March newsletter

30 Mar 2023

Rail Minister’s visit to Luton Train Station  I welcomed the Rail Minister to Luton train station this month. He saw for himself the lack of step free access and the leaking roofs. While I am pleased that he confirmed that Access for All works to install lifts to each platform…

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Supporting the ban on Trophy Hunting in Parliament

17 Mar 2023

I was pleased to support the Hunting Trophies Bill through its Remaining Stage in the House of Commons today.   I welcome the Bill to ban the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern, as I fundamentally oppose the cruel and outdated practice of trophy hunting. Many Luton…

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My letter to the Chancellor over reinstating the 0.7% foreign aid commitment in this year’s Budget

14 Mar 2023

14 March 2023  Dear Jeremy,  Reinstating 0.7% foreign aid spending in the Budget  I’m writing to request that you reinstate foreign aid spending to 0.7% in the upcoming Budget and ensure the allocation is ringfenced from other departments.  I’ve been deeply concerned by the cuts to foreign aid spending and…

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Businesses and households need support from Budget

08 Mar 2023

Next week’s Budget will see the Government set out its spending plans. After a year mired in Tory chaos, many households and businesses are worried about what this will mean for their living standards over the coming period. After 13 years of Conservative government, Britain is in a cycle of…

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Labour announces ground-breaking workplace support for women with menopause

28 Feb 2023

Employers will be required to produce action plans to support the wellbeing of staff going through the menopause under new plans announced by Labour today.  The Party has pledged to bring in a new requirement for large firms to publish and implement Menopause Action Plans.   The action plans will detail…

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Fix football regulation before more clubs change hands or go under

23 Feb 2023

As the football white paper is published today, Labour is calling on the Government to bring in a regulator as quickly as possible.   Labour has welcomed the white paper’s publication, but it is already long overdue. In the 15 months it’s taken the Government to re-word the fan-led review, Derby…

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Labour sets out plan to boost skills training and drive economic growth in Luton during National Apprenticeships Week

09 Feb 2023

Labour has set out its plan to boost skills and drive economic growth in Luton, as data reveals the Tories’ decade of decline in apprenticeships and training has left the country unprepared for the future.  Over the last decade, apprenticeship starts have declined by 250 in Luton South as the…

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Fair Game Launches New Sustainability Index 

26 Jan 2023

Luton Town FC found to be the most sustainable club in the EFL Championship without PL parachute payments.  Today (Thursday 26 January), Fair Game, a coalition of 34 professional football clubs, published its Sustainability Index, which measures each club for financial measures, good governance, equality standards and fan engagement.  Fair…

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We must all play our part by challenging discrimination

20 Jan 2023

This week, the Online Safety Bill will reach its final stages in Parliament. The Bill aims to minimise harmful content online and put onus onto platforms to play a part in tackling inappropriate, offensive or hateful material. The timing  is particularly poignant in the run up to Holocaust Memorial Day…

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Labour calls on Government to take immediate action to stop shameful forced installation of prepayment meters  

17 Jan 2023

Labour is today calling for an immediate freeze for the duration of the winter on the forced installation of prepayment meters, which has left millions of people without power.   In a letter to BEIS Secretary Grant Shapps, Ed Miliband called for the Government to work with the regulator to ensure…

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The Procurement Bill

Procurement Bill  Today (9 January 2023), the Procurement Bill was introduced to the House of Commons. Procurement amounts for around £300bn of Government spending and the Bill is an opportunity to shape our procurement system now that we have left the European Union.   In its current form, the Government’s…

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Wages in Luton South are 6.8% lower than when Tories came to power

04 Jan 2023

Wages in Luton South are 6.8% lower than when Tories came to power  New analysis reveals the Tories’ wholescale failure to grow the economy and to level up Britain, with figures showing that in every region in Great Britain real wages are lower now than when the Tories came to…

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My letter to Michelle Donelan on the withdrawal of investment from English National Opera

09 Dec 2022

Read the full text of my letter here: Dear Michelle,  English National Opera – Withdrawal of Arts Council England Funding  I am writing to you regarding the announcement made by the Arts Council England (ACE) that it will remove the annual £12.6m investment in the English National Opera (ENO) from…

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Luton South MP celebrates winners of her Small Business Awards on Small Business Saturday

06 Dec 2022

On Small Business Saturday (3 December 2022), Rachel Hopkins MP visited the small businesses in Luton South that were area winners of her Luton South Small Businesses Awards 2022.   Rachel’s Luton South Small Business Awards 2022 were launched on 28 November to encourage constituents to celebrate their favourite local businesses…

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My letter to the Minister on World AIDS Day

01 Dec 2022

Dear Steve,  World AIDS Day – Access to PrEP and Opt-out HIV Testing  I am writing to you regarding access to PrEP outside sexual health settings and the opt-out HIV testing programme.  As I am sure you are aware, the 1 December is World AIDS Day, where we commemorate those…

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My letter to the Minister on teacher’s pay

30 Nov 2022

Dear Gillian,  Teachers’ Pay  I am writing to you on behalf of the many Luton South constituents concerned about the government’s proposed teacher pay award for 2022/23.  In September 2022, I understand that the School Teachers’ Review Body recommended an 8.9% uplift to teachers starting pay outside London, raising pay…

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My response to the Autumn Statement

17 Nov 2022

The Conservative Party’s Autumn Statement fails to offer solutions to the current economic crisis. Luton and communities across the country have so much potential, but the cost of living crisis is holding us back. People are seeing their bills skyrocket while their wages are cut in real-terms, forcing many to…

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Broken promises on pension triple lock could leave 12,000 in Luton South £890 worse off

08 Nov 2022

Abandoning the 2019 Conservative Manifesto commitment to the triple lock on state pensions for the second year in a row could leave 12,000 pensioners in Luton South £890 worse off on average, according to new analysis published today.    New analysis from the House of Commons Library, commissioned by Labour, shows…

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Labour’s New Deal for Working People

02 Nov 2022

The Conservatives are failing working people: incomes and living standards are falling as bills skyrocket amidst a cost-of-living crisis. Now, they’ve also crashed the economy leaving working people with higher prices and mortgage rates, longer hours and weaker working rights.  Our country needs a Government that is on our side…

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Nearly 7,000 mortgage holders in Luton face hikes of hundreds of pounds due to Conservative Mini-Budget

19 Oct 2022

6,879 households in Luton face an eyewatering jump in mortgage repayments next year as a result of the Conservatives crashing the economy.  Analysis by the Labour Party using Bank of England data found that homeowners coming off two-year fixed term mortgages in October 2022 are set to pay £500 a month more…

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Luton South Small Business Awards 2022

18 Oct 2022

Luton South Small Business Awards 2022 I’m pleased to launch this year’s Luton South Small Business Awards. We have so many excellent small businesses in Luton South and I want your help to highlight their contribution to our community. Follow the link below to let me know which business you…

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