Thank you to Jim for welcoming me to Patriot Games, a fantastic games cafe and community space.

We discussed the challenges small businesses are facing, following increases to national insurance and the minimum wage, and the importance of engaging SMEs before major national policy changes are introduced.

 

Despite these pressures, Patriot Games continues to provide a welcoming environment and a strong community hub, which is open to everyone.   

Ed Miliband visited Walkley Primary to see their new solar panels, installed in February as part of GB Energy’s plan to roll out clean power to 250 schools across the UK

The panels are already providing around half the school’s energy, which is freeing up more funding for the children's education.

I visited the Andalus Centre to hear about their great work in the community ranging from English courses to advice and guidance for the most vulnerable in the community. They have a strong team who are committed to supporting others.

Great to pop into the drop-in organised by Simon and the Citizen Network team, who’ve published their Neighbourhoods of Care strategy, which aims to put care, community and citizen power at the heart of society, beginning at a neighbourhood level.

The Renters’ Rights Act came into effect on 1 May.

I was really proud to back two amendments, banning landlords from asking more than one month’s rent up front and protecting students from being pushed into tenancy agreements.

The Renters’ Rights Act will also mean:

*It will be illegal to request, encourage or accept offers above the set price

*No more “no-fault” evictions

*All tenancies will default to being a monthly rolling contract

*It will be easier to rent with pets

*Landlords must give at least four months’ notice when ending tenancies to sell.

Student drop-ins

Another great couple of student surgeries at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam. Some great in depth discussions about the Government, student housing and international study.

Thanks to everyone who came along to chat to me.

International Workers' Day with the Bangladeshi community

It was wonderful to celebrate International Workers' Day with the Bangladeshi community at the U Mix Centre. Thanks to Councillor Ibrahim Ullah for inviting me.

Little Kelham

It’s always disappointing to hear of residents suffering at the hands of mismanagement. Justice and fair treatment for people in these situations is something that I’ve been working hard for.

Little Kelham is no different. My office has been in touch with many of the residents, and I am meeting with Citu to address these problems as a matter of urgency.

If you live at Little Kelham, or any managed property, and have been experiencing anything from extortionate service charges to stonewalling, please get in touch with my office.

Calling for a ban on the UK fur trade

I'm urging the Government to end the UK fur trade.

Animal welfare is one of the top issues my constituents contact me about, so I was pleased to add my name to this letter, led by Ruth Jones, and I will support this work as support continues to grow.

Read our letter here.

Deeply saddened by the tragic shooting in Sheffield city centre on the morning of 25 May.

My thoughts are with the young woman who lost her life, her loved ones, and everyone affected by this shocking incident.

Thank you to South Yorkshire Police and the emergency services for their swift response.

Anyone with information should contact the police as soon as possible.

           

Wonderful that £2 million has been announced to repair and refurbish Sheffield College as part of the Government's plan to invest £1.7 billion in colleges.

Investment in our educational institutions is paramount to providing secure, safe and supportive learning environments and I'm really pleased Sheffield has been recognised.

So happy to see my secondary school (Earl Marshal) headteacher, Chris Searle, in Parliament! 

We discussed the power of education and grassroots activism. He shared many books of poetry and stories from Earl Marshal and beyond, which allowed students to express how they felt about issues from their local area to their mum's herstory. Mr Searle is an amazing human being and has always been a constant source of support.

It was a real reminder of how much impact a great educator can have, long after you’ve left the classroom.

Closing the Collegiate Nursery is absolutely the wrong decision and having spoken with parents, it’s clear to me that it is still very much needed. I encourage everyone to sign the petition, which is linked in the comments below.

So far, I have met with the Vice-Chancellor and the Chief Operating Officer of SHU, written to the Minister for Early Education and submitted two written questions in relation to the closure.

I am meeting with the minister in the future to discuss how we might address this and will continue to work hard to find an alternative to closing this vital nursery. 

Another great event organised by the Student Assembly, focussing on night time safety and what we can do to help improve it, accompanied by passionate testimonies from people affected.

Wonderful to see events like this inspiring open and honest dialogue with the aim of enacting real change.

Cross-border taxi hiring

Cross‑border taxi hiring risks passenger safety and undermines the rights of Sheffield taxi drivers. It is an issue I have been working to tackle since my election and I welcomed the opportunity to meet Unite to hear their concerns.

I will continue to press the Secretary of State for Transport to deliver reform and directly engage with Sheffield’s taxi drivers to ensure their voices are heard and their views fully reflected.

SEND reform consultation

While the Government are consulting people on the SEND reforms, I held a roundtable for constituents to feed back on their experiences of current SEND provision and their thoughts on the proposals.

Lots of feedback, particularly experiences of tribunals, of poor communication between schools and health providers and lack of specialist provision.

I will be feeding all of this back directly to the consultation and the Secretary of State. If you have any experiences you'd like to share, please get in touch via email.

University of Sheffield Change Lab Biodiversity Action Group

Had a great time popping along to Havelock Street Party, which marked the end of the University of Sheffield Change Lab Biodiversity Action Group’s work towards creating a green corridor along the street’s front gardens, linking the two green spaces at either end of Havelock Street.

The aim is to roll out the entire project around Broomhall to make the area biodiverse. A truly beneficial community project.

Opening new Hallam SU building

Really honoured to be invited to open the new Hallam SU building.

Over the last year, the president, Molly, and the elected student representatives, have been excellent in representing student views. It was a pleasure to support their work.

Looking forward to continuing to work together with the new student elected representatives going forward.

A privilege to chair the Q&A for the launch of Rogan Productions’ new Channel 4 series on Nelson Mandela’s journey from activist to President, and the global campaign to secure his release.

It was especially meaningful that the launch took place in Sheffield, given the city’s proud role in the anti-apartheid movement. From establishing one of the country’s largest Anti-Apartheid groups in 1981, to Sheffield becoming the first council to cut links with apartheid South Africa, the city played a significant part in the struggle for justice and freedom.

The discussion also drew links with the Palestinian, Cuban and other struggles, and the lessons that today’s movements can learn from the anti-apartheid campaign about solidarity, organisation and international pressure.

Great to share the platform with James Rogan, Jerry Dammers, Paul Blomfield and Richard Caborn to reflect on the power of collective action in bringing about change.

Learn more about the documentary here.

The JP Morgan report has been in the public domain since 2019 and clearly evidences Mandelson's relationship with Epstein. Why wasn't this picked up as part of the Due Diligence process?