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During Topical Questions to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, I asked the following question: “Will the Minister meet me to discuss the decisions of Walsall council, including the closure of the Walsall Leather Museum against the wishes of local people?” The Minister for Local Government, Alison McGovern MP, responded that she will.

The 10th Westminster Book Awards were celebrated on 4 February 2026 in the Cholmondeley and Terrace Pavilion in Parliament. As Chair of the APPG on Publishing, I opened the event and you can read my full speech below. I introduced Dan Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association and we heard  from Fleur Sinclair, President of the

On Wednesday 11 February 2026, I was pleased to support the Local Government Finance Settlement.  Local government provides the services people rely on every day – from social care and housing to road maintenance and tackling homelessness. This settlement will give councils the security they need to rebuild local services and strengthen our communities for

I attended a meeting on on 10 February 2026, the launch of a report, “Brave New World?” and on the panel was Independent Society of Musicians,(ISM), the Society of Authors, the Association of Illustrators, Equity and the Association of Photographers, a roundtable discussion to discuss the findings of the report, Brave New World? The panel