The Labour Party Conference took place in Liverpool last week and it was an opportunity to reflect on the first year of the Labour Government.

Some of the changes that we have made over the past year include:

• Delivering 100,000 more NHS appointments every week, equating to 5 million each year.

• Introducing the Employment Rights Bill, leading to major reforms to UK employment law.

• Rolling out free breakfast clubs for every primary school child across the country.

• Increasing the National Living Wage to £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21 and over.

• Delivering justice for the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, meaning the average MPS member is now £29 per week better off.

• Strengthening border security with the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, tackling people smuggling gangs and restoring order to the immigration system.

• Introducing the Hillsborough Law, which includes a new duty of candour, meaning public officials must always act with honesty and integrity.

• Introducing the Bus Services Bill, giving local authorities control over routes, timetables, connections and fares.

These measures are already making a difference to people in Barnsley, but after a decade and half of cuts to public services, I understand why people want the Government to go further and faster.

That is why I was pleased to be at Labour Conference when the Prime Minister announced important new measures to deliver the very best opportunities to people across the UK.

One of these measures was the introduction of the new gold standard apprenticeship, ensuring that young people have access high-quality education, giving awarding bodies and colleges new powers to deliver the skills that young people need.

The Prime Minister announced the introduction of a pioneering new ‘online hospital’, transforming healthcare in England, improving access for patients, and slashing NHS waiting lists.

This will be rolled out from 2027, delivering the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years – four times more than an average NHS trust.

One in seven primary schools in the UK do not have access to a library according to the National Literacy Trust, and in Yorkshire, 12 percent of schools do not have a library, in comparison to just six percent in the South East.

Reading is such an important part of a child’s education. I know that as a former teacher, and I am therefore delighted that this Labour Government will deliver a library in every single primary school across the country.

These are just some of the important measures announced last week. Other measures include rolling out more free breakfast clubs, working to reduce youth unemployment, and launching a brand-new competition to recognise the UK Town of Culture.

This will build on the work of the Labour Council here in Barnsley who, ahead of the new Youth Zone opening, are delivering free bus travel for under 18s, and have introduced a school uniform grant to help parents across the borough.

As part of this Labour Government’s Plan for Change, we are focused on the issues that will genuinely improve people’s lives, here in Barnsley, and across the UK.