Before being elected in 2019 as MP for Jarrow I was a community activist and councillor, campaigning against the government's cuts in public services, the negative impacts of Universal Credit and for new, well-paid jobs in the area.

Full statement

I worked for Royal Mail for 25 years, where I was a senior national trade union rep - winning better pay, terms and conditions for thousands of workers - and have lived in the North East since 1989. I am extremely proud to now represent our Jarrow constituency in Westminster - a constituency with such historic importance for working people.

As a strong trade unionist, believing firmly in trade union and socialist values, workers' rights have always been hugely important to me. So I am extremely proud to be in a position now, as the MP for the Jarrow constituency, to be able to hold the government to account and demand ministers provide more support to working people.

I'm doing all I can to help people in the Jarrow constituency deal with the impact the Tory government is having on their daily lives. In parliament I've been asking questions and challenging ministers on their policies, from the NHS, cost-of-living crisis and the Post Office Horizon scandal, to housing, trade union rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and much more. I sit on the Women and Equalities Committee and have been pushing this government to deliver for women and minority groups to start tackling violence against women, the gender health gap, menopause at work, gender pay gap and many other campaigns supporting the other equality strands.

I keep constituents regularly updated about my work via my social media channels and monthly newsletters, along with holding regular surgeries and roadshows across my constituency.