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IN WESTMINSTER Welcome to my June e-newsletter with news of some of my work in Westminster and in the Warrington South Constituency as your Labour MP. For all the latest news on my work locally and in Parliament you can also visit my website, follow me on Twitter or add me on Facebook. With very best wishes, Labour Member of Parliament for Warrington South some of the statistics from my first year in of- hurdles remaining to overcome before con- I also took part in the PKU diet challenge FIRST YEAR REVIEW fice. I have received over 7,000 emails from struction of the health centre can begin and where I spent the day having a restricted constituents, over 300 letters and over 5,500 there are high hopes this will happen in the diet like who suffer from PKU. I learnt about It is hard to believe that it has been over a telephone calls. Some contact us with a single coming weeks. During the meeting the Health how much of a daily struggle the diet is and year since my election as Labour’s MP for issue, others on a variety of issues. Minister committed to providing me with regu- how much of an impact it has on daily life. Warrington South. The time has flown-by. It lar updates on the medical centre’s progress. has been an honour to represent our constitu- Throughout the year I have spoken out in Par- The drug Kuvan has been developed which ency in Westminster and I have enjoyed every liament on a number of key issues for our town Locally, I met with Warrington CCG to dis- can treat up to 25% of PKU patients and al- minute of my first year. – including on public sector pay, demanding cuss the final issues. low them to eat substantially more natural action to resolve the social care crisis, calling proteins, which fundamentally improves their There have been so many memorable mo- for the Mersey Gateway tolls to be scrapped, quality of life. Of course, Kuvan comes with ments. Of course, finding out on election night speaking out on homelessness and opposing a price tag, but as we celebrate the 70th that I would be representing Warrington South NHS privatisation. There are so many issues birthday of our treasured NHS, we must al- in Westminster was a night that I will never facing our town and I will continue to speak low it to uphold its fundamental principle of forget. And, taking my seat in Parliament and out on these in Westminster. providing healthcare on the basis of need. making my maiden speech were very special moments for me. CHAPELFORD HEALTH CENTRE However, the most important part of being the Member of Parliament for Warrington South is I met with Health Minister Steve not about the memorable moments, it is about Brine in Westminster to discuss pro- what I am doing to help the people and com- gress on Chapelford Health Centre. munities I represent. The meeting followed my question in the House of Commons about the shock- Every week I am lucky enough to have the ing delays and failings that have beset opportunity to speak out in Westminster the Chapelford Health Centre project. CAPITA CONTRACT alongside our leader Jeremy Corbyn and my Labour colleagues on the issues that matter Chapelford Health Centre was conceived I spoke in Parliament about how Capita was to our town. It is an honour I do not take for around 20 years ago, ahead of the now de- awarded a £500m contract to run UK mili- granted. veloped Chapelford Urban Village. For more tary fire and rescue services despite it being than 10 years the Chapelford Health Centre rated a 10/10 risk which is, yet again, more Together with my team, I have been working that serves this community has been operating evidence of the Tory Government being reck- hard to tackle a variety of issues, which affect out of a portacabin on a piece of waste ground less with taxpayers’ money and safety. The people across Warrington South. The issues while approval and funding for the permanent Tories have overseen a race to the bottom are diverse and give a real snap shot of ex- surgery on the reserved site had been sought. when it comes such firms’ standards, while TRAINS actly how the Government’s policies are really costs to British tax payers have skyrocketed. I joined activists and members to campaign affecting people on the ground. This last year I have been working with the Chapelford and against the #RailMayhem we are facing. I has been eye opening. Old Hall councillors to keep up the pressure have been using all my Parliamentary re- at both a local and national level. I have taken PKU sources available to keep pressurising Chris It is clear that many local people are finding the issue to right to the top of the NHS – rais- Grayling on doing more about this rail cri- life tough and are struggling to make ends ing concerns with the Chief Executive of NHS I spoke on the importance of raising aware- sis which many of my constituents are fac- meet. Witnessing this first hand has made me England, Sir Simon Stevens, and to Govern- ness of and providing treatment for PKU ing. It is more than obvious that the Con- more determined than ever to ensure that I ment, putting pressure on Health Ministers in patients. Thanks to the hard work Nation- servative Government is failing to stand up do whatever I can both locally and in West- Westminster to guarantee delivery of the new al Society for Phenylketonuria have put in for millions of passengers. I believe that minster to speak out for my constituents, to medical centre. Following my question in Par- to raise awareness of this devastating dis- The Labour Party’s policy to bring our rail- fight for Warrington South and to oppose the liament last month it was announced that cap- ease which affects around 3,000 people, I ways into public ownership will result in reckless and damaging policies of this Con- ital funding for the site had been approved. learnt of the complexities patients and their servative Government. families face, especially as the fragment- capped fares, more reliable services and much-needed investment in our railways. I held a productive meeting with the Health ed nature of NHS services provided of- I thought you might find it interesting to hear Minister revealed that there are only a few tento confusion and mistakes in the chain. CLEAN AIR DAY DIABETES WEEK AGAINST PAVEMENT PARKING Clean Air Day 2018 focuses on the impact of Diabetes Week took place from 11th - 17th I am supporting a great campaign by The poor air quality, which can have health impli- June and this year it focused on the theme Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (UK) cations. Clean Air Day highlights the current to talk about diabetes. Talking about diabe- which is highlighting the effects of pavement challenges and offers a chance to find out tes isn’t always easy, but a good conversa- parking. I was deeply concerned to find that more about air pollution and what steps we tion can be really useful. Diabetes is one a survey showed that 97% of blind or par- can take to help make the air cleaner and of the most serious public health problems tially sighted people encounter problems healthier for everyone. Locally, I believe it is facing the UK today so it’s important that with street obstructions, and 90% of those crucial that as a town we work together to we #TalkAboutDiabetes to raise awareness had experienced trouble with a pavement see how we can make simple changes to im- about the risk, and helping to take action in parked car. I believe we must develop en- prove air quality. In the coming months I will making it easier for people to make healthy vironments that enable people with disabil- be working with local organisations on this choices every day. During this week I high- ities to live independently, not in isolation. issue. lighted this campaign and I hoped it encour- NORTHERN RAILWAY aged many others to talk about this issue. I met with the Managing Director of Northern to raise serious concerns about the problems of late. The service which has been provid- ed since 20 May is completely unacceptable. The number of cancellations, especially at peak times, has caused many commuters in Warrington and across the north to be late for work and school. I am also aware that services were cancelled after the Neigh- bourhood Weekender which took place at Victoria Park over the weekend 26-27 May, leaving many festival-goers stranded. I am STAND UP TO BULLYING keeping up the pressure on Northern and the Government to tackle these failings. I have pledged to #StandUpToBullying and I am urging Warrington South residents ARMED FORCES DAY WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY to do the same. We must aim to create to- gether a community which is kind and com- I was proud to support Armed Forces Day CARERS WEEK This year’s theme was plastic pollution. I believe passionate to one another, and courageous and The Labour Party’s call to put our Ser- it is vital that we aim to eradicated plastic pollu- to #StandUpToBullying at all times. I wel- vice personnel first. They are at the heart of tion, especially by reducing single-use plastic come this this great campaign by Anti-Bully- our nation’s defence and I believe that they This year’s Carers Week was 11th - 17th and locally I will be working to tackle this issue.