This week parliament considered an e-petition debate about introducing a four-day school week. While the Liberal Democrats believe such a proposal is impractical, it is important for the Government to address the key issue it seeks to resolve: teacher retention. Heavy workloads created by unnecessary bureaucracy and increasingly challenging pupil behaviour are driving teachers to leave the profession. Although new teachers keep coming in, we are trying to fill a leaky bucket

This week the Middle East Minister delivered a wide-ranging statement on what has occurred in the region over the Christmas break. Since parliament broke up for recess, large-scale protests have erupted in Iran and a potential resolution to the long-running humanitarian crisis in Yemen has appeared. In my response I focused on Gaza and specifically I questioned the Minister’s use of language. In his statement, he said: “Too much aid is still stuck at Gaza’s border.” That is

Back in December 2024, I warned the Government that its family farm tax would force everyday asset rich but cash poor farmers to sell land that had been in their families for generations. In response, the then-Farming Minister shook his head. He went on to say that the Government was confident that the tax changes were appropriate and that smaller farms will be protected. That confidence ran out this Christmas, over a year later, when the Government finally listened to opposi

According to reports, Keir Starmer is planning to lay a bill that could lead to closer regulatory ties with Brussels, particularly on agrifoods.

My office is now closed for the festive break. While my emails will be monitored until the office reopens on Monday 5th January, only urgent casework will be dealt with. In the meantime, here are some useful contact details if you are in an emergency, as well as some local organisations that are open over the next two weeks.

The end of the year feels like a good time to reflect on my first full year as your MP, and my priorities for next year. It’s been a very busy 12 months! Along with my team, I have assisted over 11,000 constituents and spoken on your behalf on a wide range of issues from the Budget to the climate crisis, digital ID and problems with the DWP. We ended the year with Labour’s second budget, and I have to admit I was pretty disappointed with it overall. The only bright light