For nearly half a century, Sheffield has been synonymous with snooker. Just as our name is carried across the world by the cutlery it is stamped on, when the tournament is broadcast worldwide, that same name is seen and recognised everywhere.

Not only will the snooker stay in Sheffield, the Crucible will benefit from £45 million from the Government, Sheffield City Council and private donors, helping to extend the auditorium by 50%.

Keeping the championship in Sheffield is the right choice, not only for the local economy, but for the community as a whole, from places like Victoria’s Snooker Academy training world champions to the iconic seats of the Crucible. Sheffield is the home of world-class snooker.

It was wonderful to meet the legend Dennis Taylor at the announcement event!

After listening to feedback from people interested in the school, I’ve decided to extend my summer school to university-age students! The age range is now 16–20.

From 13–17 July this year, I’ll be hosting a group for an in-depth look at how the political world works. You'll gain great insight into the work of an MP and local government, gaining transferable skills and experience that will be invaluable for the next chapter of your life.

Criteria:

If that’s you, apply now using the application form at my website.

Eid Mubarak to all those who celebrated. 

I’d like to extend my warmest wishes to everyone who marked Eid. This period has been one of reflection, generosity and community spirit for many across our country.

I also want to thank everyone who welcomed me to the many iftars over Ramadan. I was fortunate to attend in our constituency and in Parliament, as you can see in my short video!

Ramadan is a time of reflection and generosity,  peace and kindness. It was a privilege to break the fast with so many families, community groups and colleagues.

Thank you to everyone who invited me and worked so hard to organise these gatherings.

SEND reforms

I welcome the news and proposals on SEND reforms, including the welcome injection of funding that is sorely needed for the provision of targeted support. A consultation on the White Paper is now open until 18 May 2026.

If you work in education, please engage and share your experiences. I will be looking at the proposals carefully and feeding back everything I have heard, from SEND providers in my constituency, in Parliament.

Campaigning for Palestine doesn't stop at recognition. We must impose a total ban on all trade with illegal Israeli settlements. Read our letter to the Minister here.

Posters in Parliament is always a wonderful opportunity to meet students studying in my constituency and to hear about the world-class research happening.

This time I met Abigail, whose project focused on antineutrino monitoring of spent nuclear fuel, essentially making nuclear fission safer!

The government and SYMCA have announced funding for a fleet of 186 new zero-emission buses to replace diesel, which will cut pollution across Sheffield.

Great to see Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander when she unveiled the plans. It was another example of what we can achieve when we work together at a regional level. Working together to quite literally give the city a breath of fresh air!

If that wasn't enough, Oliver Coppard announced the South Yorkshire People's Network, bringing our buses back under public control, in striking molton orange and charcoal grey.

Great to meet with the Anti‑Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit at the lobby day on Earned Settlement. I share their concerns about the government’s plans, including retrospective rules, and spoke about them at the Westminster Hall debate the other week.

There must be no retrospective changes for people who are already living lawfully in the UK and I will continue to press the government on this.

Brilliant to meet two Sheffield students at this year’s annual STEM poster competition in Parliament, showcasing early career researchers from across UK universities. Sophie from the University of Sheffield, whose research focuses on developing new solar cells, and Bradley from Sheffield Hallam, who is exploring new ways to develop anti-cancer treatments.

Cutting-edge research from Sheffield’s world-class institutions!

It was my pleasure to chair a meeting with Reunite Families. We brought together experts and advocates to highlight the serious concerns surrounding the Earned Settlement proposals, including the risk of retrospective changes that could profoundly affect workers, families and public services.

I continue to raise these concerns with the relevant ministers.

Pagets

Whenever you're driving around Sheffield, you’re likely to see a Pagets logo! They have been supplying building supplies in Sheffield for over sixty years in my constituency on Broadfield Road, so it was great to meet Richard at the Builders Merchants Federation where we had a great chat about planning, help for first time buyers and green energy.

Great British Energy, once again, is making strides to provide Sheffield Central with clean, efficient energy.

Walkley Primary is set to be one of the first schools in the country to receive solar panels, as part of the solar investment in schools!

Another great student surgery at the University of Sheffield, with plenty to take forward after conversations around student finance concerns, support for new courses and new opportunities for working with charities.

APPGs exist to ensure the voices of those affected shape the policies that impact them, so it was great to chair the APPG Student meeting where we heard from students and graduates, including from the The University of Sheffield, on how we can begin fixing our broken student loan system.

I met with tenants at Lightbox Apartments to hear firsthand the shocking and consistent violations of housing rights they’ve suffered under Noble City Living.

From weeks without heating or hot water to unsafe doors, faulty alarms, unexplained billing and outright intimidation, nobody should be treated this way. I’ll be raising this urgently in Parliament.

Acorn have been doing a great job organising, with members across all Noble's apartment blocks.

Drop-in: Life Cycle Assessment

Great to have attended a drop‑in exploring how Life Cycle Assessment is already shaping real business decisions and policy, as well as future plans for the project. With the University of Sheffield as the main project partner, it’s brilliant to see Sheffield leading the way.

Out walking around Highfield, chatting with residents when we stumbled across the opening day of a brand new coffee spot - Cradl on John Street.

Had to pop in and give it a try and it's easily one of the smoothest coffees I’ve had in a long time.

Great to see new local businesses opening and adding even more life to the area. If you’re nearby, definitely worth checking it out!

The Iran War

Trump and Netanyahu have discarded diplomacy, choosing instead to exacerbate high tension and compound chaos in the region and the Iranian regime's indiscriminate bombings across the Middle East are a breach of international law.

The shadow of the Iraq War looms large and I urged the Prime Minister for reassurance that our involvement will not become full scale military intervention.

Royal Mail continues to fail my constituents. Months of delays have resulted in missed hospital appointments, important financial information and documents imperative for work.

Since my speech in the Westminster Hall Debate, I’m pleased to say that Royal Mail have contacted me and asked to arrange a meeting to address their poor service.