As reported in the Mirror on 15th June, Stephanie has criticised the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, after findings from an internal staff survey revealed that the Foreign Office has the worst levels of discrimination, bullying and harassment of any government department.Nearly one in six civil servants at the FCO had experienced sexism, racism and other forms of discrimination in the last year.Disturbing findings from the staff survey reveal more than one in eight had experienced bullying or harassment.Both figures have risen since Johnson took over from Philip Hammond who is now the Chancellor of the Exchequer.Though nearly half of the victims said that they had officially reported the behaviour, only one in five of them believed it had been resolved.It comes in the wake of harassment reports across Westminster including accusations of bullying levelled against the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow - which he denies.Commenting, Stephanie said: 'With Britain facing foreign policy crises on a global scale, we need a Foreign Secretary who is as serious as the task they face.'Unfortunately, Theresa May has given us Boris instead - a politician who has gone from a national joke to an international joke.'Strong leadership is needed to achieve real culture change but Boris is the last person who could lead by example when it comes to acceptable behaviour in the workplace.'He would rather run the Ministry of Offence than behave like Britain’s top diplomat.'  

As reported in the Barnsley News and Sport on 14th June, Stephanie has called for action on rural crime after bringing up the issue in the House of Commons recently. Following meetings with affected constituents, the local MP raised the increase in crimes committed in rural areas in the Parliamentary debate last Wednesday. Stephanie discussed the 54 per cent increase in South Yorkshire’s rural crime insurance claims as evidence of the growth in incidents. She also made reference to local community groups who have joined together to tackle rural crime. Her intervention came following meetings with constituents who have been victims of crime in rural areas – including the theft of farming and equestrian equipment, and anti-social behaviour. Nationally, it’s estimated that rural crime cost the economy over £39m in 2016 alone. Said Stephanie: “Rural crime is a serious problem which affects people here in Barnsley and across the UK. “Whilst Government Ministers may try to bury their heads in the sand and ignore the issue, it’s only getting worse for the people like my constituents who have personally told me of the crimes they’ve been victims of. “Policing in rural communities over sparsely populated areas is already difficult enough for our hard-working police services, but with resources and numbers down as a result of Government cuts it’s even harder. “Our police should be given the resources they desperately need to do their jobs, and ensure rural communities like ours are protected.”

As reported in the Barnsley News and Sport on 7th June, Stephanie has slammed the Government after revealing figures that show around two thirds of Barnsley residents who appealed their welfare rejections were shown to be eligible. The local MP forced the omission from a Government Minister through a Parliamentary Question relating to ESA and PIP payments. Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) provides both help for those unable to work through illness or disability and support when they can work, while Personal Independence Payments (PIP) helps to cover the extra costs caused by serious disability or long-term ill-health. The figures revealed by Stephanie (pictured) show that across 2017, of the Barnsley residents who appealed the initial rejection of their PIP application, 63 per cent were eventually found to be entitled. Of those denied ESA, the figure of those successful in overturning the decision and found eligible on appeal rose to 65 per cent. The news follows the MP’s recent public criticism of similarly overturned punitive benefits sanctions which are shown to be incorrect on appeal. According to Stephanie, 30 per cent of decisions to impose sanctions to Universal Credit recipients by the Government are acknowledged as incorrect by the Government themselves, with a further 83 per cent squashed by independent tribunals. She said: “Support provided by these welfare entitlements are absolutely vital both at home and at work for people who through no fault of their own have fallen on hard times. “Yet the recently admitted figures show just how cruelly vulnerable people have been treated by this callous Tory Government; where those eventually proved entitled to help are simply being denied it. “The number of incorrect decisions is staggering; when nearly two out of every three decisions that are appealed are shown to be wrong, it’s clear the system is broken. “This failing Tory Government must immediately address these errors, and explain why they are denying basic support to so many vulnerable people here in Barnsley and across the UK.”