Paul Blomfield Former MP for Sheffield Central
Parliament’s back today after the bank holiday weekend and local elections which sent a clear message to Rishi Sunak. But instead of giving the country a general election and a fresh start, he’s stumbling on hoping that something will turn up – starting culture wars and setting traps for the next government, instead of tackling the real issues facing people.
I’ll be challenging the Chancellor on one of those issues at Treasury Questions this morning, pressing him on falling living standards. Later today I’ll be hearing from Keir Starmer at the post-election meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party and joining the National Museum Directors’ Council for a ‘Celebrating Museum’ event at which the CEO of Museums Sheffield, Kim Streets, is speaking.
As the war in Gaza reaches another critical point, with Israel defying the world with a ground offensive in Rafah while ceasefire talks continue, I’ll be hearing directly from the Palestinian Ambassador Dr Husam Zomlot this evening at a meeting organised by the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group.
Tomorrow my successor as Labour’s Parliamentary candidate, Abtisam Mohamed, is in Westminster as part of her preparations to hit the ground running if elected the new MP for Sheffield Central – and we’ll be spending much of the day together.
I’ll also be participating in a special Health Select Committee session on the draft guidance from NICE not to recommend the breast cancer drug Enhertu for treating secondary breast cancer in England, attending a UCU briefing on higher education finances, and joining an event on e-bikes at which I’ll be raising battery safety after last week’s Ecclesall Road fire.
Back in Sheffield from Thursday, I’ll be meeting with City Council leaders and visiting Porter Croft School as a follow up on their involvement in UK Parliament Week – as well as catching up on constituents’ casework.