My letter to the Health Secretary

01 Apr 2020

I am working to collate the concerns of people in Bristol West and put them to the relevant ministers. Below is a letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, requesting that he improve the government’s health response to the COVID-19 crisis:

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COVID-19 and business: My letter to the Business Secretary

01 Apr 2020

I am working to collate the concerns of people in Bristol West and put them to the relevant ministers. Below is a letter to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy, requesting that he consider some of the people and businesses currently falling between the announced support…

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COVID-19 and education: My letter to the Secretary of State

01 Apr 2020

I am working to collate the concerns of people in Bristol West and put them to the relevant ministers. Below is a letter I have sent to the Secretary of State for Education, requesting that he consider some of the consequences of the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis:

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