My role as Shadow Minister for Brexit and EU Negotiations Brexit is going to dominate my week. As a crucial round of talks on our future relationship with the EU starts today, the Financial Times revealed last night that the Government plans to renege on its agreement with the EU on Northern Ireland and Boris Johnson issued an ultimatum for talks which have stalled because of his approach.

These are serious developments and I’ll be meeting with colleagues to discuss the situation as events unfold, including with our Shadow Cabinet Office and International Trade teams. I’ll also be talking with the CBI and the City of London Law Society, which represents international law firms, to hear their concerns.

Away from Brexit, I am meeting with Gambling with Lives and Sheffield’s Director of Public Health to discuss action to tackle gambling addiction; I’ve my final board meeting of the charity Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX), which I helped to set up, as my term as a trustee comes to an end; and I’ll be joining the online launch of the report produced by the Climate Assembly UK, on achieving net zero emissions.

Unusually I expect to be in Westminster on Friday, as the Commons is sitting and there may be business related to my brief. Whether I’m in London or Sheffield though, I’ve an afternoon of local meetings on Covid-19 with City Council Cabinet members, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust and the Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University.