Being elected as the Member of Parliament for Hyndburn and Haslingden is the honour of a lifetime. I pledged to be a hardworking MP for all residents, irrespective of who you voted for and this is what I will spend each day trying to deliver. In writing my first piece for the Lead, I wanted to begin by thanking you, the residents of Hyndburn and Haslingden, for putting your faith in me - I will not let you down.
My first two weeks as a newly elected MP have been a whirlwind. I’ve already began crucial steps towards setting up a new Constituency Office and began building my team. Naturally, the huge number of new MPs being elected into Parliament and the excitement of an incoming Labour Government is great, but getting things set up takes time. However we are making steady progress. In the meantime, my team and I are available to address matters of urgency and are already dealing with casework.
Like starting any job, the first few days are spent learning how to navigate our way around the building and how to log-in to our new work devices, but unusually I have been undertaking this whilst bringing my 4-month old son Elijah with me. The good news is that the unique responsibilities of motherhood and representation are no longer treated as mutually exclusive.
I am privileged to stand on the shoulders of women like Harriet Harman who was elected whilst pregnant in her early 30s. Fighting back against years of sexist abuse and discrimination, women like Harriet paved the way so that mothers like me now have access to a Family Room and Nursery whilst carrying out our duties in the Houses of Parliament.
I was impressed when Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons came to check that the family room was set up, clean and in order – he really takes providing a good and inclusive workplace seriously.
To some, the grandeur and history of Westminster could seem intimidating, or even unwelcoming. To me it’s a sign of power and hope that a woman like myself can walk into an institution of such national and historical significance with her baby in her arms. The previous Labour government set the terms for maternity pay and created the Equality Act and I am proud that this Labour Government is going to ensure everyone can access high quality early years education.
Unfortunately this week we also have had the very tragic news of the death of Jay Slater – a local lad from Oswaldtwistle, whose life has been cut short in circumstances which are utterly heart-breaking. I have been in touch with the Minister, Stephen Doughty, to establish assurances of the support the family are receiving from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and to offer my assistance.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time and I know they will receive unwavering support from the community on their return from Tenerife. However I also ask people to respect their privacy as they come to terms with their loss.
In the coming weeks and months I am looking forward to getting on with the job of making change happen. I spent the last 15 years raising funds for youth projects, helping young people get jobs and apprenticeships and developing partnerships to tackle complex problems like youth unemployment; and I will use this experience to deliver for the residents of Hyndburn and Haslingden. To get in touch please do find me on facebook or twitter or email me at [email protected]
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