This week I began Business of the House Questions by raising equal marriage, which will be debated in the Commons on Monday and Tuesday.  This debate and the subsequent passage of the third reading will ensure that the historic progress on LGBT equality accomplished by the previous government is consolidated. I continued by raising the …

I began business questions by welcoming our newest MP to the House of Commons. Emma Lewell-Buck will be a fighter for her constituents, and it is brilliant that she is the first woman to represent South Shields. I also welcomed Nadine Dorries back to the Conservative fold, after she was allowed back in the party …

I began Business of the House Questions this week by recognising that the funeral of Margaret Thatcher was the end of an era. I rarely agreed with her but she did break the existing political and economic consensus and now I think it’s time do so again. I pointed out the scramble this government is …

I began business questions this week by wishing everyone a Happy Easter as this was the last session before recess. I have heard rumours that there are plans afoot to start selling a ‘coalition’ Easter egg so I enjoyed speculating what that might look like. It would have shiny yellow wrapping, but the chocolate would …

As I prepared for business of the House questions the government was in complete chaos. The prime minister suddenly pulled the plug on cross-party talks on the Leveson report.  It is ninety nine days now since the Leveson Report was published. It is the time to act for the many victims of press intrusion the …

I began Business of the House Questions this morning by reminding the Commons that tomorrow is International Women’s Day. It is disappointing that the government has chosen to celebrate this by proposing to remove the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s general equality duty from the statute book, having already slashed 70 per cent of their …

This week I began business of the House questions by welcoming the debate this afternoon on violence against women and girls. This debate coincides with a series of actions across the UK as part of the ‘One Billion Rising’ global campaign and I am proud to support it. I followed on by raising the government’s …

I began Business of the House Questions this week by discussing the urgent question to the defence secretary on the current situation in Mali. As my colleague Jim Murphy said in response, we support the decision to send troops to Mali and neighbouring countries to help train the Malian army. But the deployment of troops …

In parliament this week I pointed out that less than three weeks into the new year and already three major retailers have gone into administration: first Jessops and then, this week, both HMV and Blockbusters. This puts more than 10,000 retail jobs at risk and has a detrimental effect on communities across the country. The …

Yesterday during business questions I welcomed the fact that, after months of prevarication, the government has decided to bring forward legislation on equal marriage.  But I pushed the Leader of the House, Andrew Lansley, to ensure that we do not have a repeat of some of the outrageous and offensive remarks made recently in debates, …