Monday 20th May - I have today written to Business Secretary Vince Cable urging him to retain Sheffield as a protected word. The Cutlers Company currently grants permission to use the word "Sheffield" in company names but the Department for Business is consulting on whether Sheffield's name should be taken off the protected word list as part of their 'Red Tape Challenge'. You can read my letter to Vince Cable here.

Granting the use of Sheffield for company names is an important quality control process that protects Sheffield's reputation for high quality products and services.  It is misguided to see it as 'red tape' and I'm concerned that scrapping this protection could lead to companies with no links to Sheffield using our city's name. The Business Secretary needs to listen to the views of Sheffield business and ensure that our city's name and reputation for high quality is protected.

If Ministers want to help businesses in Sheffield they should be investing to create new jobs and growth, instead of looking to undermine their reputation.

You can find details of the consultation here, and the Star had an excellent article on this issue last week.

Monday 20th May - After a week banging on about Europe, the Tories will be banging on about gay marriage this week. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, which was agreed by the House of Commons at Second Reading in February, is back for its Report Stage, which gives Tory opponents of the Bill the chance to derail it as we debate amendments today and tomorrow. I'll be supporting the Bill for the reasons I set out in my message to the International Day of Action Against Homophobia rally in Sheffield last Friday and on my website at the time of the Second Reading in February.

As with Europe, the issue of gay rights has been lost in the bitter in-fighting that is tearing the Tories apart. And along with inflammatory talk on immigration, too many of their MPs think these issues will shore up their vote as we head towards the next General Election. They seem intent on re-building their image as what Theresa May described as "the nasty party", and with their extraordinary hostility to their most successful leader in a generation, it's no wonder that one of David Cameron's allies has apparently described their activists as "mad swivel-eyed loons". The bad news for Cameron is that it's not just the activists; he's increasingly surrounded in his Parliamentary Party and even in the Cabinet by those who would bring him down.

This week I'll be deciding the subject for my Private Members Bill. I came second in last week's ballot for the chance to put legislation before Parliament, which was a huge surprise as I never win raffles!  It's an opportunity that rarely comes along and I've been pleased to hear views from constituents; there's so much I'd like to do, but I'll be consulting over the next few days and will narrow my choice to one topic before the end of the week. I've also been drawn for Justice Questions on Tuesday; I'm quite a way down the list, but if called will be pressing on Government plans for the Probation Service on which I recently spoke in a Parliamentary debate.

Also this week, the Business Innovation and Skills Committee starts our inquiry into the UK Retail Sector. I've a meeting of Labour For Democracy, a group promoting a more pluralist approach to politics, of which I'm Chair. I'll be meeting Irwin Mitchell Solicitors to discuss concerns over the Government proposals for compensation of mesothelioma victims, attending the All-Party Group on Kashmir, of which I'm a member, meeting representatives of the University and College Union, catching up with the Westminster correspondent of the Yorkshire Post and I'm also hoping to get along to a TUC event with the economist Robert Reich.

Tuesday 30th April - One of my highlights of the year so far was being able to attend the official opening of the new U-Mix centre at Lowfields earlier this month. The new community building is the new base for the internationally-recognised Football Unites Racism Divides organisation (FURD), who have campaigned against racism in football since 1995. I've worked with FURD for many years and seen the powerful work they do, using football to bring young people together to challenge racism. They are not just a great local project, but have won international recognition.

I'm delighted FURD now has a permanent home at the U-Mix centre and the way they've approached the project exemplifies what they're all about. They brought together and supported a great group of young people from across the local community to design a centre that would really meet local needs. I was proud to speak out for them in Parliament when the funding was threatened in 2010 and at the launch I paid tribute to the persistence and commitment of the staff, volunteers and young people who've made the U-Mix Centre a reality.

I was especially pleased that FURD received funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner to support their work, and it was great to see Shaun Wright at the opening, along with my predecessor Richard Caborn and Meg Munn MP.

The £2.6m project was partly-funded by the Football Foundation after FURD worked in partnership with the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA to secure a £350,000 grant from the Foundation. The fantastic facilities in the new community building include: a library, an office, three meeting rooms, a training room, an activities room, a kitchen, as well as a dance studio, gymnasium, a home for the Arthur Wharton Archive, a performing arts room, two dual gender team changing rooms, two match officials changing rooms and a new artificial grass pitch. The new pitch will be used for mini-soccer, small-sided football and football training for local junior and adult clubs such as Sharrow United FC, Heeley JFC, Soccer Pumas FC and the Africa Dream Team, as well as being used for taster sessions and training for prospective coaches.

You can find out more about FURD's work to combat racism and increase understanding between different communities at http://www.furd.org/ 

This week I launched a major new report at Westminster, making the case for the important contribution of international students to the Sheffield economy - £120 million a year, creating thousands of local jobs. It's part of my ongoing campaign for a change in the Government rules that are undermining International recruitment 

We know the important contribution that international students make to the diversity of our cities and to the research and innovation of our universities. This report provides the most rigorous analysis of the economic benefits to date, and shows just how much is at stake. In university towns and cities across the UK, tens of thousands of jobs depend on international students. And the benefits could be even greater if we win our share of the growing international market for higher education.

We need to send a clear message that international students are welcome in the UK. But that needs more than words. If we are to be seen as serious, we need a change in policy. Students should be taken out of the net migration targets; the post-study work visa rules need revisiting, and a new, more collaborative relationship needs to be developed between UKBA and the Higher Education sector.

The report has received some excellent coverage in the local and national media.  

Protect Sheffield's name and reputation for high quality - my letter to Business Secretary Vince Cable

Monday 20th May - I have today written to Business Secretary Vince Cable urging him to retain...

Equal Marriage, Tory self-destruction and my Private Members Bill - some of my week ahead

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International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia - my message of support

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