The first week back during summer recess was overshadowed by the resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP. As well as being a personal friend of mine, Angela was a huge figure in the Labour movement and leaves a real legacy behind from her work as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government – including her work on the Employment Rights Bill to secure the biggest upgrade in workers’ rights in a generation and her radical plans for house building, which includes £39bn for social housing over the next 10 years.

Her resignation also started the process for election for a new deputy leader of the Labour Party. The National Executive Committee of the Labour Party are due to meet this week to discuss guidelines and procedures for that election, which I will watch with interest.

On our first day back in Parliament, the Foreign Secretary made a statement to Parliament on Iran and Gaza. The UK has, alongside France and Germany, triggered the UN’s snapback mechanism, meaning sanctions on Iran will return unless a new nuclear agreement is reached within 30 days. Iran’s uranium stockpile now exceeds limits by 40 times, despite diplomatic efforts.

It is clear the situation on the ground in Gaza is unimaginably bleak. It is not a natural disaster – it is a man-made famine, and I share the UK Government’s outrage that the Israeli Government has refused to allow in sufficient aid. We need a massive humanitarian response. I am clear that crucial non-governmental organisations and health workers must be able to operate.

The Government has rightly condemned Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient aid and has suspended arms exports, sanctioned far-right Israeli ministers, and restored UNRWA funding. £15 million in aid has been pledged, and UK-Med field hospitals have now treated over 600,000 Gazans. This is in addition to the Government’s work with the World Health Organisation to get critically ill and injured children into the UK, where they will receive specialist treatment.

I recognise these measures only touch the edges of this catastrophe. I will continue to support this Government in its work to help deliver a ceasefire and long-term peace.

Then on Tuesday, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill passed its second reading in the Commons. This landmark Bill will help to build a modern state based on a fairer, stronger partnership between Government and local people.

The communities that once built Britain have seen good jobs disappearing, secure homes crumbling and once-strong communities divided. Things that our parents and grandparents once relied on have fallen by the wayside.

I want to see us fundamentally change the way that our country is run. That means handing power back to local people so they can make decisions on what really matters to their communities.

This Bill will drive the biggest transfer of power in a generation out of Whitehall and into our regions and communities. It will make devolution the default setting, giving mayors new powers over planning, housing and regeneration.

The legislation will rebuild local government, so that it can once again deliver the high-quality local services that people can rely on and empower local communities to have a bigger say in shaping their local area.

The Education Secretary also announced that this week, from 1 September, working parents can now access 30 hours of free childcare per week from when their child turns nine months until school age—saving families up to £7,500 a year. Over 500,000 children are expected to benefit.

We are committed to giving every child the best possible start in life, which is why additionally to this, the Government is funding 600 new nurseries across three phases, with a focus on disadvantaged areas. The Holiday Activities and Food Programme has also supported 500,000 children from lower-income families, saving parents over £300 per holiday.

With an extra £9 billion in total invested in early years, this Government is committed to helping every child thrive from the start.

In the constituency, I was delighted to see Changing Lives in Carrington winning my Small Business of the Month competition for August. They’ve been doing some amazing work in our community, rescuing and caring for a range of different animals from cats and rabbits to guinea pigs. Since they started, their team has helped rehome more than 1,600 animals.

What makes them so special is how much heart they put into what they do. Well done to everyone at Changing Lives at Carrington, for making a real difference.

I want to round off this update with some sad personal news. My inspirational mother passed away after a period of illness towards the end of August. She taught me so much and I will miss her terribly. I would like to thank all those who have offered their condolences during this difficult time for my family, it means an awful lot.