My Week In Westminster: w/c 2nd February
- Feb 6
- 3 min read
Let me begin by directly addressing the matter dominating the headlines. On Wednesday, the House of Commons spent the day discussing the horrific revelations surrounding Peter Mandelson.
Jeffrey Epstein was a despicable criminal who committed disgusting crimes and destroyed the lives of countless women and girls. What he did is unforgivable. His victims must always be our first priority. Mandelson's relationship with Epstein, the extent and nature of which we are still discovering, was disgusting. The disgraceful passing on of highly sensitive Government emails by Peter Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein at the height of the financial crisis, when so many in our community were suffering is, in my view, little short of treachery.
I'm glad that the Government has committed to publishing the communications relating to his appointment, and has offered its full co-operation with the police investigation. Transparency is critical in this moment, and Mandelson should be held accountable for his shameful actions.
Unlike Mandelson, I came into politics not to rub shoulders with the wealthy, or to glory in the company of elites. Quite the opposite. I came into politics to fight for our often overlooked community, to support those who have struggled under fifteen years of economic hardship and austerity.
This week has seen other important updates that affect our area, and I also want to spend some time focusing on them.
On Monday, the Prime Minister updated the Commons following his diplomatic visit to China and Japan. I was pleased to see the Government agree to the expansion of some of our most well-known UK businesses into the region, and an agreement to halve tariffs on whisky imports. Importantly, the Prime Minister also set out that his discussions with the Chinese Government on human rights concerns, and secured the lifting of restrictions on a number of Parliamentarians.
Elsewhere, I was pleased to vote for legislation to protect the biodiversity of our oceans, as well as law to progress the construction of HS2.
On Tuesday, the Department for Health committed a further £25 million of funding for hospices across the UK. This builds on the £100 million pot previously provided, and an extra £80 million for children's hospices. Locally, it means a total support package of £134,000 for our Kirkwood Hospice and £90,245 for the Forget Me Not Hospice to enable their important work.
I was also proud to vote for legislation enacting the Government's previous commitment to remove the Two Child Benefit Limit. This move will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, including over 1,000 young people in Ossett and Denby Dale.
I - like many of you reading - have seen and felt the damage cancer can have on a loved one. I know its many devastating direct and indirect effects. It's why I was delighted to see the Government launch its National Cancer Plan on Wednesday. The plan sets out a £2.3 billion investment in improving diagnostics, better integration of technology and robotics into cancer surgeries, an expansion of specialist cancer centres and genomic testing. This will help us catch cancer early, treat it more effectively, and offer patients and families the support they deserve.
The Government also published its Fostering Action Plan, which sets a clear ambition to grow access to, and the quality of, fostering. This £88 million package is a critical investment in the bedrock of our care system, and aims to increase the number of foster places by 10,000 by the end of this Parliament, and boost support for foster carers with regional hubs, and new tailored resources for local authorities.
Finally, on Thursday, the Government announced its plans to establish a new Victims Code, which aims to put in place greater protections, empowerment and aftercare to young people who are the victims of crime. The new proposed Code will be open to a 3-month consultation, and so I would encourage anyone interested to submit their views.
The Prime Minister also set out a £800 million increase to its already £5 billion Pride in Place package. The funding seeks to give communities access to funding to improve their areas, in a way decided directly by them. I'm pleased to say that both Kirklees and Wakefield have benefited from additional funding as part of the full package. |
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