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Standing up for West PapuaI first met Benny Wenda, a human rights campaigner from West Papua, several years ago - and the period since, Benny has been granted asylum in the UK. He was subjected to torture and brutality at the hands of the Indonesian authorities and, in common with other West Papuans, denied freedom of speech, the right to a fair trial... |
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My November bulletin is now online
My November news bulletin contains all the latest information about my work in Parliament and the constituency. Please click here to read it online. ...
Promoting early detection of HIV
Earlier this week, I went along a breakfast to mark World Aids Day. One of the many issues being discussed was the fact that the cost of treating HIV is a massive two and a half times higher for someone diagnosed late than for someone diagnosed earlier on in the condition. Worringly, in...
Supporting Carers
This morning I met with staff and supporters from the Brighton and Hove Carers Centre to congratulate them on winning a Big Lottery Fund grant of £392,472. The money will fund a project to identify and support 'hidden' carers in deprived areas of Brighton and Hove....
Personal tales of the unexpected
Woodrow Wilson said: "I would never read a book if it were possible for me to talk half an hour with the man who wrote it". Inspired by the above quote, this week Brighton charity Rise hosted the Living Library series of events at the Jubilee Library. Volunteer...
Supporting women’s rights in Afghanistan
Today I went to an event organised by Amnesty International in support of women's rights in Afghanistan. This is something many constituents have contacted me about, including volunteers and customers at our local Books for Amnesty on Sydney Street. As a passionate campaigner for women's...
Reducing wood waste and creating opportunities
The Brighton & Hove Wood Recycling Project sets out to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill - and does so most effectively as I discovered during a visit this morning. The UK produces around 8 million tonnes of wood waste each year, more than 80 per cent of which is landfilled,...
Supporting solar – Parliamentary Questions
The Government's decision to slash support for solar has caused a public outcry and thrown the solar industry into disarray. I am especially concerned about the effect of the changes to the feed-in tariff regime on local solar projects in Brighton and Hove. So in the past few months,...
Our public sector workers need a fair pension deal
This afternoon I went to the launch of Fair Pensions for All, a new pamphlet published by the Public and Commercial Services Union. Trade unions are still digesting what the Government's announcement on pensions last week will mean for their members in practice. But it seems increasingly...
So much more than a seaside resort
I had an interesting debate on Friday morning with hoteliers, restaurant and bar owners, and other members of the Tourism Alliance in Brighton and Hove. The tourism sector here employs around 17,000 people and accounts for around £738 million worth of economic activity,...
So much more than a seaside resort
I had an interesting debate on Friday morning with hoteliers, restaurant and bar owners, and other members of the Tourism Alliance in Brighton and Hove. The tourism sector here employs around 17,000 people and accounts for around £738 million worth of economic activity,...
Putting pressure on the Prime Minister for a Robin Hood Tax
Just a quick update on my last post - was very happy to get a question in to David Cameron during PMQs this week on the campaign for a Robin Hood Tax. Having joined forces with the Robin Hood Tax campaigners outside Parliament in the morning, I then went inside Parliament and...
Supporting a Robin Hood Tax
This week, literally hundreds of you have written to me about supporting a Financial Transaction Tax, otherwise known as a Robin Hood Tax. Many opponents of such a tax argue that the cost will simply be passed on to consumers, but this can be avoided by focusing on a distinct area of bank operations...
Visit to inspiring rainwater harvesting project in Brighton
Seeing what's possible Pictured L-R: Caroline, John Cornick (Ecoteric Project Manager & Engineer), Martyn Coblenz (Housekeeping Committee) and the Church Minister, Reverend Linda Francis. The end of an extensive dry spell here in Brighton coincided with, appropriately,...
Joining local teachers in lobby against pension plans
Today I met with teachers and lecturers from Brighton Pavilion who were taking part in a mass lobby of Parliament. Teachers are being asked to significantly increase their pension contributions - some by as much as 50% - as a way to help finance Government spending cuts, and I am fighting hard...
