Pubs Deserve Better
12th January 2021
Stop the Universal Credit Cut
8th February 2021Pubs Deserve Better
12th January 2021Stop the Universal Credit Cut
8th February 2021Warrington North Newsletter: January Update
It’s been another very busy month working hard for the amazing residents Warrington North. From supporting those affected by Storm Christoph to advocating for tougher border and quarantine measures, here is a snapshot of what I’ve been up to!
Storm Christoph:
I met with a number of constituents who had been affected and saw our community spirit in action- from people looking after each other’s pets; to the amazing amount of donations of food, clothes, bedding, toys and other household items being donated and distributed; and the money raised to help those affected rebuild their lives. When I visited The Friends of Meadowside, they were overwhelmed with generous donations from members of our community who pitched in to support others.
I want to thank the staff from the Environment Agency, Warrington Borough Council, Cheshire Fire and Rescue, Cheshire Police, United Utilities, Scottish Power and Torus who have been working incredibly hard to keep residents safe, and to thank the hotels which have opened their doors during lockdown to provide emergency accommodation co-ordinated by the council.
Looking forwards, as much as Storm Christoph did bring with it record water levels locally, there are a number of factors which have meant we were not as prepared as we could have been to mitigate against this and I have had a number of conversations with the Risk Assessment Management Authorities with responsibility for flooding about what lessons can be learned, and future work undertaken to build our flood resilience. I will keep you updated on these, and how you can feed in, as consultations are due to begin soon.
If you need financial support or benefits advice as a result of the flooding, please contact [email protected].
Vaccine:
The tremendous roll-out of the vaccine in Warrington is a significant source of optimism for our town. I want to pay tribute to the amazing NHS staff and volunteers who are powering us through locally. They are heroes and deserve immense credit for their work. Vaccines are the best exit strategy from COVID and I also want to thank everyone who is promoting take-up of the vaccine in the face of scaremongering from a very small minority.
It was truly humbling to meet the staff and volunteers working so hard to get Warrington vaccinated and to see for myself just how smooth and well-managed the process is. Many of the volunteers told me what an emotional experience taking part in the local effort has been, particularly as for those receiving their vaccine it can often be their first time leaving the house since last March.
Thank you to Dr Dan Bunstone for the walkthrough and providing clarity on many of the questions and concerns I've had raised with me by people understandably nervous about the process. And thank you to all those who are helping to keep our town's most vulnerable residents safe, and helping us back on our way to normal life.
Borders:
In Parliament I challenged the Government on its half-measures for strengthening our border and quarantine measures. At each stage, the Government has acted too slowly and too weakly and this is yet another example.
We cannot, yet again, squander our advantage as an island nation to properly control our borders. In implementing tougher measures we can follow the lead of New Zealand, which has seen just 25 deaths from COVID-19. As New Zealanders have the freedom to live their lives while we watch with envy from Lockdown 3, the Government must take swift and decisive action on borders.
This is the level of protection that the British people expects- and frankly expected since the start of the pandemic. Since then, people have been bewildered at the continued inflow of global passengers, the lack of checks at airports and the failure to contact more than the abysmal 3% asked to quarantine.
The Government must change course and implement tougher restrictions before a new variant is allowed to spread, undermining our immense sacrifices and the fantastic progress made with vaccinations.
For those in Warrington North who have been lucky enough to go abroad this year, whether for business, pleasure, or visiting loved ones the contrast between the effective measures abroad and the abject lack of them here has been very stark.
See my speech in Parliament on this:
Furlough and Maternity Suspensions/Pregnant Women in the Workplace:
As Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities I have been fighting hard for the rights of pregnant women during this pandemic.
I asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to amend the furlough scheme to cover maternity suspensions on full pay, as medical advice is clear that women who are 28 weeks or more pregnant should effectively self-isolate due to the increased risk of contracting Covid-19 and resulting risks to their health and the health of their babies. Such a measure would be a small sum of money in the overall cost of the scheme, and would end the unfairness that exists to heavily pregnant or otherwise medically vulnerable pregnant women. It is a move that is supported by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal Society of Midwives, the TUC and Maternity Action. I’m pleased that the Chancellor will look into this and I look forward to changes being made promptly.
It's time for the Government to step up and create a legal and enforceable right to paid flexible furlough to get families through the pandemic without women, in particular, being forced out of work by additional childcare responsibilities. An approach of simply hoping employers will do the right thing is not good enough.
See my question to the Chancellor here:
Supporting Our Workers:
I joined British Gas workers on the picket line as they protest against the horrendous ‘fire and rehire’ practices that are being imposed. ‘Fire and rehire’ sets an incredibly dangerous precedent for employers being able to override workers’ rights. Mr O’Shea, the Centrica Chief Executive, needs to repay the loyalty of the British Gas engineers-some of whom have worked for the company for decades- and take fire and rehire off the table. I spoke against this in the House of Commons and on the Business Select Committee, and will continue to stand up for British Gas workers.
I also stood up in solidarity with the care workers employed by care provider Lifeways who are routinely underpaid when they take holiday. 150 of their staff, alongside their trade union UNISON, have launched a formal grievance to resolve this issue and they have my full support in doing so. I also emphasised my support for a Private Members’ Bill from Liverpool Wavertree MP Paula Barker to end the legal loophole that stops care workers from earning the National Minimum Wage as part of sleep-out shifts.
Stop UC Cut:
I voted to stop the £20 a week cut to Universal Credit that affects 7,800 households in Warrington North.
After they found billions for dodgy contracts for PPE that never turned up, the least the Government can do is protect families’ incomes during this awful pandemic.
They have also failed to extend the support to those on legacy benefits, including disability benefits. It is unacceptable and will leave millions of families worse off.
Pubs Deserve Better:
In the debate on the hospitality sector at the beginning of January I made the case for why our pubs deserve far better, as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Pubs.
After the original shutdown, pubs have seen the rules change at the last minute with no basis in the scientific advice, the curfews and a farcical definition of a substantial meal. It's hard to escape the conclusion that the sector is an afterthought to the Government.
When this crisis is over people will want to congregate in pubs to celebrate; it will be a travesty if a lack of Government support means that those pubs will have closed their doors for good.
See my contribution to the Westminster Hall Debate on hospitality
Burtonwood and Winwick Community Bus:
It was great to meet with volunteers from the Burtonwood & Winwick Community Bus to hear about the incredible work they are doing to support our community through the pandemic, and to be joined by Shadow Health Minister Justin Madders.
From bringing prescriptions and shopping to vulnerable and isolated elderly residents, getting keyworkers to work, and taking people to their vaccination appointments- they are an absolute credit to our community. Thank you to all the volunteers who keep this vital service going.
I will continue to work hard for the people of Warrington North, and to be your voice in Westminster.
If you would like further details on the above, or you have a matter I can assist with, please email [email protected]