This week (12-18th February) is Heart Unions week in which we highlight and celebrate the important work that trade unions do every day to offer people a voice at work. I’m showing love to our public sector workers who are working with their unions to end the pay cap in the public sector.... Read more

On Saturday I popped down to "The Place" in Fallowfield for Hate Crime Awareness Week. It was useful to speak to local residents about what hate crime is and how to report it. A big thank you to all involved! Read more

On February 9 I met the students and staff of St Agnes Primary School. It was a very inspiring visit. I’m so proud of the work they’re doing with Unicef on the rights of refugees. I was also able to give them the letter I received from the Immigration Minister in response to their video on... Read more

On February 10 we launched our campaign for the Manchester Council elections on 3 May and received lots of positive responses on the doorstep  Read more

I Joined Louise Haigh on the front bench for Labour's response to Police Grants debate on February 7 to press the government on its plans to push through another £100 million real terms cut to our police. With 21,000 fewer officers, 17,000 fewer police staff, and 6,000 fewer PCSOs than in... Read more

On the centenary of women's suffrage it is important to remember us of the hard won nature of the struggle to extend the franchise and the value of participatory democracy to all groups in society. We still have some way to go before our parliament is fully representative of the... Read more

On Kashmir Day (February 5) I spoke at an event to celebrate Kashmir as well as highlight the ongoing struggle for self-determination. It was great to see so many people turn out to express solidarity with Kashmir including Moston councillor and Labour National Executive Committee member Yasmine Dar. Read more

On February 2 I visited the Google Digital Garage on King Street. The "Garage" provides free digital coaching for everyone in Manchester as well as essential career building mini-courses such as "How to build a CV" and "How to write a Cover Letter" Read more

I had a very productive meeting with the Chief Crown Prosecutor, Martin Goldman, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, Ian Rushton and Head of Complex casework, Howard Gough at the Crown Prosecution Service on Jan 26. We covered a wide range of topics from terrorism prevention to joint enterprise and community engagement. Read more

It was great to see the Town Hall lit up in purple last Friday in support of the WASPI - Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign. I stood alongside The Lord Mayor, fellow Labour MP’s, local councillors and trade union colleagues from across Greater Manchester in solidarity with #WASPI women... Read more

 This government's record on house building is pitiful. Helen Hayes MP for Dulwich and West Norwood and I pressed the Minister on why he will not adopt Labour's plan that would allow Councils to build 80,000 council homes. Read more

On January 19 I joined the North West Labour Party in welcoming BAME members from across the region to take part in a Democracy consultation, one of a series of events the Party is hosting across the country, to look at how to better engage our members so as to... Read more

After last month's hike in rail fares I made the point that these year on year hikes have not led to an increase in quality of service especially not in Manchester. I cited the example of Levenshulme rail station which experienced flooding and blackouts over the Christmas period and still... Read more

I spoke on a debate on the crisis of Mental Health in our prisons on January 8. Discrimination and stereotyping experienced in prisons can exacerbate mental health problems. Action must be informed by particular risks to the Black and Minority Ethnic prison population. I raised recommendations from reports published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons... Read more

Homelessness in the UK has reached a crisis point and it is a tragedy that so many will spend Christmas without permanent shelter. Last week I joined Smile Aid in handing out food & warm clothing to the homeless in Manchester. In addition to hand-outs Smile Aid focuses on building a humanitarian coalition... Read more

In December I joined Great Places Housing Group at their largest ever development. The Melland Road site will offer over 130 homes for affordable rent, sale and shared ownership. While our country faces a housing crisis and many of my constituents are on housing waiting lists, it was great to visit... Read more

In the last week before Christmas I joined the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims for the launch of the "A Very Muslims Merry Christmas" Report. The report highlights the much neglected role of Muslim Charities during the Christmas period. The purpose of the report is to refocus attention on aspects... Read more

Rail services in Manchester and across the North are poor and have been neglected of investment by this Tory government. Many of my constituents have written to me about delays, increasing prices, and generally poor service, particularly at Levenshulme station. Appallingly, this station also has no disabled access.  I raised... Read more

My Private Members Bill on Parliamentary constituency boundaries had its Second Reading this month and I am delighted to say that it passed unanimously. Constituency boundaries may seem like a technical issue, but they are essential to the public’s ability to hold Members of Parliament to account. They should reflect communities and stay... Read more

I had a great time attending Christmas lights switch on events across the constituency and celebrating this festive time of year with local councillors and constituents.   Along with the Lord Mayor of Manchester, I watched the lighting up of Levenshulme, Fallowfield and Gorton and attended the Birch Community Centre Christmas... Read more

