September Update
My team and I continue to complete as many individual support requests from residents as we can. Please contact us and we will always try to help.
These are just a few of the things I worked on this September. I’ve included key stats from my casework team too.
📥Cases opened for residents: 482
📤Cases closed for residents: 806
£20 million of funding secured for Farnley!
£20 million of funding secured for Farnley! And you decide how it is spent. This is massive news for Old Farnley and some small parts of Armley that I represent. I have secured £20 million from the Government to spend directly on these communities.
This investment area includes the Bawns, the Whincovers, the Butterbowls, the Silver Royds, the Heights, the Farrows and Privilege Street. A Neighbourhood Board will be set up to steward how this money is spent and residents who live in these areas will take part. Everyone will be invited to make their suggestions on how this money is spent – it will not be dictated by the council or the Government. Complete my survey to let me know your priorities:
It’s time to regulate the funeral industry
It’s time to regulate the funeral industry. Following the shocking cases that were revealed about the funeral industry by the BBC last month, affecting my constituents and others, I have secured a meeting between the victims and a Minister at the Ministry of Justice, Alex Davies-Jones. Cody, Liam and Zoe will meet the Minister in London to make their case for regulation of this industry. Read the Minister’s words here:
Absolutely anyone can be a funeral director and there are no consequences if they choose to abuse their position. We must change this and we will. I met with the Co-op Funeralcare, the biggest provider of funerals in the UK and I met with the National Association of Funeral Directors. Both support regulation and I’m taking their suggestions forward to the Government. More on this soon.
Solving the SEND Crisis - the Education Select Committee’s recommendations
Solving the SEND crisis. Over the last year I have worked on the Education Select Committee to gather evidence and produce our recommendations on how to solve the crisis in special educational needs provision. We concluded that work and published our report in September, see it here:
The Government will now respond to each of our recommendations. We are continuing to lobby Ministers ahead of the expected publication of the Schools White Paper which will set out exactly how the Government intends to solve the SEND crisis in education, amongst other things. We want them to adopt as many of our report recommendations as possible so that we can turn the corner on this broken system.
No place for hereditary peers in Westminster
For years I have argued that no one should sit in the Houses of Parliament because of the family they were born into. There are currently 92 spaces in the House of Lords for people who inherit the title from their parents. They then get to sit in Parliament and make our laws, just because of their family name. Well, no more.
During the debate in the House of Commons, I made the argument to abolish this right for good and was very pleased to see our proposal to remove them pass through the House of Commons, despite the best efforts of the opposition. Please see my contribution to the debate here:
Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme
I’ve joined the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. I’m extremely pleased to have been accepted onto the Army strand of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. I applied for this so that I could better understand the experience of our armed forces personnel and the veterans I represent in Leeds South West & Morley. I was also inspired by Veterans in Need Together to take this decision. It was an honour to host them in Parliament this month and show them around the Palace of Westminster.
The ultimate aim of the Armed Forces scheme is to improve the quality of debate and policy making on military issues by exposing MPs and Lords to first-hand experience of military services. I have already attended the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham and I look forward to making many more trips to bases and army installations over the next year.
Keeping our promise to British National Overseas visa holders
We must keep our promise to the people of Hong Kong. Leeds South West & Morley is home to the largest group of Hong Kongers in Leeds. Earlier this month, I advocated for the UK Government to keep the 5-year ILR pathway for Hong Kongers who have come to the UK at out invitation.
The Chinese Government started persecuting the Hong Kongers under their newly imposed ‘National Security Law’ about 5 years ago. The previous Government made a decision to invite Hong Kongers, people we used to consider UK citizens, to escape this persecution and live in the UK. It is a decision I support and we must not change the rules for those who have made the journey. These are highly skilled individuals keen to contribute to the community and we must keep our promise to them. You can read my full contribution here:
Supporting our allies in Ukraine
This month I travelled to Kyiv to stand alongside their armed forces and Ukrainian MPs. I joined the YES 2025 conference, where President Zelenskyy spoke powerfully about the fight for Ukraine’s freedom and the future of European security.
During my visit I also met children who had been taken by Russian forces and since rescued. Hearing their stories first hand was harrowing and deeply moving. It was a reminder of why our support for Ukraine matters so much. Leeds South West and Morley may feel far from the front line, but the choices made there will shape the world our children will grow up in. I’ll keep working in Parliament to ensure the UK does our part to help Ukraine and stop the Russian war machine.
Blue Plaque for campaign to save TV Harrison Sports Ground
Huge congratulations to the TV Harrison Action Group for securing a Blue Plaque in Wortley to commemorate their historic campaign to save the ground. I was honoured to be invited to speak about the campaign at the unveiling-event alongside several others, including Leeds United legend, Paul Reaney.
We’re in the final stages of negotiations between Leeds United, Leeds Schools Sports Association (LSSA) and the Council. I do want to thank both Leeds United and LSSA for working so quickly to resolve any differences. There is a strong appetite to put any prolonged negotiations to one side and complete this deal from both of these parties who have been nothing but helpful to me and to each other.
Backing workers and renters in Parliament
In Parliament, we voted for the biggest improvement to employment rights in many years. We are ending fire and rehire, enhancing protection for pregnant women and new mothers, introducing a right to bereavement leave from day 1 and so much more. We also voted for the Renters Rights Bill which will abolish ‘no fault’ evictions and improves the position for renters in a whole range of areas, including on rent increases and the reasonable right to have pets in rented properties.
Supporting our community
I held weekly surgeries in New Farnley, Drighlington, Lofthouse and Morley this month and I continue to rotate around 11 different locations across our constituency. Because door-knocking is for life, I continued my efforts here and brought Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to Wortley for a canvassing session. I continue to support community events every week, including things like National Fitness Day at Morley Leisure Centre, the Diving Awards at Elland Road to celebrate our constituency’s young divers, the Made in Yorkshire and Library Reading Challenge awards in Drighlington and meeting lots of students at Woodkirk who make up various school councils at lots of different, local schools. They had excellent, insightful questions for me.
War of the Roses!
War of the Roses! Proud to represent Yorkshire in the first Yorkshire MPs vs Lancashire MPs tag rugby match. We secured a massive 10-5 victory for Yorkshire! A huge thank you to Rugby League Cares, the RFL and Keir Mather MP for organising. Look forward to defending the trophy next year.
Parliament is back in session in October so I will be in Parliament most weeks from Monday to Thursday to fulfil my duties as your MP. As always, please email me if there is anything I can help you with: mark.sewards.mp@parliament.uk.