The General Election on the 4th July was a clear indication that the British public were ready for change, and ready to put their trust in a Labour Government.

In the newly created constituency of Barnsley South, I was proud to be returned to Parliament with an increased vote share, and an increased majority of nearly 5,000 votes.

Thank you to the people of Barnsley for this strong vote of confidence. I do not take the trust that you have put in me for granted, and I am proud that our area voted for hope over division, and for a changed Labour Party back in the service of working people.

It is an honour to have been asked by the Prime Minister to join his Government, as a Minister in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Not only do our creative industries contribute £125bn to our economy, but arts, culture, and sport are vital in creating our sense of national and local pride.

We all saw the way that England’s run at EURO 2024 united our country in victory and eventually loss.

And on a local level, sport and creativity bring us together too.

Whether it be joining the parkrun community at Locke Park, going to the football with friends, learning about our towns at Barnsley Museums’ sites, or playing in a historic Brass Band – everyone here has a stake in our collective cultural life.

Britain remains a world leader in many of our creative and sporting industries, but there is work to be done – including enabling these industries to grow, and ensuring access to sport, music, art and culture are not simply reserved for the privileged few.

I look forward to working hard at the Department to enable people – particularly children – to get active, develop creativity, and find their voice.

As a member of the Government, I will continue to stand up for the people of Barnsley.

This, of course, includes continuing my commitment to end the injustice of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme which I was proud was in the Labour Manifesto. I have already been in touch with the new Minister, as well as the scheme trustees, to discuss this. I will work hard until this is delivered.

I will continue to champion community groups – visiting local schools, working with local businesses, and developing relationships with charities and organisations. As I have with BIADs where I am a patron, and Barnsley Hospice for whom I ran the Barnsley 10k just a couple of weeks ago.

In the run up to the election, my campaign team and I spoke to thousands of people. I know from these conversations that the last 14 years have been difficult for too many of you. From accessing healthcare to anti-social behaviour, faith in our public services and our politics have been eroded.

That is why Labour have committed to beginning the work of national renewal. A rebuilding of our country, so that it once again serves the interests of ordinary people.

Just a couple of weeks into a Labour Government, we have already seen the start of this much-needed change. We have committed to a strategic defence review; started talks with the BMA to resolve the Junior Doctor’s pay dispute; begun work to recruit 6,500 new teachers whilst restructuring the Department of Education to improve SEND provision; and committed to putting failing water companies under tough special measures to clean up our waterways.

This is just the start of Labour’s first steps which will see the Government deliver economic stability, establish a Border Security Command, cut NHS waiting times, and put more police on our streets.