Well, it’s been another topsy-turvy week in Westminster as the zombie Tory Government continues to roll on with its leadership contest.
While they’ve been working out who’s the best of a bad bunch, I’ve been hard at work speaking up for those who often find themselves voiceless in our society.
At the start of the week, I attended an event on modern slavery and human trafficking, where I met with providers of care and support for victims of modern slavery, including the Salvation Army and Hestia. Many of you will know that this is an issue I’ve been campaigning hard on alongside cross-party colleagues since I was first elected. We really must do all we can to rid our communities from the scourge of modern slavery once and for all and these brilliant organisations are vital in helping us to do just that.
On Tuesday, I met with the children’s charity Barnado’s to discuss the draft Domestic Abuse Bill. As part of this meeting, we focussed on the role of family courts and how we, as politicians, can work with charities to support families who have experienced domestic violence. The long-lasting effects this can have on children cannot be understated and I’m really grateful to the hardworking people at Barnardo’s and other charities for the amazing work they do in this area.
On Wednesday, I co-chaired a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Addiction, which is run by the Centre for Social Justice. This was a really productive meeting where we were able to focus on how we can localise the funding and decision-making processes within the addiction treatment and support sector to improve the service provision. I will be continuing to work closely with colleagues from across the House on this issue in the weeks and months ahead.
Yesterday, I visited Ashfield Prison in Bristol as part of the Industry and Parliament Trust fellowship I am currently in the process of completing. This was a brilliant opportunity for me to better understand the current pressures on our prisons and what we, as a Parliament, need to do to put pressure on the government to improve things. I’ve visited many prisons across the country since I was first elected and I am truly passionate about achieving change in this area. The criminal justice system must work for victims of crime, but it must not deny the perpetrators of crime of their rights.
As ever, if you’ve got any questions or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please do get in touch by calling 01792 462054 or email carolyn.harris.mp@parliament.uk. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