As part of Labour's national response to Philip Hammond's Autumn Budget statement, Labour MP's, activists and members took to the streets for a national campaign day centred around our vision of an economy that works for everyone. In Gorton, we held a street stall to hand out leaflets and talk... Read more

I welcomed the Shadow Home Secretary, Diane Abbot MP, to Manchester this month. We had a very productive meeting with Chief Constable Ian Hopkins about the state of policing in Greater Manchester. He stressed that Tory cuts to our forces have gone on too long and they are in desperate... Read more

In the House of Commons this month I highlighted human rights abuses going on in Syria. The government recognised that horrific crimes have been committed during the siege of Eastern Ghouta. This tragedy must be brought to an end and the perpetrators held accountable. You can watch my intervention here. Read more

This month I met with students from Greater Manchester who attend the University of Salford. As part of the Three Faiths Forum 'ParliaMentors' scheme, they will be shadowing me over the next year and finding out what the work of an MP entails. The students first visited me in Manchester where they... Read more

This month I took part in UK Parliament Week, which gives people a chance to engage and explore Parliament with the hopes of empowering them to become more involved in government decision making. As well as taking part in events in Westminster, I visited the Disciples of Hope Life Ministry... Read more

This month's 'Meet Your MP' coffee morning was held in Whalley Range. I talked to residents about what I'd been up to in Parliament since being elected and my role as Shadow Immigration Minister. There was a great turnout and some really interesting questions from constituents on issues such as Brexit,... Read more

Manchester has a proud history of leading science and innovation. The birthplace of the world's first commercial computer, Manchester is now the UK’s second largest creative, digital and tech hub and is home to 6000 of these companies. During Brexit questions I asked the minister what she is doing to... Read more

Greater Manchester Citizens, UNISON and Care Workers for Change organised a community vigil outside Bupa Gorton Parks Care home this month. I joined UNISON members, councillors, faith groups and local community members to stand in solidarity with care workers and to call on Bupa to pay a real living wage.  Social care is... Read more

Labour North West Regional Conference was a great success and a chance to come together as a region to discuss how we move forward as a Party. I caught up with members, councillors, trade unions and MPs from across the North West abd took part in panel discussions, workshops and... Read more

I joined members of Unite the union and The Communication Workers Union on the picket line outside Rusholme First Manchester Bus Depot this month where drivers are on strike over unfair pay. Unite said - "The Rusholme drivers do exactly the same job with the same commitment to passenger safety as their colleagues across Greater Manchester... Read more

On November 3rd, Jim McMahon's Votes at 16 Private Members Bill will be debated and voted on in Parliament. I'm proud that the Labour Party is supporting the campaign because we believe our young people deserve a say in their future. You can add your support to the campaign by signing... Read more

It was an honour to attend the Pride of Gorton awards this month and see so many local residents and community groups recognised for the huge difference they make to our local area.It was a wonderful evening attended by local councillors, residents, members of Greater Manchester Police, the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Manchester, with... Read more

It was great to meet members of Refugee Action to learn more about their #LetRefugeesLearn campaign. I spoke to Anteneh and Ana from Manchester about the positive impact English lessons have had on their lives.  Learning English is a gateway to work, study and getting to know your neighbours. It is also instrumental to... Read more

During Prime Minister's Question Time this month, I challenged the government on the issue of social care as I know this is important to so many of my constituents and a vital resource which is currently being stripped away under this Government. Since 2010, Manchester City Council has had its annual social... Read more

I had a great time at North West Young Labour Conference where I caught up with my former colleagues from the European Parliament, Theresa Griffin and Julie Ward, and met young Labour members from across the North West.The conference was a brilliant opportunity for young members from across the region... Read more

This month's 'Meet Your MP' coffee morning was held in Rusholme at Birch Community Centre. I talked to residents about the process of setting up my office, what I'd been up to in Parliament since being elected, and my role as Shadow Immigration Minister. There was a great turnout and... Read more

  This month Parliament voted to pause and fix Universal Credit by 299 to 0. A vote that has been completely ignored by the government. Universal Credit will be rolled out to 400,000 people over the winter, and nearly 7 million over this parliament, despite the pilots showing that huge... Read more

  A study published this month has revealed that the UK has one of the worst records of pollution death of any country in Europe. As many as 50,000 deaths last year in the UK can be attributed to toxic air and man-made chemicals. In Manchester, the air we are... Read more

