Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill

I voted against the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill. While the Government made some welcome concessions, the Bill still amounts to £2 billion in cuts to disabled people’s incomes. It will push thousands more into poverty, with 750,000 low-income sick and disabled people set to lose £3,000 a year.

Throughout its passage in Parliament, I argued that the Bill should be withdrawn and replaced with a genuine consultation with disabled people and representative organisations on how the welfare system should be reformed to truly offer support.

I understand the financial pressures the Government faces—but these are the result of 14 years of economic mismanagement and chronic underinvestment by the previous Government. There are alternatives. I’ve long argued for a fairer approach: introducing higher taxes on extreme wealth to fund our public services and rebuild a proper safety net.

This isn’t just the view of ordinary working people. A recent Survation poll found that 68% of people with over £1 million to invest support a wealth tax on those with more than £10 million. Rather than punishing those most in need, the Government must explore fairer, more sustainable ways to raise revenue. Wealth taxes are fair, practical, and increasingly popular—and I will continue to press for them.

📺I spoke about the alternative methods to raise funds for public services in Parliament. Watch here or read my speech in full here.
📺I also spoke about this recently on ITV’s Peston programme. Watch here.
📺I further about these proposed cuts, and the need for fairer alternatives, in a recent Westminster Hall debate, which you can watch here.
📻I spoke to The Guardian’s Kiran Stacey on the Politics Weekly UK podcast about the reasoned amendment tabled to scrap the Bill. Listen here.

Nuclear Test Veterans

BBC2’s Newsnight recently featured The Mirror’s three-year investigation into the Nuke Blood Scandal, which uncovered how British troops were subjected to medical testing during nuclear weapons trials—yet the results were deliberately withheld from their medical records. I raised this deeply troubling issue in Parliament and urged Ministers to ensure that these veterans receive the answers, justice, and long-overdue apology they deserve. Watch here.

Standing Up for 1950s-Born Women: Time for Justice

I led a debate in the House of Commons calling for urgent financial redress for women born in the 1950s who suffered a grave injustice at the hands of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

This isn’t just a debate about pensions—it’s about justice, trust in public institutions, and the value we place on the women who helped build our society. These women did everything right. They worked, they cared, they contributed—and then they were failed.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has been clear: the DWP committed maladministration, and redress is needed. The Government must now act without delay.

These women are not going away—and as long as they continue to fight, I will be standing alongside them. Ministers must listen, act, and finally deliver the justice these women have waited decades for.

The debate followed the publication of the Ombudsman’s final report in March 2024, which found that the DWP failed to properly communicate changes to the State Pension Age legislated in the 1995 Pensions Act. As a result, millions of women were left unprepared for retirement. The report confirmed this constituted maladministration and called on Parliament to develop a remedy.

Campaigners have long highlighted the devastating financial and emotional toll of these failures. Many women have been pushed into debt, poverty, or ill-health, and tragically, some have died still waiting for the justice they were promised.

In my speech, I urged the Government to re-engage with campaigners and bring forward a fair, timely, and transparent compensation scheme. I also underlined the unprecedented nature of the PHSO’s decision to lay the report before Parliament—only the ninth time in its history such a step has been taken.

As Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women, I will continue working closely with campaigners from across the UK to press for financial redress and ensure the voices of affected women are heard loud and clear. Watch highlights from my speech here.

Armed Forces Day

I was proud to take part in celebrating Armed Forces Day in Salford. A huge thank you to our Armed Forces community for everything they do for us. I’m also grateful to everyone who organised and took part in the parade and the fun day—it was a brilliant event and a fitting tribute during Armed Forces Week.

Standing Up for Migrant Care Workers

It was good to join UNISON, The Morning Star, Salford Labour councillors, and Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett at the University of Salford recently to discuss the experiences of migrant care workers in the UK.

Too many migrant workers in the care sector are facing exploitation—ranging from fraud and pay below the minimum wage to, in some cases, no pay at all. Many also endure bullying and poor treatment in a sector already characterised by low pay and chronic underfunding.

This is simply unacceptable. Every carer—regardless of where they come from—deserves dignity, respect, and fair pay for the vital work they do.

University of Salford

I had a truly inspiring visit to the University of Salford, where I met with brilliant staff, researchers and students doing incredible work for our community and beyond.

The day began with a meeting alongside Vice-Chancellor Professor Nic Beech and the fantastic new Students’ Union officer team—Akinwale, Sheba, Ali, Megan and Hina. It was great to hear about their exciting plans to support student wellbeing, from mental health to careers advice and beyond.

Next, I headed to the lab to learn about the ground-breaking research led by Professor Chloe James and her team into bacteriophages—viruses that infect and kill bacteria. Found all around us in nature, phages could be gamechangers in tackling antibiotic-resistant infections. It’s vital work in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

Then we visited the Morson Maker Space—an open-access 3D printing lab for all Salford students and staff. This brilliant facility enables hands-on innovation and creativity. I even had a go with a 3D-printed game demonstrating how phage therapy works!

Finally, we experienced the Microbial Puppet Masters VR showcase—an accessible and engaging look at how phages could treat conditions like Cystic Fibrosis. Projects such as the collaborative CF-Trailfinder hub are pushing the boundaries of medical research while making science inclusive and understandable for all.

And the best part? You can get involved too! Become a Citizen Phage Hunter—just collect water samples from your local environment and post them back to the team. If scientists discover a new phage, you get to name it! Find out more and take part: citizenphage.com

Huge thanks to all the researchers, students and staff who made the visit so special. It was especially inspiring to see so many brilliant women in STEM and to witness the power of collaboration in action.

Salford’s First Electric Bin Wagon

It was great to have a look at Salford’s first electric bin wagon. This vehicle joins Salford City Council’s fleet of twenty-one ‘Greener Salford’ electric vehicles, including vans, a tipper truck, and a road sweeper.

Weaste Pride

I had a fantastic afternoon at Weaste Pride at the Weaste & Seedley Social Club—free entry, great entertainment, and brilliant community spirit!

We were treated to sets from DJ Fat Britney, DJ Connor, DJ Tasha and Disco Doyenne, along with live music, food stalls, and good vibes all round. It was wonderful to see such a joyful and inclusive event bringing people together.

A huge well done to Ian and everyone involved in making it happen. Over £2,000 was raised for the Albert Kennedy Trust, the national LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity—an amazing achievement for a vital cause.

Out and about in Pendlebury

It was great to be out and about in the sunshine, speaking with residents in Pendlebury alongside Team Salford Labour and our fantastic local councillors. A big thank you to everyone we spoke to on the doorstep, and to all who came out to join us. Your views, experiences and ideas are what drive our work—and it’s always a pleasure to chat face-to-face in the community.