On 18 December 2025, before the pre-Christmas adjournment debate, I presented a public petition on the Leather Museum: 
"I am presenting this petition on behalf of the residents in Walsall and the UK. This is a petition about the Walsall Leather Museum which was built in a nineteenth century leather factory. It is the heart of the town's heritage and the pride of the community. 
The petition states that Walsall Council plans to relocate the museum and lease the site to Walsall College for a peppercorn rent. This plan has been brought forward without consultation with local people. Alternative sites, including within Walsall College’s estate, are more appropriate for SEND provision than the Museum site and should be considered as alternatives in order to preserve the culture and heritage of the current Museum site.

These plans amount to removing a cherished community asset against the wishes of the community. 
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to acknowledge the contentiousness of the proposed transaction, and to encourage Walsall College and Walsall Council  to halt the plans to relocate Walsall Leather Museum, to look instead at alternative sites for Walsall College’s SEND provision, to hold a full public consultation on the proposal, to publish detailed information about the plans including alternative options, to ensure that the Museum remains open, and to make a commitment to transparency and accountability.
May I wish everyone, including you, Madam Deputy Speaker, a very happy Christmas and new year?"

The House of Commons met on on Wednesday 17 December 2025 to debate the Bill at second reading. 

The National Insurance Contributions Bill make provision to amend section 4 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, and section 4 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, so that amounts of salary sacrificed for employer pensions contributions pursuant to optional remuneration arrangements are liable to national insurance contributions.

The focus was on amending the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 to create a power to apply national insurance contributions to salary sacrifice pension contributions above £2,000 a year from April 2029. 

The Bill was read a Second Time: 312 Ayes 165 Noes

I voted Aye. The Bill will now proceed to a Committee of the Whole House. 

 

The annual Civic Carol Service was held at St Matthews Church on Sunday 14 December 2025 with Thanksgiving and Dedication.  The service was led by Reverend Preb Jim Trood and The  Reverend David Candlin from Bloxwich gave the Sermon. 

Later the event known as Bun and Shilling were presented by the Mayor Cllr Louise Harrison. The ceremony is believed to have started in 1553 when Christ's Hospital School London, was founded as a school for the fatherless and poor men's children. Each year pupils would receive a newly minted silver coin and then entertained to tea by the Mayor. 

The Buns and Shillings ceremony is symbolic : the bun of the help given to the family and the shilling of the help given to the children with their education.  Children from Blue Coat School took part with the Choir and were nominated for the Buns and Shillings Ceremony.  

On 10 December 2025 I attended the Lush Drop-In event in the Churchill Room and signed the Lush Pledge. Lush work with many organisations whose responses to the replacing animals in science strategy are listed below. Lush and other organisations have asked the Government to also look at the following:

Enshrine commitments in the strategy in law
Include NGOs in stakeholder engagement going forward
Change the focus of funding
Phase out some tests earlier
Address phase outs in medical and basic research
Address specifics on training and education 
Provide more detail in some areas 
Make a long term commitment to providing resources
Focus on transparency and reporting 

 

I attended  the Fairtrade APPG 'Festive Fairtrade Reception' event in the Jubilee Room on Wednesday 10 December 2025. The event, an evening of celebration and connection, brought together supportive Members of Parliament and leading Fairtrade advocates to reflect on this year's achievements and explore how government can champion responsible business practises, uphold human rights, and strengthen environmental standards across global supply chains. The Festive Fairtrade Reception was a chance to celebrate progress and shape the future of ethical trade.

The Fairtrade Foundation are calling for a law to enshrine Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD)

To ensure fair pay and conditions for farmers and agricultural workers;
To level the business playing field;
To provide legal consistency;
The UK public wants it;
a means to desirable ends- to work towards a net zero economy and thinking long term about food security

For more information go to the Fairtrade Foundation: www.fairtrade.net/uk-en