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Remembering Our War Heroes (November 2009)
It was great to be with the Foreign Secretary when David Miliband visited Bletchley Park earlier this month for a special ceremony to present a group of thirty-five veteran code-breakers... The Equalities Bill and Milton Keynes
On 10th September, our city's Bletchley Park hero, Alan Turing, was given a long-awaited apology by the Prime Minister. This follows the barbaric prosecution of Mr Turing in 1952, for... Labour Party Conference (Sept 2009)
Party Conferences are a time for activists, councillors and MPs to take time out to exchange ideas and experience on how policies are working and what needs to change for... Housing in Milton Keynes (Aug. 2009)
My twin roles as the MP for an expanding city and as Chair of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee mean that access to affordable housing is, and continues... Anti-Social Behaviour (July 2009)
Total crime rates in Milton Keynes have fallen slightly since 2007 but, both locally and nationally, crime remains a significant issue. A significant part of my constituency casework includes assisting... Parliamentary Reform (June 2009)
The expenses scandals of the last few months has dominated the headlines and severely tarnished the reputation of all MPs, not just those who have abused the system, and Parliament... Equality Bill (May 2009)
It is rare for Parliament to have the chance to debate and vote on a single piece of legislation with the potential to revolutionise the life chances of a wide... Putting Families first (Apr. 2009)
Children in Milton Keynes are now back to school, and many of us were able to enjoy the Easter break by spending time with our families. Yet, for many working... Youth Parliament (Mar. 2009)
It is a huge privilege to be elected as a Member of Parliament, and in particular as a woman MP to know that nearly half of all the women who... National Demantia Strategy (Feb. 2009)
I expect that many in Milton Keynes will have enjoyed the fantastic Discworld novels of Terry Pratchett and his devoted readers will be delighted that this month, Terry was awarded... Conflict in Gaza (Jan. 2009)
Last week I was fortunate to be at the opening in London of the stunning new gallery at the British Museum of the ancient Egyptian wall paintings from the tomb... Dr Starkey' s Christmas Message
Christmas and the New Year is a chance for everyone, including even MPs, to take a break from work and current events, concentrate on family and friends, and reflect on... Global recession (Dec. 2008)
Westminster has been dominated by the global economic crisis and the action taken at international and national level to try to get the situation under control. The scale of the... Bus Travel (Nov. 2008)
Buses moved centre stage at Westminster this month, with the Local Transport Bill rolling back the bus deregulation imposed under the Tories, and pensioners and disabled people lobbying Parliament. Frequent,... Global Crisis and Housing Markets
It is well known that the saying, “may you live in interesting times”, is supposed to be a curse. However, with the global credit crunch and the extraordinary sight of... Education in Milton Keynes (Sept. 2008)
With summer holidays over and the new school year beginning, children and young people will be looking forward with excitement to the next phase of their education or training. Milton... Summer Sports in Milton Keynes (Aug. 2008)
With schools now on their summer break, the Beijing Olympics fast approaching, and preparations underway for the 2012 Games in London, there is no better time to encourage MK to... Anniversary of the NHS (July 2008)
This week is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the NHS by Clement Attlee’s Labour Government. In common with many, I and my family have relied upon the NHS... Diplomas (June 2008)
In Milton Keynes, as elsewhere, students are currently sitting their G.C.S.E and ‘A’ Level exams, and many will soon have to make important decisions about their educational future. For some,... Brodcasting Bad Health (May 2008)
For a nation that will proudly host the Olympic Games in 2012, the fact that Britain faces a serious obesity problem is not welcome news: with an estimated one in... Buses (April 2008)
I know from feedback from my constituents that buses are a key issue for many, particularly pensioners and young people, since public transport is often the only way they can... Fairtrade
Fairtrade Fortnight took place this year on 18th February – 9th March and in Milton Keynes I joined with the Mayor and other civic dignitaries in a Fairtrade breakfast at... New energy sources (Feb. 2008)
Last Friday Milton Keynes College students were the first to play a new virtual reality computer game, developed by local firm Logicom and supported by the National Energy Foundation and... Prostitutution (2008)
