It’s been a busy few  weeks away from Westminster. It was our first Labour Conference since our historic General Election victory in July and there was a clear focus on getting things done. In its last few months the Tory Government had limped to the election, ignoring the huge difficulties facing the UK and leaving the worst economic inheritance since the second world war.

Highlights of conference included sitting on the UNICEF panel on Child poverty. Having previously campaigned on Healthy Start vouchers, this is a particular area of passion for me, and I was pleased to share Labour’s wide ranging plans to tackle Child poverty.

I was also pleased to hear Keir Starmer take a strong stance against the opportunistic, racist thugs who blighted the summer.

The message from Conference was clear – Change has begun and this Labour Government is fixing the foundations to rebuild Britain and achieve our aim to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7.

After conference I was able to spend some time in Stretford and Urmston catching up with constituents and local groups.

I visited the St Bride’s refugee project where I met with volunteers and users of the project which is a warm and welcoming space offering everything from a hot meal and warm clothing to medical care. It was humbling to hear from everyone involved.

I then popped into St Hugh of Lincoln school to join their Bikeability session during Cycle to School week. It was great to see the children gaining confidence on their bikes, and get the fantastic news that Trafford ranks as the most improved borough in the country for take up of Bikeability schemes .

I was pleased to hold my first Macmillan coffee morning for local residents in Partington. It was extremely well attended and I look forward to returning soon to discuss local issues with residents.

Over the past two weeks I’ve also held surgeries across Stretford and Urmston, meeting with constituents to help resolve urgent casework issues.  I receive several hundred emails and telephone calls every week from constituents who need support, and do my best to help every resident.

This week, we returned to Parliament and I hit the ground running answering Ministerial questions for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). I’ve never spoken from either opposition or Government Despatch box before, and it was pretty nerve wracking at first but as the session went on I really enjoyed it!

From there it was a quick trip to Northern Ireland to meet my opposite numbers in the DWP.  I also visited Stormont and stayed in Hillsborough Castle. Belfast is a stunning place, and while it was a short visit, the beauty of Northern Ireland was welcome in a hectic week.

Wednesday saw the second reading of the Renters’ Rights Bill sail through Parliament.

Difficulties with housing feature heavily in my casework and have done since I was elected. The Tories failed to deliver any of the urgently needed reform, and residents of Stretford and Urmston are paying the price. This piece of legislation will end section 21-no fault evictions, enforce quality standards, particularly around damp and mould, and will also allow tenants to request to keep a pet.  These reforms are long overdue, and I was extremely proud to vote for them.

Meanwhile, the Tories continue with their chaos. Choosing a new leader has become a long running soap opera and they are so focussed on their internal battles that they appear to have forgotten they are the opposition.

I finished the week with a virus, and unfortunately had to cancel my constituency plans on Friday. I’m feeling much better now, and will be following up on debates about planning permission for telegraph poles and the availability of driving tests, which both regularly feature in my casework.

On a final note, I’m hiring a Campaign and Communications Manager based in my lovely constituency office – full details are here:

w4mp | The site for everyone working for an MP (w4mpjobs.org)