This week’s blog is slightly later this week as I wanted to cover off the parliamentary business taking place on Monday and Tuesday of this week as well, before we broke for the Christmas recess.

Last week of course continued to be dominated by the Rwanda story, with the Government’s Safety of Rwanda Bill having its second reading on Tuesday. As I expected the Bill passed through the House comfortably and it will be at committee and third reading that I anticipate real problems for the Government. I was proud to vote against regardless – this is a truly piece of legislation that effectively asserts that apples are oranges if the government says so.

I was pleased to have one of my constituents, Will, with me in Parliament for work experience last week as well as visits from three of our local councillors. Ged and Karina Carter visited on Monday, while Cllr Fianna Hornby was in London on Wednesday and popped in to watch Prime Minister’s Questions. It’s always great to welcome constituents to Parliament and this was no exception.

Looking at my main activities throughout last week, on Monday I participated in a Westminster Hall debate on the situation in Israel and Gaza. I am deeply concerned that the recent temporary truce has not been the springboard to a lasting peace that it should have been and took the opportunity to press the Government on the need for a permanent ceasefire.

On Tuesday my work on the Media Bill continued. This took up most of the day but we did finish the Committee on Tuesday afternoon, a day earlier than planned. I was also pleased to be the guest speaker at a dinner in the House of Lords hosted by Lord Goddard on the housing crisis. There is huge interest in Labour’s plans to build the homes we need and I was pleased to be able to set out our proposals to scale up delivery with a particular focus on social housing.

On Wednesday I had a number of meetings but also attended a couple of fantastic events hosted by charities. The first of these was the annual Guide Dogs event which is always well subscribed with Parliament’s dog lovers out in force. It was really insightful to hear from guide dog owners about the freedom guide dogs can bring and how empowering it can be. I also attended a Carers UK event to hear about the role of smart meters in supporting people to live longer in their homes – something we will see more of in the years ahead.

I wasn’t in Parliament on Thursday as I had a medical appointment so was back in the constituency. I held a meeting for Labour Party members on Thursday night about the situation in Israel and Palestine, and also met the Trafford4Palestine group on Friday to discuss the conflict.

On Friday morning I was absolutely delighted to present a certificate and gift to the winner of my annual Christmas Card competition. Kamran, aged 10, is a pupil at Delamere School in Flixton and created a really bright and fun design. The cards have gone out to a number of stakeholders across the constituency and I am grateful to all of the nearly 600 children who entered the competition.

We were back in Parliament for two days this week, and there was a one-line whip for MPs which meant it was quieter than usual. I took the opportunity to speak in a number of different areas. On Monday I had a DWP question, taking the chance to ask about the UK’s appalling status as the worst performing of 39 OECD and EU countries on addressing child poverty between 2012 and 2021. That is a shameful record and is the culmination of years of austerity and the abolition of the Child Poverty Act.

I asked a separate but linked question on foodbank usage to support children in Stretford and Urmston. Recent figures from the Trussell Trust show that there has been an 80% increase in the past year of food parcels used by children in the constituency. I’m incredibly concerned by this and was shocked to hear the Secretary of State suggest the Government has a proud record of supporting struggling families.

I also asked a question on Monday about freedom of speech in Hong Kong, calling on the Minister to support what remains of a free press there. On Tuesday the Government published its ‘Long Term Plan for Housing’ – another botched strategy that will further stymy housebuilding. I challenged the Minister on how increasing restrictions on housebuilding could possibly drive an upturn in housing supply. His response was incredibly disappointing and I feel certain housing completions will now plummet further.

Finally on Tuesday we received a further update from the Foreign Office on the situation in Israel and Gaza. As I had in the Westminster Hall debate 8 days prior I asked whether the time had now come to urgently press for a permanent ceasefire. There has been some softening of language this week with talk of a sustainable ceasefire and I hope we may see some positive news soon in this regard.

I’m back in the constituency for a couple of weeks and spending Christmas with family. My office will be closed until the 3^rd January so may I take the opportunity to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!