Commons
Debate
3 June 2026
2 contributions
General Strike Centenary Commemorations
I congratulate my hon. Friend on bringing this important debate on the general strike before the House. Does he agree that when we remember the general strike as the national event that it was, we should also reflect on the countless local stories of solidarity, mutual support and sacrifice that def…
I wonder if the Minister will indulge me in paying tribute to a particular striking miner who was born in Hirst in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Blyth and Ashington (Ian Lavery). His name was Robert Wallace Pringle. He was one of the striking miners, and he died the following yea…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
1 June 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
First, may I associate myself with the remarks of the Secretary of State?
The Veterans Minister recently joined me to meet several women veterans in my constituency, who spoke exceptionally powerfully about the specific challenges and barriers that they experienced in accessing appropriate support …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
22 April 2026
Pension Schemes
I thank the Minister for his statement, for his engagement with me, and for the extensive work that has been done to recover from the mess that MyCSP and Capita have made of the CSPS. Civil servants have dedicated their lives to public service, only to be let down in their retirement, and Members fr…
Commons
Debate
26 March 2026
Business of the House
Recently, residents in Shiremoor and Cramlington have been contacting me about significant delays to post deliveries. Some report letters arriving once every 10 days. This is having a real impact on constituents, and in one case, a delay in receiving post resulted in an interruption of disability li…
Commons
Oral Questions
26 March 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
The Secretary of State and others in this place will be aware of my campaign for investment in the Moor Farm roundabout. The current situation causes misery for local people and is choking investment not just in my constituency, but across the north-east. I have held debates, asked questions, and ha…
Commons
Oral Questions
19 March 2026
Business of the House
The issue of civil service pensions has been raised here repeatedly for months, yet Capita and MyCSP are still failing—now on commitments they made to put things right. My constituents continue to receive only holding responses, some since December, despite serious financial hardship and mental heal…
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
12 March 2026
Topical Questions
T4. I am a proud Labour and Co-operative MP. Co-operatives play a really important role in our economy, building a fairer and more resilient economy that gives workers and communities a stake in the businesses they rely on. This Labour Government have a world-leading commitment to double the size of…
Commons
Debate
10 March 2026
2 contributions
Courts and Tribunals Bill
I have spoken in this place about my experience of being a magistrate before being elected. I remember the weight of responsibility vividly. I recall the mornings in courtrooms, as we weighed defendants’ circumstances and mitigations against the urgent need for public safety. I have seen the sheer g…
I ask the hon. and learned Member two questions. First, does he not accept that magistrates are indeed peers? Secondly, does he agree that 12 months is a pretty considerable, life-changing sentence as it stands?
Commons
Proceedings
12 February 2026
Business of the House
I have been supporting a local leaseholder who lives in a bungalow in Cramlington because Shenstone, the management company, has recently charged her £525 for a property extension. Hon. Members might think that that was nothing unusual—except that the extension was built 30 years ago, before she eve…
Commons
Oral Questions
5 February 2026
Business of the House
Later this month, Northumberland Park, a key interchange between rail and metro, will be the latest station opening on the Northumberland line. The completion of the line and station has been made possible thanks to a £17 million investment from this Labour Government and £10 million from the Mayor …
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
5 February 2026
Jury Trials
I know from my experience serving as a magistrate the crucial role that magistrates play in our criminal justice system. They are more representative of our country as a whole and the communities that they serve. We all know the pressures on the courts system, so can the Solicitor General set out th…
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 February 2026
Civil Service Pension Scheme: Administration
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell.
Like many Members, I want to share the real impact that the serious concerns about the administration of the civil service pension scheme are having on my constituents. In the north-east, this issue is particularly acute because we have one…
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
29 January 2026
Topical Questions
T5. The north-east has one of the largest pharmaceutical clusters, identified in the north-east growth plan as a key growth sector. My constituency has some of the leading companies, such as Organon and Sterling Pharma, who are providing good-quality jobs and exporting around the world. How are the …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
15 January 2026
Business of the House
I have been working with local people living in Places for People properties at Kirkwood in Burradon, Hadrian Court in Killingworth and Beaconhill in Cramlington. We have had significant problems with repairs in those properties, and we are not talking about minor inconveniences. In one case, a prop…
Commons
Proceedings
15 January 2026
Digital ID
Nail bars, car washes and barbers are all business types that are known to have higher than average numbers of illegal workers, and for which right-to-work checks are variable. The 83% increase in illegal working arrests that was announced this week is welcome, but can the Minister please outline ho…
Commons
Oral Questions
13 January 2026
Topical Questions
T10. A number of local residents have been in touch recently following the announcement that a Cramlington dentist will no longer be offering NHS services and is moving to private practice only, which has led to a number of people being unable to access services locally. What more can the Government…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
8 January 2026
Road Safety Strategy
I thank the Minister for her statement and join her in paying tribute to the bereaved families who, in the face of unimaginable loss, have campaigned for these road safety improvements. At the end of 2025 there were a number of serious accidents at Moor Farm roundabout in my constituency, leading to…
Commons
Proceedings
8 January 2026
Business of the House
During Parliament Week last year, I had the absolute privilege of going along to Seaton Delaval first school and meeting the year 3 and year 4 classes to receive a grilling—it has to be said. They asked some excellent questions. Since then, the pupils have got in touch to raise a range of issues, in…
Commons
Debate
7 January 2026
4 contributions
Jury Trials
We are facing a real and serious crisis in our criminal courts. It did not happen overnight and it certainly did not happen by accident. It is the result of 14 years of neglect, and it is now denying justice to people up and down the country. Right now, around 80,000 cases are waiting to be heard in…
Absolutely. I agree with my hon. Friend. I am immensely frustrated at the rhetoric on that point.
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
11 December 2025
Business of the House
Last month, the cold snap in my patch saw local residents on new estates struggling with icy roads and pavements. I took their concerns to developers, and I am pleased to see that grit bins have now been installed. This may all sound trivial, but not to residents on these estates, and it highlights …
Commons
Proceedings
8 December 2025
Restriction of Jury Trials
It is horrific that victims of rape and sexual assault are waiting years for justice, and we should never forget, in these conversations or decisions, the toll that that process takes on a victim’s life. Can the Minister please confirm that victims will be kept at the heart of the justice system, an…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
8 December 2025
Topical Questions
T8. More than 400 16 to 24-year-olds across my constituency are not in education, employment or training, and are claiming unemployment benefits. That has the potential to cause lifelong damage and deprive them of vital skills and opportunities for development. How will the Government’s youth guaran…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
8 December 2025
2 contributions
Child Poverty
18. What steps he is taking to reduce the number of children in poverty.
Child poverty in the north-east reached shameful levels under the previous Conservative Government, damaging the life chances of children and young people. As the Minister has set out, this Government are turning the tide with not only the removal of the two-child cap, but the expansion of free scho…
Commons
Proceedings
2 December 2025
Budget Resolutions
For too long, my communities in the towns and villages across the Cramlington and Killingworth constituency felt the full force of Conservative cuts and lived with the consequences of austerity. This Budget is the end of that chapter, because growth only means something when communities right across…
Commons
Proceedings
27 November 2025
Business of the House
Tomorrow, Tony Wright, my constituent and the founder and chief executive officer of Forward Assist, a local veterans charity, is retiring. Tony is a veteran and trained social worker, and he has provided support and advocacy for veterans across the region and the country for well over a decade. It …