The fight for justice for those who suffer from the asbestos related condition pleural plaques has long been a top priority of mine in Parliament.  I know that this issue is of great importance to many in this area, as well as other former ship building and ship repair communities across the country.

I took part in the 10^th anniversary of the Pilgrimage Against Poverty which made its way from Newcastle to Jarrow on Sunday 18th October. 

One of the reasons I became an MP was to fight for the rights of working people. The Tories have never liked giving people better working conditions and that is why they have opposed almost every improvement in the workplace that Labour have introduced since 1997. Better workplace conditions for employees invariably means cuts into company profits and in turn to dividends in the city and ultimately top bankers bonuses. The key rights the Labour Government has delivered to enable a fair deal at work include the minimum wage, the right to paid holidays and statutory maternity and sick pay. All of these improvements were opposed by the Tories and shows the difference a Labour Government makes for hard-working people.