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I’m the new MP for Batley and Spen. I know Jo Cox’s shoes will be hard to fill As the new MP for Batley and Spen, I know Jo Cox’s shoes will be hard to fill
(35 minutes later)
Being elected as the member of parliament for my home constituency is an immense honour but bittersweet. That the byelection we have just been through had to take place at all is a tragedy. Jo Cox was the very best of the House of Commons. She was one of our own here in Batley and Spen, and the whole community is still reeling from the shock of the violent way in which she was so cruelly taken from us.Being elected as the member of parliament for my home constituency is an immense honour but bittersweet. That the byelection we have just been through had to take place at all is a tragedy. Jo Cox was the very best of the House of Commons. She was one of our own here in Batley and Spen, and the whole community is still reeling from the shock of the violent way in which she was so cruelly taken from us.
When I met Jo in 2015, I saw at first hand the impact a strong and determined MP can have on their area. Jo wasn’t just a great speaker, she was a doer too. She was proud to tell everyone she met that she had come into politics not just to talk about problems but to get things done.When I met Jo in 2015, I saw at first hand the impact a strong and determined MP can have on their area. Jo wasn’t just a great speaker, she was a doer too. She was proud to tell everyone she met that she had come into politics not just to talk about problems but to get things done.
No one else in the Commons has a background quite like mine, working as an actor for 30 yearsNo one else in the Commons has a background quite like mine, working as an actor for 30 years
She may have been a diminutive figure but hers are huge shoes to fill. It is, of course, impossible – no one can ever replace Jo. But her legacy must live on, and I want to play my part in that. Jo was a driver for regeneration locally, and that is something I want to ensure continues. On the world issues that she was passionate about – especially the humanitarian situation in Syria – I will be putting pressure on the government.She may have been a diminutive figure but hers are huge shoes to fill. It is, of course, impossible – no one can ever replace Jo. But her legacy must live on, and I want to play my part in that. Jo was a driver for regeneration locally, and that is something I want to ensure continues. On the world issues that she was passionate about – especially the humanitarian situation in Syria – I will be putting pressure on the government.
I am new to the world of parliamentary politics but no stranger to campaigning, and I intend to use my experience in the trade union movement and working on issues like gender equality to bring about positive change and to create new opportunities, especially for young people.I am new to the world of parliamentary politics but no stranger to campaigning, and I intend to use my experience in the trade union movement and working on issues like gender equality to bring about positive change and to create new opportunities, especially for young people.
No one else in the Commons has a background quite like mine, having worked as an actor for 30 years, and I want to use that as an opportunity. There is a vibrant film and TV programme-making sector in the north but at present, while there are opportunities in front of the camera for talented performers, too often the dozens of people who make things happen behind the camera are shipped in from London. I want to do something about this.No one else in the Commons has a background quite like mine, having worked as an actor for 30 years, and I want to use that as an opportunity. There is a vibrant film and TV programme-making sector in the north but at present, while there are opportunities in front of the camera for talented performers, too often the dozens of people who make things happen behind the camera are shipped in from London. I want to do something about this.
I will be standing up for the issues that matter most to my constituents. That is why my number one priority will be fighting the downgrade of Dewsbury hospital, and I am already working with neighbouring Labour MP Paula Sherriff on where to take that campaign next.I will be standing up for the issues that matter most to my constituents. That is why my number one priority will be fighting the downgrade of Dewsbury hospital, and I am already working with neighbouring Labour MP Paula Sherriff on where to take that campaign next.
Local services are taking a battering from Tory cuts. By 2019-20 the spending power of Kirklees council will have been slashed by the equivalent of £368 per household. This is leaving impossible choices to be made: children’s centres are under threat; museums are set to close; libraries are precarious.Local services are taking a battering from Tory cuts. By 2019-20 the spending power of Kirklees council will have been slashed by the equivalent of £368 per household. This is leaving impossible choices to be made: children’s centres are under threat; museums are set to close; libraries are precarious.
The people of Batley and Spen didn’t cause the global financial crisis, and it is not fair that they pay the price for it. I agree with Jeremy Corbyn that austerity is a political choice, not a necessity, and I intend to be a thorn in the side of Theresa May’s government fighting for a fair deal for the whole country.The people of Batley and Spen didn’t cause the global financial crisis, and it is not fair that they pay the price for it. I agree with Jeremy Corbyn that austerity is a political choice, not a necessity, and I intend to be a thorn in the side of Theresa May’s government fighting for a fair deal for the whole country.
I am so proud of the way Batley and Spen has stood together over the past few months, choosing unity and hope over the politics of division and hate that a handful of far-right candidates from out of town attempted to thrust upon them. Community cohesion is alive and well, and I want to use the goodwill and close-knit nature of our area to bring different groups even closer together. There is the will for that to happen, as we see from some of the brilliant work the More in Common organisation is doing.I am so proud of the way Batley and Spen has stood together over the past few months, choosing unity and hope over the politics of division and hate that a handful of far-right candidates from out of town attempted to thrust upon them. Community cohesion is alive and well, and I want to use the goodwill and close-knit nature of our area to bring different groups even closer together. There is the will for that to happen, as we see from some of the brilliant work the More in Common organisation is doing.
Just before I embarked on this political journey I played Paulina in The Winter’s Tale, one of Shakespeare’s finest roles for a woman. After I’d finished the run, a small shard of steely flint was left in my heart from playing her, and that’s how I felt after spending time with Jo. Her defence of those unable to defend themselves gave me the same desire to see justice done. I hope I do her proud, but I must also be my own woman and plough my own furrow.Just before I embarked on this political journey I played Paulina in The Winter’s Tale, one of Shakespeare’s finest roles for a woman. After I’d finished the run, a small shard of steely flint was left in my heart from playing her, and that’s how I felt after spending time with Jo. Her defence of those unable to defend themselves gave me the same desire to see justice done. I hope I do her proud, but I must also be my own woman and plough my own furrow.
Jo Cox will never be forgotten. In her memory it is my duty to work tirelessly for local people and always be a champion for the place I’m so proud to call home.Jo Cox will never be forgotten. In her memory it is my duty to work tirelessly for local people and always be a champion for the place I’m so proud to call home.