Sharon pictured with local Poppy Appeal organiser and volunteer, Malcolm Pickering

Sharon Hodgson, Member of Parliament for Washington and Sunderland West and Shadow Minister for Veterans today (26th October 2020) supported the Washington Branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) on their Poppy Appeal stall in ASDA at the Galleries in Washington.

Sharon, who is also Honorary President of the Washington Branch of the RBL, supports the local Poppy Appeal each year however due to Coronavirus restrictions the Appeal is very different this year with some people unable to volunteer or fundraise as they usually would.

Sharon said:

“I’m proud to support this year’s Poppy Appeal at the Galleries in Washington.

“Whilst the Appeal is slightly different this year, I’m encouraged to see the way local volunteers and the RBL have adapted to the challenges Coronavirus have posed us all.

“Constituents can still support the Poppy Appeal by donating a poppy through the post to neighbours, displaying a poppy in your window, donating online or undertaking a virtual Poppy run.

“I hope that my constituents will continue to show their support for the Royal British Legion and our service personnel, past and present.”

Malcolm Pickering, Local Poppy Appeal organiser and volunteer, said:

“I am delighted that Sharon was able to join and support us at this year’s local Poppy Appeal stall.

“Like most things this year, the Appeal and Remembrance Day events are very different to how we would normally commemorate those who have served, but it is no less important, so I urge everyone to commemorate in a way that is safe for everyone.”

You can find out more about this year’s Poppy Appeal on the Royal British Legion website here >

ENDS

You can read Sharon's latest Sunderland Echo column below or on the Sunderland Echo website.

As the Government places Northern regions under experimental lockdown measures, without the financial backing to help them through, the North-South divide has never been so apparent.

But as people in our region know all too well, Tory neglect of the North predates Covid-19.

Local Authority budgets in our region have been savaged since 2010, exacerbating long-term regional inequalities between the North and South.

Shocking statistics from the End Child Poverty Coalition show that some of the largest increases in child poverty have come from Northern towns and cities, with the North East seeing the largest jump of any region in England.

In my constituency, 35% of children are growing up in poverty, an almost 9% increase since 2014/15.

This is before we even take into consideration the consequences of Covid-19, which has left the North East facing economic turmoil not seen since the days of Thatcher.

Families face significant economic uncertainty, and need reassurance that support will be there to help them care for their children and stop them from slipping into poverty.

However, the Government is threatening to slash the safety net even further, by scrapping the £20 uplift to Universal Credit in April, which will only make it harder to make ends meet and plunge our children into further hardship.

Tackling poverty and addressing its root causes needs to be at the heart of any Covid recovery plan, to ensure this pandemic does not commit a future generation to a life of deprivation.

The Government must urgently reform the social security net, and retain the £20 uplift in Universal Credit (UC) and apply this to other legacy benefits.

In the face of already unacceptable levels of child poverty, our country’s children are now at severe risk of being swept even deeper into deprivation.  Reforming UC and maintaining the £20 uplift would put much-needed cash into the pockets of Britain’s poorest families, helping them through this crisis, and would put us back on path to a fairer, more just society in the aftermath of this pandemic.

Sunderland Echo website >

Sharon Hodgson MP's report - Sep-Oct 2020 number 132

Click on the picture above to read Sharon Hodgson MP's report - Sep-Oct 2020 number 132

You can read Sharon's recent Echo Column below or on the Sunderland Echo website.

Many families in our area have already been hit hard financially by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Yet, as they have done so often during this crisis, the Government recently overlooked the needs of working families in our region. Local lockdown measures were implemented at short notice, which effectively put an end to informal childcare arrangements.

This left parents who rely on support from grandparents, friends and family facing a choice between staying at home to care for their children and potentially losing their job, or finding formal childcare with no notice and no budget to pay for it.

Many constituents wrote to me to share their worries and anxieties. Families who were already often on low pay, particularly women and single parents, were left facing severe hardship. I wrote to Matt Hancock to raise their concerns, and asked the Government to reconsider.

Thankfully, Ministers relented, and have now said that informal childcare arrangements for those aged under 14 can continue, ensuring those who rely on them are not left under even more financial strain as we adjust to new local restrictions.

But whilst this decision has provided some relief to working parents, I know that for many of us the next few weeks will continue to be challenging. Local lockdown will keep friends and families apart, and businesses face renewed financial pressures.

Nobody wants to see any more restrictions on our daily life, but the concerning growth of this virus cannot be ignored.

I would therefore urge everyone to continue to follow local lockdown measures, which remain in place alongside the additional measures announced by Government. Please avoid visiting other people, only socialise with members of your own household, and only take essential journeys.

As ever, if any of my constituents have any concerns about these measures, please do email [email protected] and I will do all I can to help you.

Our region has felt the impact of Covid-19 more severely than many others. We must now do everything we can to slow the rate of infection, and protect the NHS, our most vulnerable, and the health of those around us.

Sunderland Echo website >

Update on Coronavirus – September 2020

 - As at 24 Sept 2020.