Yesterday I attended a Westminster Hall debate on the future of supported housing. I have seen first hand the positive impact supported housing projects can have on the lives of my constituents and it is vital the that the government continue to provide funding for these invaluable organisations. Read more

  Along with local police officers, councillors and local residents, I unveiled a plaque dedicated to the memory of all those who were killed or injured in the Manchester Arena attack. The plaque was donated by the wonderful Gorton community who I am proud to represent. Read the MEN article on... Read more

There was an amazing turn out for the The People's Assembly Against Austerity march in Manchester during Tory Party Conference. I joined Manchester Gorton Members, Manchester Councillors and other local MPs on the march. Over 30,000 people from across the UK came together in Manchester to send a loud and clear message... Read more

This month it was my privilege to attend my first Labour Party Conference as an MP. Although, of course, being in Brighton could never compare to Manchester, the mood of unity and elation was inspiring. I started conference by watching our shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott’s speech, in my role... Read more

I have written to the Prime Minister expressing my outrage at the violence against the Rohingya people in Myanmar, asking her to forcefully condemn serious human rights violations, and seeking a full review of the UK military's aid to Myanmar. You can read my letter here. I also raised the issue in... Read more

I held my first 'Meet Your MP' coffee morning in Gorton. Constituents raised lots of concerns about Tory cuts to public services and police. I will continue to work hard to fight these cuts and get a fair deal for everyone in our constituency. I hope these monthly “Meet you... Read more

I had a great time celebrating the 85th Birthday of The Place on Platt Lane, Fallowfield. As part of their celebrations I stopped by with Neil MacInnes, head of Libraries for Manchester City Council, to thank all the staff and volunteers who work so hard to make this place such... Read more

It was great to see the sun shining for another successful Caribbean Carnival in Alexandra Park. Manchester carnival has brought Caribbean culture to the forefront annually for over 40 years and is the North West’s largest celebration of Caribbean music and carnival arts. The carnival is a vibrant celebration of caribbean music,... Read more

I visited Citizens Advice Manchester to learn more about their great services and to discuss how we can work together to support Manchester Gorton residents.  Read more

Since the tragic events of Grenfell Tower I have been working closely with Manchester City Council and local housing associations to ensure that the safety of all tower block residents is put first. The City Council will ensure that all unsafe material found in tower blocks will be removed and... Read more

I was contacted by concerned constituents about the closure of Longsight Job Centre. I’ve been informed by Greater Manchester Jobcentre that although the services offered at the Longsight location will now be relocated to the Rusholme Job Centre, this may result in an increased pressure on services. I have written... Read more

I met with Chief Constable Ian Hopkins to discuss a range of local and national issues. As well as offering my praise to Ian and his officers for the way they responded to the tragic arena attack in May, we talked about how to improve public safety and community cohesion... Read more

The Save Our Schools campaign took their message to Downing Street this month to highlight the funding crisis our schools are facing. Myself and fellow MP’s Mike Kane, Jeff Smith and Caroline Lucas joined children from across the UK as they delivered their SOS message in a bottle to the... Read more

In July I spoke at Manchester Mega Mela at Platt Fields Park. Manchester Mela is the largest celebration of South Asian culture in the North of England, attracting an audience of over 77,000 people. It was great to see that this year’s event was attended by people from every background... Read more

I had a very productive meeting with the chair of Transport for Greater Manchester, Andrew Fender, to discuss how we can improve transport links across the Manchester Gorton constituency. As many of you will know transport links across the constituency are a real problem. Too many of our bus routes... Read more

I was immensely proud to make my maiden speech as the MP for Manchester Gorton. In my speech, I paid tribute to my predecessor, Sir Gerald Kaufman, promised to stand up for the issues that matter most to my constituents and to always put the interests of Manchester Gorton first during... Read more

I was delighted to have been appointed as a Shadow Immigration Minister by Jeremy Corbyn. It’s an honour to have been asked to serve in this important role and I look forward to making use of my experience working on community cohesion and as an MEP. As we negotiate our... Read more

  This morning I had the huge privilege of saying the oath of allegiance and being officially sworn in as MP for Manchester Gorton. It's a huge honour to represent the people of Manchester Gorton and my home city in Parliament. The hard work is only beginning, but I will... Read more

  It was a huge honour and privilege to have been elected as Labour MP for Manchester Gorton. During my election campaign I promised to always put Manchester Gorton first and now I have been elected that is exactly what I will be doing in Parliament.   My staff and I... Read more