A quieter week than last, but still lots achieved down at Westminster.
On Monday both Houses of Parliament took through the Financial Crimes Act - this legislation provides us the tools necessary to track down and freeze dirty Russian money in our country. I was proud to be at the bar of the House of Lords at 1:30am on Tuesday when it received its Royal Assent to become law.
The following day I was in to Downing Street with neighbouring colleagues for a round table discussion about local issues, including Andy Burnham's Clean Air Zone. It was good to link up local and regional priorities and get the Government up to speed with what people are saying back at home.
Later on in the day I met with the new Refugees Minister for a conversation about the schemes to support Ukrainians fleeing the war.
Later on I participated in a discussion with industry leaders, charities and other politicians about what net zero actually means and the challenges it presents in the current climate.
On Wednesday the Science and Technology Select Committee held a hearing into diversity in STEM - it remains a fact that white working class communities like Heywood and Middleton are seriously under-represented in the sciences and I asked experts for their thoughts on what needs to change to address this.
Later on I met with the Ukrainian Ambassador who is kindly keeping MPs up to date with regular briefings. I also got to meet a small group of Ukrainian MPs - their stories are heartbreaking and I was humbled by their courage.
This week also marked my second anniversary as the Chair of the Local Government All Party Parliamentary Group - a cross-party body which looks into issues impacting Local Authorities and shares its findings with the Government. This year we'll continue our focus on Care, but also look at the subject of English Devolution.
To that end, I joined a discussion with the APPG on Electoral Reform on Devolution so far. It was a wide ranging and very interesting discussion which reached some important conclusions about what has and hasn't worked.
Later on I met with representatives of the Wine and Spirits Industry to hear how they're bouncing back from the Pandemic and to hear their thoughts on the future of hospitality.
Back in the Constituency, I had a series of meetings, including one with our local Ukrainian community. As much as them asking me about the Government response to the war, it was a chance for me to find out what the lived experience and on the ground challenges are. I was extremely grateful for their time and for all the amazing work they have done in our area. Слава Україні! Героям слава!
This weekend I was back out on the doorstep with the team, speaking to you about your priorities - there's certainly a lot of dissatisfaction with the Labour Council and a real appetite for change at May's elections.
As always, stay safe and enjoy the sunny weather whilst it lasts!