New measures have been introduced across the North East, including in our constituency, to try and bring down the rising number of Coronavirus cases.  New nationwide guidance has also been introduced, but please note the local measures override those.

Sharon Hodgson, Member of Parliament for Washington & and Sunderland West and Shadow Minister for Veterans has welcomed the new measures in Washington and Sunderland West and across the North East, aimed at curbing the rising cases of Coronavirus.

(Clicking on the above image will take you to guidance provided by the Government on the new restrictions)

Sharon is calling on all constituents to follow the measures, in order to keep everyone safe and ensure that our NHS is not overwhelmed.

Full guidance from the Government can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/north-east-of-england-local-restrictions

Information from Sunderland City Council, including FAQs, can be found here:

https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/article/17375/New-Covid-19-restrictions-for-our-region-17-September

Sharon said:

‘’I welcome the new measures being introduced, as the rise in cases of coronavirus in recent days has been concerning. The Government must now provide any additional support that our Local Authority needs for improved testing and to support people where necessary.

‘’It is vitally important that everyone follows the new measures, in order to keep us all safe, and protect our NHS.

‘’This will be a challenging time for many people, but I know that we can work together and bring the cases down in the coming days and weeks.’’

You can read Sharon's latest Echo column below or on the Sunderland Echo website

The last Labour Government aimed to spread power and opportunity to all, to ensure that the next generation were not held back by their background.

That is why, in 2004, Labour launched the Child Trust Fund (CTF) scheme. This bold policy ensured that every child would have access to savings at the start of their adult life, no matter their background. For every young person born after the 1st September 2002, Labour invested at least £250 in a fund, from which only that young person can draw money.

This month, the first generation to benefit from CTFs turn 18, and can access this fund for the first time. Over the next 9 years, 50,000 young people across the country each month will come of age and be able to access their fund.

In Washington and Sunderland West, 8,700 young people have a CTF and will see the difference a Labour Government can make to their lives.

The contrast with the Tories’ mishandling of young people’s futures couldn’t be clearer. Students have faced a summer of chaos following the Government’s A-Level results fiasco, which follows a series of failures for young people, be it on school funding, university fees, or public health.

In fact, it was the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition Government which scrapped the innovative CTF scheme in 2011.

Given the time that has passed since the CTF scheme was launched and now with the significant impact of the pandemic, I am worried that many 18-year olds and their parents may be unaware, or have forgotten, that an account exists for them. I don’t want any young person to miss out on money that is rightfully theirs.

To find out more about this scheme, or to find your fund, visit https://www.gov.uk/child-trust-funds/

If you know anyone who is about to turn 18, make sure that they’re aware that they have money that is theirs to manage.

Every trust fund, and every choice it enables, is a reminder of the difference a Labour government can make. Today’s young adults will be the beneficiaries of Labour’s determination to make lives better and society fairer.

Sunderland Echo website >

Sharon Hodgson MP's report - Aug-Sep 2020 number 131

Click on the picture above to read Sharon Hodgson MP's report - Aug-Sep 2020 number 131

22% of the workforce in Washington and Sunderland West constituency work in the automotive industry. Accounting for 10,000 jobs, that makes Sharon Hodgson MP’s constituency the Parliamentary seat with the highest proportion of automotive jobs in the country.

These figures come as Labour call for Government action to protect the UK’s world leading automotive sector, as the impact of coronavirus threatens jobs and businesses in the sector.

The automotive sector has been one of the worst affected by coronavirus, with production down an astonishing 99.7% in April.

Without urgent action, the Conservative Government risks turning its back on communities and workers in seats they promised to protect across the North, Midlands, Yorkshire and Wales where three in four automotive jobs are found.

Labour is calling for targeted support for the industry and its supply chain. It is urging the Government to explore the possibility of fast tracking measures from the Automotive Sector Deal or Road to Zero strategy, with a focus on creating green jobs and ensuring the UK leads the way in the decarbonisation challenge at the pace and scale the climate emergency demands.

Sharon Hodgson, Member of Parliament for Washington and Sunderland West, said:
“I’m proud to represent the constituency with, proportionally, the most automotive jobs in the country.

“The automotive industry is a valuable employer across the country and the Government must do more to support the sector and protect workers.

“I’ll continue to work with those in the automotive sector, Trade Unions and workers to campaign to protect our constituency’s biggest employers.”

Lucy Powell, Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, said:
“The UK’s world-leading automotive industry has been rocked by coronavirus and livelihoods are on the line. But Ministers won’t listen to reason and are refusing to recognise some sectors have been hit harder than others.

“They must urgently target support at the sectors that need it with a focus on creating skilled, green jobs - and do right by the communities across the UK they promised to protect.

“Anything less would be a betrayal of many communities which helped get Boris Johnson elected.”
ENDS

You can read the Labour Party press release here >

Sharon Hodgson MP's report - Jul-Aug 2020 number 130

Click on the picture above to read Sharon Hodgson MP's report - Jul-Aug 2020 number 130