This month, we returned to Parliament after the Summer Recess and it’s been a busy few weeks in Westminster and Luton.

Here’s a snapshot of what I have been up to this month.

Prime Minister’s Questions

At the first Prime Minister’s Question Time after recess, I asked the Prime Minister about the recent report where he was found to have breached the code of conduct due to his failure to publicly declare his wife’s financial interests in a company that benefitted from his budget.

You can watch me question the Prime Minister on this breach here.

Pressing the Government on Council Funding

Birmingham City Council recently issued a Section 114 due to no longer being able to balance their budget. Councils in England face a funding gap of almost £3 billion over the next two years; 60p in every pound has been stripped from local authorities’ budgets since 2010.

This has forced councils to rely on raising council tax, however, authorities like Birmingham and Luton with higher levels of deprivation and less housing in higher council tax bands lose out.

I pressed the Government on funding for local authorities below.

Pressing the Government on the Etherton Review

LGBT+ veterans have endured enormous long-term suffering due to the cruel and unjust ban on LBGT+ people serving in our Armed Forces.

In my role as Shadow Minister for Veterans, I pressed the Government in Defence Questions on when its full response to the Etherton Review’s recommendations will be published and if it will uphold its commitment for a full debate in Parliament.

Luton Town’s First Premier League

It was good to join other volunteers in Bury Park for the community clean up, ahead of Luton Town Football Club’s first Premier League home game. It’s been great to see the club, council and voluntary groups working together to improve our town.

In my Luton News article this month, I have written about about Luton Town FC’s promotion to the Premier League, and the importance of football fans’ involvement in their clubs.

It’s been exciting to welcome Premier League fans to Luton South and see our town back on the map.

Read my article below, or at this link.

Attending Desi Fest

Earlier this month, I was delighted to attend Desi Fest alongside Sarah Owen MP. The event, held annually in Wardown Park, is a great celebration of South Asian cultures. There was excellent music, good food, lots of stalls and a funfair. It was lovely to see so many families enjoying the event.

Community Fire Station Open Day

There was fantastic fun at Luton Community Fire Station’s Open Day in Stopsley. It was great to see so many people engaging with our fire service. Everyone enjoyed watching the teddy parachute jumps!

Luton’s First Comic Con

I was pleased to attend the first Luton Comic Con at Lewsey Community Centre with Sarah Owen MP. There was an excellent turnout and so much going on, with gaming, a cosplay competition, and a wide range of stalls, including comics, memorabilia and sweet treats.

It was so lovely to see so many people enjoying the event and the huge range of costumes.

Great to hear that planning for next year’s event has already started!