February Update
February Highlights
📥Cases opened for residents: 646
📤Cases closed for residents: 807
⏳Total number of cases we are currently working on: 325
My team and I continue to support as many individual casework requests from residents as we can. Please contact us and we will always try to help:
📧mark.sewards.mp@parliament.uk
Working with Leeds United on the Tram
I joined with Leeds civic leaders and Leeds United football club in February to celebrate the expansion of Elland Road stadium. It will bring enormous benefits to our part of Leeds, including new jobs and opportunities for business to thrive. It will also ensure that those of us who have been on the season ticket waiting list for years can finally buy a ticket.
Much more importantly though, the West Yorkshire tram, which has the potential to amplify and extend those benefits further still, needs to be completed ahead of the current schedule. Leeds United support an acceleration of the timeline and so do I. I’ve called for a debate in Parliament on this and I’m working with anyone who can help me achieve that goal.
Celebrating the Contribution of Morley Indians to our Community
I started the month by speaking up for our neighbours in the Morley Indian community. They work very hard to integrate and make an enormous contribution to Leeds South West & Morley. I have argued in Parliament that this contribution should be recognised whilst we make the ILR changes we need to bring immigration numbers down.
I was also very pleased to join the community at Maha Shivaratri, a Hindu festival celebrated annually to worship the deity Shiva. Thank you very much for allowing me to share in your celebration and speak with members of your community.
SEND Reforms Announced: I want feedback from my constituents
The Government's Schools White Paper which includes significant reforms for the SEND system has been published. There is now a 12 week consultation on the details and, as always, I'm keen to hear from my constituents. I will be holding a roundtable with residents in Leeds South West & Morley, please email me for details.
We have to get it right and fix this broken system for everyone.
Calling all Farnley residents, I need you!
Alongside residents in Farnley, the Local Reference Group completed adverts for the Neighbourhood Board, the body which will spend the £20 million I secured for ‘Farnley East’ from the Pride in Place programme.
The Neighbourhood Board will also have final say on the boundaries for the area. I am very clear that all of the Whincovers, Farnley Community Centre, the Stonecliffes, the Stonebridges, Farnley Hall Park and the Tong Estate should be part of it – however that decision will rest with the board.
Anyone connected with Farnley can now apply to be a member of the Neighbourhood Board or the Chair of the Neighbourhood Board below. If you are passionate about Farnley, please apply:
How to apply to be a member of the Neighbourhood Board:
How to apply to be Chair of the Neighbourhood Board:
Debate on Plan 2 Student Loans Continues
I was given a 90 second speaking slot to advocate for my constituents affected by the Plan 2 loan issue that’s made the news recently. Now is the time for a thorough review of the system, including loan amounts, the interest paid, the repayment thresholds and the amount people pay back per month.
To be clear, I think it’s right that graduates make a contribution to their education; I did with a plan 1 loan and a postgraduate loan that I’m still paying off to this day. But the plan 2 loans, that were issued between 2012 and 2023, have significant flaws that we should be open and honest about.
It’s also worth saying that almost any solution we propose will have a cost to the Treasury, and that has to form part of any conversation about this.
Temporary Banking Hub Confirmed for Morley
A temporary banking hub will be placed in Morley Library and Community Hub in March. The exact date will be announced soon.
This is only a temporary solution, but one that I promised would take place while the permanent hub’s location is secured.
Cash Access are carrying an assessment of suitable properties, but I have insisted that any permanent hub must be in Morley Town Centre, on Queen Street or on the precinct. More details soon.
Putin is Bypassing the Blockade. Time to Stop Him.
On the 4th anniversary of the full scale invasion of Ukraine, I was proud to host The Committee For Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation in Parliament to launch their report:
'Bypassing the Blockade: How Hong Kong Feeds European Technology into Russia's War in Ukraine.'
Thank you so much to Leeds South West & Morley resident, Chloe Cheung, for her tireless work on the report.
The Government has rightly backed the people of Ukraine in their fight against Putin in this war, the outcome of which will affect all of Europe. We must do all we can now to sanction those that seek to supply Russia's war machine through the back door.
Welcome Ingrid Scott, new Office Manager!
I’m really pleased to welcome Ingrid Scott as my new Office Manager.
Ingrid brings excellent experience from a national charity, where she led a team that supported UK residents with complex issues. She has also managed a parliamentary office before and was a teacher in one of our local schools.
Very excited to be working together, alongside the rest of my dedicated team, for the people of Leeds South West & Morley.
恭喜發財！
It was a privilege to open three special Lunar New Year events in Leeds in February to mark the Year of the Horse, attended by many of our Hong Kong neighbours from Leeds South West & Morley. These were at Leeds Kirkgate Market, Leeds Minster and the Gateway Church.
More broadly, I continued my advocacy work for Hong Kongers who are subject to transnational repression from China. This included speaking at a reception in Parliament for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong, as well as challenging the Government to protect my constituents from the long arm of the CCP.
How can we Accelerate Economic Growth in Yorkshire
I chair the Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). I have made it our mission to establish a manifesto for growth, a series of tangible ideas that MPs and Lords can campaign for to secure growth in the region.
In February, we completed the final roundtables with experts from different fields, including from transport, health and skills. I want to pay particular thanks to Leeds University for hosting me at the Nexus Hub last Friday. It was brilliant to talk the innovative things their students and graduates have achieved but also what gets in the way – and how we can fix it.
We will publish the outcome of this work soon.
Supporting Our Community
As always, I’ve continued to hold regular surgeries across the constituency, now rotating between 13 different locations. I have continued my regular door knocking too, this time with new local election candidates Shamim Miah (Ardsley & Robin Hood) and Charlotte Hill (Farnley & Wortley). Remember though, I knock on doors all year round because door knocking is for life, not just for election time.
I’ve met with lots of individuals, community groups and campaigners, including the organisation, Leeds Dads, where I spoke about our shared objective of better Paternity Leave and what it’s like to raise two boys while doing this job.
If you’d like to meet or there is something in Leeds South West & Morley you’d like me to see, please contact me and I will always try and make time for it.