It’s the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow with the King’s Speech setting out the Government’s programme for the last session before the General Election. Unfortunately, I’ll not be there as I’m recovering from eye surgery, but I’ll be watching from home. I’m not expecting anything to deal with the big problems caused by thirteen years of Conservative government, but I’m concerned about the reported backsliding on leasehold reform which means that flat owners, of which we’ve thousands locally, will no longer get the protection they deserve.

I’ve an online meeting of the Health and Social Care Committee to prepare for our inquiry on pharmacy services. I’ll also be catching up with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and Sheffield Citizens Advice in online meetings involving the city’s other MPs too. Later in the week I’ll be visiting asylum seekers’ accommodation and on Sunday I’ll be joining other community leaders at the annual Service of Remembrance, at the City War Memorial in Barkers Pool.

Working from home during the week I’ll be continuing to respond to all the constituents who’ve been in touch to share their concerns over the appalling humanitarian crisis in Gaza following the devastating terrorist attack by Hamas on communities in southern Israel. So far more than a thousand constituents have written, and I’ve replied to around 700 so far sharing my call for a ceasefire, urgent humanitarian aid, and the need to renew international efforts for a lasting peace based on secure sovereign states of Israel and Palestine.