News

On Wednesday 16 June 2021 the Employment and Trade Union Rights (Dismissal and Re-engagement) Bill received its First Reading in the House of Commons. I am supporting this Private Members Bill, which seeks to amend the law to provide safeguards for workers against dismissal and re-engagement on inferior terms and conditions, known as ‘fire and rehire’. 

On Friday 11 June 2021, I attended a roundtable with headteachers from schools in Walsall to listen to their concerns and discuss the key issues affecting schools in my constituency.

On Wednesday 9 June 2021, I intervened during a debate on investing in children and young people to highlight the lack of funding for schools in my constituency. You can read my speech and the Minister’s response below: 

The second Opposition Day Debate was on protecting the public and ensuring justice for victims. The backlog in the Crown Court is at record levels of more than 57,000 cases – and sat at 39,000 even before the pandemic began. The backlog has been exacerbated by the pandemic but it was initiated by the Government closing half of all courts in England and Wales between 2010-19 and allowing 27,000 fewer sitting days than in 2016. HM Opposition have called for a package of emergency measures during the pandemic, including mass-testing in courts, the extension of Nightingale Courts, reduced juries until restrictions were lifted – all of which the government ignored. We will now need a guaranteed 33,000 extra sitting days and more Nightingale Courts to clear the backlog.