There are some subjects that everyone knows exist but are rarely actually mentioned – either in Parliament or elsewhere. One such issue has recently emerged from obscurity – although only... Climate Change (Dec. 2008)
Climate change is back at the top of the agenda, with negotiations starting soon in Bali on international action to stop global temperatures rising more than 2 oC over the... Milton Keynes at Westminster (Nov. 2007)
Last week, Milton Keynes came to Westminster. The big event a celebration of Milton Keynes 40th birthday, organised by the Council and sponsored by both MPs. The great and good... Gordon Brown's speech (Oct. 2007)
Listening to Gordon Brown’s speech at the Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth last week, I was struck by how well his vision, of a Britain of aspiration where all are... Housing (Sept. 2007)
Housing is the issue most often mentioned to me by constituents. Whether it is concerns that their children will never be able to afford to buy their own home locally,... Parliamentary Buisiness (Aug. 2007)
The last week of Parliamentary business before the summer break was dominated by two different types of deluge. The heavy rains and the unprecedented flooding from the Severn and Thames... G8 Meetings (June 2007)
Two years ago the Live 8 and Make Poverty History campaigns urged world leaders to do more for Africa: to write-off debts, make trade fairer and help tackle HIV/Aids. Here... NHS (Apr. 2007)
About two years ago just before the General Election, I suddenly started to get letters, phone calls and e-mails from constituents whose dentists were threatening to leave the NHS; my... Waste and Rubbish (Mar. 2007)
Waste and rubbish have been high up my political agenda recently, both in the Constituency and at Westminster. Issues related to the Newton Longville landfill continue to trouble Bletchley residents... Challenges in a Changing World
The start of a new year is a good time to reflect on the big challenges Britain faces in a changing world. When Parliament is sitting, my work as an... Affordability and Supply of Housing (Dec. 2006)
Select committees are a crucial part of Parliament’s work – providing cross-party, evidence-based critiques of aspects of government policy in a much more effective way than can be done by... NHS (Nov. 2006)
NHS spending is top of the agenda both nationally and locally, with a lobby of Parliament last week by the health trade unions, and Milton Keynes hospital delaying its application... Every Disabled Child Should Matter (Oct. 2006)
Press reports of Party Conferences concentrate on the big speeches – and I certainly enjoyed Tony Blair’s farewell speech at Manchester and Bill Clinton’s warning that in his experience a... Anti Social Behaviour Orders (Sept. 2006)
In national surveys Milton Keynes always scores highly compared with other places in the UK as a pleasant place to live with a high quality of life, but as with... Situation in the Middle East (Aug. 2006)
My main job as MP is representing Milton Keynes and my constituents at Westminster and making sure the government’s manifesto commitments are voted through. But most MPs also try to... Diary of Visit to Lebanon (Aug. 2006)
Wed 23rd Aug – Following the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, I am flying to Beirut with a delegation of British Muslim organisations. The pilot emotionally announces “the... The Energy Challenge (Jul. 2006)
Milton Keynes thinks of itself as a green city, so the publication last week of the government’s energy review “The Energy Challenge” is of interest to many people locally. We... Diary of Visit to Iran (June 2006)
The continuing stand-off on nuclear technology between Iran and the rest of the world is dominating the international news – and causing considerable anxiety that we may be heading for... Future Shape of the NHS (May 2006)
The continuing stand-off on nuclear technology between Iran and the rest of the world is dominating the international news – and causing considerable anxiety that we may be heading for... Focus on Local Government (April 2006)
The advent of the local Council elections on 4th May is reflected in Parliament with an increasing level of party political point scoring. Almost every question to a minister seems... Letter from Westminster (Mar. 2006)
Much of my time at Westminster is taken up with questions to ministers and debates in the chamber of the House of Commons, and with the work of the Select... School Systems (feb. 2006)
Imagine a school of 400 children aged from 6 to 16, classes of 24 children each with a teacher and two classroom assistants, a teacher who follows that group of... Housing in Milton Keynes (Jan. 2006)
Housing is a hot issue in Milton Keynes. My constituency correspondence is full of people complaining about their children not being able to afford to buy their own home, of...
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