My policies

Some of the policies that I care most about include:

1) The need for a National Care Service. My family has personally experienced the need for social care. My dad died after many years of Parkinson’s Disease and first needed care to help him live at home, before moving into a care home for the final years of his life. My mother-in-law died after suffering the agony of Motor Neurone Disease for just 18 months. She needed a team of carers providing 24/7 assistance so she could die peacefully at home.

I’ve worked with Andy Burnham and know how vital a National Care Service is.

2) The need to end zero hour contracts. I will work with Leeds City Council, the Local Enterprise Partnership, Chamber of Commerce, businesses, voluntary sector and trade unions to ensure we have real local jobs and not just zero hour contracts.

3) I will fight inappropriate development that damages communities and the environment, while recognising the need for affordable homes to buy and new council houses to rent.

4) I will campaign to ensure every local school is an excellent school and provide paths for learning and opportunity for everyone, not just those able to pursue an academic path to university.

5) I will continue to fight the Bedroom Tax. Elmet and Rothwell constituency Labour Party has already voted in favour of my motion to ask that Labour includes repeal of the bedroom tax in its manifesto for the 2015 general election.

6) I will campaign to make giant corporations, bankers and millionaires pay their fair share of tax. It is grossly unfair when people who work hard in their jobs and small businesses all have to pay their fair share of tax, but big business and millionaires get special concessions and loopholes.

7) Finally we must repeal the NHS privatisation bills and recreate a health service that Bevan could be proud of in the 21st century.