Paul Blomfield A strong voice for Sheffield Central
I’m heading to Westminster this morning encouraged by the defeat of populist parties in yesterday’s elections in France and Slovenia. I’m expecting a statement from the Prime Minister on his visit to India and plan to be there to question him.
The rest of the day, and much of the week ahead, will be dominated by concluding business before the end of the current Parliamentary session (each Parliament is divided into annual sessions) ahead of the Queen’s Speech on 10th May in which the Government will set out plans for the next session. We’ll be considering proposals to carry forward Bills which haven’t been concluded and others on which the Government is in dispute with the House of Lords – including the Nationality and Borders Bill and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
Tomorrow starts with a meeting of the Somaliland APPG, at which we’ll be hearing from the Somaliland Ambassador on developments in the country – including reconstruction after the fire in Hargeisa, on which I joined a fundraising Iftar last Friday. There will be a debate on Ukraine in the afternoon which I’m planning to join.
I’ve also a meeting on research and innovation with the Universities All-Party Parliamentary Group and will be catching up with the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Coventry University. Later I’ll be attending a memorial event at South Africa House for former Labour MP and Peer Bob Hughes, with whom I worked in the Anti-Apartheid Movement for many years.
As well as Parliamentary business on Wednesday, I’ll be meeting constituents on Labour’s climate and biodiversity policy. On Thursday, I’ll be participating in a meeting of the UK Trade and Business Commission on free trade agreements and, if business doesn’t keep me in Westminster, I’ll be back in Sheffield on for an International Workers Day memorial event at which I am speaking.
On Friday I am catching up with Sheffield Children’s Hospital Trust and over the weekend I’ll be knocking on doors and meeting constituents – as well as attending a service of remembrance to mark the 40th anniversary of the loss of HMS Sheffield.