Paul Blomfield Former MP for Sheffield Central
My week will be dominated by the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill Committee, on which I’m part of Labour’s team opposing the Bill, and by my Big Conversation for which I’ve four events over the next few days.
This Bill applies a ‘sunset’ expiry clause of the end of 2023 to all EU law which transferred into domestic law when we left the EU. It was designed to protect businesses, jobs and communities from legal chaos and losing rights derived from laws we helped create as a member of the EU – from maternity leave protections to environmental standards. I’ll be arguing, as I did in the Second Reading debate, that a year is nowhere near long enough to examine, assess and redraft the thousands of laws affected – and that trying to do so is the wrong priority for Government.
I’ll be in sessions of the Bill Committee throughout Tuesday and Thursday, and taking part in a UK Trade and Business Commission evidence session on the Bill, getting insights from legal experts, the TUC, the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Chambers of Commerce.
After a weekend talking to constituents in Park Hill and Highfield, I’ve four Big Conversation events – in Walkley, City, Manor Castle and Nether Edge and Sharrow. I’ll also catching up with the Chair and CEO of the Children’s Hospital, as well as meeting the CEO of Sheffield Museums to talk about the recent Arts Council announcement on funding for the sector. On Friday I’m going to Hunters Bar to discuss plans for a low traffic neighbourhood with residents.
Also this week I’ll be at the APPG on Choice at the End of Life, as part of my work campaigning for assisted dying, learning more about developments on the issue across different parts of the UK, attending the address to MPs and Peers by the President of South Africa, who I met thirty years ago as part of my work with the Anti-Apartheid Movement, and supporting a Labour Party drop-in about tackling Islamophobia.
As usual, I’ll be out knocking on doors over the weekend!