2020 March

On Sunday 10 March 2020, I was a guest on BBC Politics Midlands with West Midlands PCC David Jamieson and Shaun Bailey MP. Topics for discussion were crime, cuts to policing and the introduction of drug consumption rooms. 

Every year, World Book Day creates bespoke £1 books for children and young adults across the UK and Ireland, to promote the magic of books, the power of imagination and the importance of reading. The aim of the campaign is to encourage parents and carers everywhere to share a story with their children for ten minutes a day. Each child will be given a £1 book token for World Book Day, taking place on Thursday 5 March 2020, which they can take to a bookshop or supermarket to get their free World Book Day book. 

On Wednesday, 4 March 2020 I joined the This Girl Can team in Parliament to celebrate International Women’s Day, and talked to Sport England about what more could be done to support women to be active in Walsall South and across England.

I responded to the Government’s Business Statement on Thursday 5 March 2020, asking the Government to put in place all necessary measures to ensure the public is safe during the Covid-19 outbreak. I also paid tribute to my predecessor, Bruce George, who sadly passed away last week. You can read my full speech below: 

A second Opposition Day debate was held on Wednesday 5 March on health inequalities following the publication of the Marmot report. Professor Marmot’s report found that for the first time in ​more than 100 years, life expectancy has essentially flattened overall since 2010, and has actually declined for women in the poorest areas of England. You can read the opposition motion in full below: