My annual Big Conversation’s now well underway. Over the weekend, with the help of great teams of volunteers, I was out listening to constituents on doorsteps in Upperthorpe and Kelham Island and on Thursday evening I’ve my first open public meeting – in Walkley. There are lots more events over the next few weeks – sign up to a meeting near you or online here. 

The Retained EU Law Bill will take a lot of my time in Parliament over the next few weeks as I’m serving on the Public Bill Committee to give it line-by-line scrutiny, drawing on my experience as a Shadow Brexit Minister. I’ll be pressing for a common sense approach which maintains the protections for workers, consumers and the environment –  see some of my recent contributions on the issue here. 

I’m backing Wendy Chamberlain’s Private Members’ Bill on introducing unpaid carers’ leave, which passed its Second Reading last week, by serving on the Bill Committee which meets on Wednesday. The Bill would introduce the right for employees with caring responsibilities to take up to one week of unpaid carers’ leave each year. You can read more about it here and see more about what I have done on supporting carers here. 

Later in the week I’ve a meeting of the UK Trade and Business Commission focussing particularly on the fashion and textile industry as well as proposals for a trade agreement between the UK and India. I’ve also meetings with constituents on various issues and, on Sunday, I’ll be attending the Remembrance Sunday service in Barkers Pool.