hundreds of NHS staff who died, we mustensure that we don’t forget or allow them tore-write history. Labour is calling on theGovernment to wind down its emergencyprocurement powers, reintroducecompetitive tendering and claw back themoney on contracts that haven’t delivered.I will be holding the Government to accounton their failures and ensuring they don’tre-write history.

The BudgetThis week the Chancellor announced hisBudget in Parliament. After the failures ofthe Government over the last twelve monthsand over a decade of neglect under theConservatives, we need a Budget to fix thefoundations of our economy. Instead, theChancellor just papered over the cracks,rather than rebuilding the foundations.

The Chancellor only mentioned the NHS once in his speech,and failed to even mention social care. There is no financialbacking or plan to deal with the ongoing costs to the NHSfrom Covid nor to deal with the enormous backlog of casesand waiting lists that have built up during the crisis. There isno new money for schools so the Government have assumedthat there will be no need for additional investment to helpchildren catch-up on lost months of schooling. And it is thesame old, same old with the Levelling-Up Fund prioritising theconstituencies of Cabinet Ministers, including the Chancellor’sown wealthy local authority of Richmondshire.

The Conservatives want to maintain the insecure economyand unequal country that’s been so cruelly exposed by thevirus. While the Chancellor is playing politics with therecovery, Labour is backing British businesses.

We must seize this moment to create a secure andprosperous economy for the future. That means creating theconditions for new jobs for people to invest in our economy;breathing new life into town centres and high streets andproviding much more security at work.

Tory crony contractsThe Conservative Party have used the Coronaviruspandemic as a business opportunity to further line thepockets of their mates, handing out almost £2 billionworth of taxpayers’ money for Covid contracts tofriends and donors. The most baffling of all being theHealth Secretary, Matt Hancock’s former neighbourand pub landlord, supplying the Government withCovid-19 test parts, despite having no previousmedical experience.

The High Court ruled last month that the Health Secretaryhad acted unlawfully on transparency and failed to publishcontracts on time. But Matt Hancock has not onlydeclared there was no foul play, he’s also tried to re-writehistory. It isn’t even a year since we saw frontline workerson the news every day saying they were scared to go towork because they didn’t have the correct PPE. We sawimages of our nurses and doctors using bin bags toprotect themselves and issuing emotional pleas andwarnings to the Government.

Matt Hancock doesn’t remember that awful and desperatetime and is keen that you forget about it too, but out ofrespect for our keyworkers on the frontline and the

Report fromSharon Hodgson MP

Newsfromthe constituencyFeb/Mar 2021 No. 137

Pictured here: Sharonpresents her Leamside Linepetition to Parliament, virtually.(details overleaf)

APPG for Dyslexia & otherSpecific Learning Difficulties virtual meeting

The closure of schools to the majority of pupils sinceJanuary have had a profound effect on those with SENDand neurodiversities, like Dyslexia. Learning onlinepresents difficulties for many children, especially thosewho struggle with distracting environments. To shine alight on the impact of home learning for children withDyslexia, I heard from professionals across the SENDsector, during an insightful meeting of the All-PartyParliamentary Group for Dyslexia and other SpecificLearning Difficulties.

APPG Arts, Craft and Design in Education Zoom call

I was happy to host another amazing All-PartyParliamentary Group for Art, Craft and Design inEducation meeting this week, which focused on thebenefits of art education within both prison settings andbeyond in recovery and rehabilitation, hearing from arange of voices involved in this type of education andconnection with the arts. Further research andevaluations of the no doubt profound benefits of thiswork is needed.

Leamside Line petition (pictured overleaf)Across February, I collected signatures on a petition toask the Government to re-open the Leamside rail linewhich stretches from Pelaw, through Washington to

Ferryhill in Durham. Re-opening this mothballed line wouldfinally bring a rail link back to Washington after 57 years, withthe opportunity to connect Washington and Penshaw with theMetro at South Hylton. Thank you to everyone who signed thepetition – it closed on Monday with an amazing 1,801signatures. I presented the petition to Parliament onWednesday, to accompany the ‘Restoring Your Railways’funding bid submission by Transport North East, which I amco-sponsor of. I am looking forward to hearing a responsefrom the Government in the coming weeks.

Armed Forces BillThis month the Committee stage of the Armed Forces Billbegins. The Committee for this Bill is unique in that it turns intoa Select Committee and can take evidence and go on visits.Whilst Covid restrictions inhibit some of the Committee’s usualactivity, I am looking forward to working to try and secureamendments that will benefit our Armed Forces personnel,veterans and their families across the country.

Labour ‘Dialogue’ campaign session Zoom call

Earlier in February we kicked off the online campaign ahead ofMay’s local elections using the Labour Party’s onlinephonebanking system, ‘Dialogue’. Members who joinedenjoyed this new way of connecting with voters and we had achance to debrief afterwards amongst ourselves. I would urgeanyone interested to come along to further sessions acrossMarch, which will be advertised by email. It doesn’t matterwhether you’re a first-time caller or a seasoned canvasser,there will be someone on hand to help you get used tothe system.

Ovarian Cancer Awareness MonthMarch is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, something that Iam heavily involved with as Chair of the APPG on OvarianCancer. 4,100 women lose their lives each year to this deadlycancer, so it is vital that people continue to go and see theirGP as if there weren’t a pandemic. Please talk with yourfriends and family and make sure you know the symptoms: • persistent bloating• persistent pelvic and abdominal pain• unexplained change in bowel habits• feeling full quickly, or feeling nauseous• urinating more frequently

Sharon Hodgson, Washington & Sunderland West Constituency

Units 1 & 1A, Vermont House, Concord, Washington,

Tyne & Wear NE37 2SQ

Tel. 417 2000

W: www.sharonhodgson.org E: info(a)sharonhodgson.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/@SharonHodgsonMP

Some highlights (No. 137 - Feb/Mar 2021)

Published: 2021. Produced by the office of Sharon Hodgson. All rights reserved. House of Commons Debates and Chamber images copyright Parliamentary Recording Unit and BBC, 2021.