Constituency Report (June 2017) General Election

After seven exhausting weeks, the General Election campaign is over, with the biggest increase in the Labour vote since 1945. I visited at least at least 30 different constituencies and met thousands of people, from Edinburgh to Southampton. I spoke at more than 60 hustings and debates, and did more than 100 media interviews, and drank goodness know how many cups of coffee to keep me going.

The horrifying terror attacks in Manchester and Phone canvassing at Labour HQ, 2 Jun London and the catastrophic fire at Grenfell Tower have raised all manner of questions about safety, the state, austerity and civil society. It has prompted a slew of rehashed rhetoric from Theresa May. She claims “enough is enough”, and blames Internet companies and the Human Rights Act for allowing terrorism to continue, with no mention of the cuts of 20,000 police officers made under her watch. Despite attempts to disrupt the democratic process we continued to campaign right up until the polls closed. Thanks to the hard work of our activists tirelessly Women’s Canvass Islington South, 28 May campaigning up and down the country we managed to gain 30 seats, and my majority in Islington South and Finsbury was increased by over 7,600. While we were unable to form a government the Conservatives lost their majority, and with it their mandate for austerity and a damaging hard Brexit.

On the way to Jeremy’s Brexit speech, 1 Jun The National Campaign

Campaign visits 23 Apr: Hornsey & Wood Green 29 Apr: Sheffield, Dewesbury and Batley & Spen 1 May: Reading and Southampton 3 May: Brentford & Isleworth 4 May: Stevenage 6 May: Tottenham My campaign launch, 6 May 7 May: Hammersmith 8 May: Lancaster & Fleetwood 9 May: Manchester, Heywood & Middleton 13 May: Westminster North 15 May: Wirral West and Ellesmere Port 16 May: Bradford 20 May: Swansea, Gower and Hackney 26 May: Cambridge 27 May: Newcastle Under-Lyme, Edgbaston and Wolverhampton North East May Day Rally in Reading, 1 May 29 May: Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire 2 Jun: Canterbury 3 Jun: Middlesbrough and Bishop Auckland

Visiting Yorkshire MPs Tracy Brabin and Paula Sherriff, 29 Apr

Meeting a local Labour supporter in Bradford,

16 May Campaign Diary

Week 1 Once the snap election was called it was clear that the Labour Party had to present itself as a party ready for government. One of my first actions was to head to Gibraltar and reassure the government that no transfer of sovereignty would be taking place under a Labour Government. Once back in the UK I spoke at the Fabian Society conference in Sheffield, and at a town hall meeting in Dewesbury.

Week 2 In Gibraltar to discuss Brexit, 27 Apr Things kicked off with a May Day parade through Reading town centre. Later that day I visited Southampton Test to canvass for Alan Whitehead MP, and speak to the local Hazara community from Afghanistan. The next day I was back in the constituency campaigning in Clerkenwell, and spent the next two days sup- porting Labour candidates in Stevenage and Brentford & Isleworth. On the 6th of May I attended ’s campaign launch, and held my own later that day. Week 3 Canvassing in Southampton Test, 1 May I started this week up North, campaigning in Lancaster & Fleetwood. I stayed in Manchester for the national Labour campaign launch the next day, and then canvassed in Heywood & Middleton later on. I spent the rest of the week canvassing in the constituency, and in Westminster North for Karen Buck. This week I also worked on the Foreign Affairs section of the Labour Manifesto, and attended the Clause V meeting in which the Labour Party decided on the manifesto to fight the election on. Campaigning for Karen Buck with MPs Chuka Umunna and David Lammy, 13 May Week 4 I went back up to Yorkshire for the Manifesto Launch in Bradford. While there I campaigned in Wirral West and Ellesmere Port and Neston. After coming back and spending a couple days in Isling- ton I was off to South Wales, visiting the candi- dates for Swansea East, Swansea West and Gow- er. The next day I participated in a local hustings at St Mary’s Church. Working hard in Wirral West, 15 May Campaign Diary

Week 5 At the beginning of this week, on Monday 22nd of May, there was a horrific terror attack in Manchester Arena. National campaigning was suspended during the week as a mark of respect. At the weekend, I went to Cambridge to canvass for Daniel Zeichner, and then across the Midlands in Newcastle Under-Lyme, Wolverhampton North East and Edgbaston. Week 6 Heading into the end of the campaign, I took part in a national foreign policy debate at the In Gower with our new MP, 20 May Royal United Services Institute. I then went to Derbyshire, to campaign in the constituencies North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield. I went to Canterbury to speak at a rally and support our Candidate Rosie Duffield, who became the first ever Labour MP for the constituency. The next day I went back up north to support our candidates in Bishop Auckland and Middlesbrough South East. Week 7 In the final week of the election campaign London was once again hit by a horrific terror attack. I spent this week in London doing interviews and canvassing around Islington. On Giving a speech in Canterbury High street, 2 the night before the election I spoke at a rally Jun with to rouse members and supporters, and thank them for their hard work throughout the campaign. I spent election day knocking doors up and down Islington South, making sure as many people as possible got out to vote Labour.

Canvassing in Middlesbrough South and Cleveland, 3 Jun

Election day campaigning in Holloway, 8 Jun Constituency campaigning and media appearances Media appearances have included… While I spent much of the campaign supporting 30 Apr: Westminster Hour Labour candidates across the country, I made 4 May: LBC Iain Dale sure to campaign across Islington South too. I 5 May: BBC Local Elections Programme participated in two local hustings, one organised 5 May: Sky News by the Islington Gazette on the 21st of May, and 5 May: BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Show one organised by Fair Funding for All Schools on 5 May: BBC Radio 4 Any Questions the 22nd of May. 7 May: Peston on Sunday On the 28th of May we had a fantastic Women’s 11 May: BBC Question Time Canvass session where plenty of first time and 14 May: Marr Show veteran campaigners came out to support Labour. 16 May: Channel 4 News It’s always great to see young women get involved 19 May: LBC Call-in show in politics, and I’m sure all of them will be back on 29 May: Victoria Derbyshire, BBC the campaign trail next time. 31 May: Sky News Door knocking is great a staple of any election 31 May: BBC News campaign, and I certainly did my share of it this 31 May: BBC Newsnight time. But I had just as much fun speaking to 31 May: BBC News 24 parents and their children outside of schools in 1 Jun: TalkRadio / The Sun Election Debate the area, and handing out balloons and stickers to 4 Jun: Sophy Ridge enthusiastic young supporters. 4 Jun: Marr Show 4 Jun: Peston on Sunday 5 Jun: BBC Breakfast 5 Jun: BBC 5 Live 5 Jun: LBC 5 Jun: Sky Sunrise 5 Jun: BBC Radio London 5 Jun: ITV News 6 Jun: BBC Women’s Hour Debate 6 Jun: Evening Standard Hustings

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