A stable and reliant internet connection is so important for people right across our area in their day-to-day lives, with people relying on the internet for shopping, paying bills, or dealing with benefit claims. Unfortunately, coverage in Barnsley lags behind other areas, and often isn’t satisfactory -; I know this both from constituents raising it with me, and from my own personal experience.

That’s why I’ve been campaigning for improved coverage for over a year, writing to the Government and broadband providers, raising this issue in the House of Commons, conducting a residents’ broadband survey, and meeting with Superfast South Yorkshire.

And that’s why I’ll keep working on this issue until broadband coverage here in Barnsley is at an acceptable level for my constituents.

If you have any issues with your internet connection, I encourage you to contact Openreach as it helps them plan and meet demand.

Also, if you are interested in an apprenticeship with Openreach, their 2019 apprenticeships are now open.  They offer about 3,500 schemes across the UK every year and you can find out more about them here.