Weekly Round-Up
Amongst what has been another incredibly difficult week, we had some wonderful news with the release of British nationals Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori from prison in Iran.
I want to pay particular tribute to my colleagues Tulip Siddiq and Janet Daby, who have campaigned tirelessly on behalf of their constituents.
I was incredibly moved to see the scenes of Nazanin and Anoosheh returning home to the UK and being reunited with their families, after years of the suffering they have had to endure.
The strength and stoicism that those families have shown should be an inspiration to all of us, and I like many of you will be, are delighted to see them back together again.
Their journey is a reminder of the strength of the human spirit, and I wish them all the very best.
Women in labour unable to access the help they need
A recent Care Quality Commission survey has shown that 23% of women were either "sometimes" able to get prompt care - or not at all - while in labour last year.
Some women did not get the postnatal care they wanted, with 34% of respondents wishing they could speak to or see a midwife more than they did, compared to 25% in 2019.
The watchdog also found 55% of women who needed it said that in the six weeks after the birth of their baby, they ‘definitely’ received help and advice from a midwife or health visitor about feeding their baby, down from 62% in 2019.
These statistics are deeply troubling, and as the Shadow Health team’s lead on Women’s Health, I will do everything I can to ensure the government give women the security and respect the deserve in childbirth.
You can read my response in the Daily Mirror here: 1 in 4 of women 'unable to get help they needed from NHS staff during labour' - Mirror Online.
Animal Welfare Bill
Thank you to the many constituents who have contacted me regarding the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill.
I have long supported calls to enshrine the principle of animal sentience in UK law to prevent practices that expose both wild and domestic animals to cruel and degrading treatment.
There is a wealth of scientific evidence proving animals can feel and experience pain and we must adopt that recognition in UK law to move forward on animal welfare.
This is something that has been a priority of Labour and its devolved government in Wales, so it is encouraging to see the UK Government introduce this bill.
I welcome this Bill and believe the formal and legal recognition of animal sentience sends a clear message that we are committed as a country to protecting the welfare of animals.
You can read my response to the bill in full here: https://bit.ly/AnimalWelfareBillResponse
Letter to Nadine Dorries in support of Enfield Town FC
This week I wrote to Nadine Dorries, calling on her to implement the recommendations of the fan-led review on football governance in full.
Clubs like Enfield Town FC urgently need a fairer funding model to enable them to continue their fantastic community work.
If delivered, these recommendations will help put Enfield Town FC on a sustainable path for development, and I’ll continue to do all I can to support them.
You can read my letter here: https://bit.ly/ETFCLetter