@SharonStevenage

Great to finish Housing Week with keynote speech & panel at Leadership Conf of National Housing Federation. Thanks to fellow panellists; Jonathan, Imran & Emily, fab host Mark Easton & NHF Chair Maggie Galliers & Simon Nunn Director of Member Services for welcome & great company at Cinnamon Kitchen

Thank you to Homes for the South West for inviting me to address their Parliamentary Reception yesterday and for all the work they are doing to deliver social housing and to #GetBritainBuilding

Brilliant Day 2 of Labour local government conf! Huge thanks to Bev Craig, Shama Tatler & LGA Labour team for organising, to our local govt family for making me so welcome & Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting, Jim McMahon Ellie Reeves, Hollie Ridley, Louise Gittins & Florence Eshalomi, for inspiring us!!

Day 1 of First Labour Local Government Conference under a Labour Government for 14 years. Such a positive vibe from our Labour LG family & great to catch up with so many friends.

Fantastic Labour Local Government Leader’s Summit in Warwick with Wes Streeting & Angela Rayner! 🌹

16 yrs ago, Margaret Ashby set up Betty Game Opportunities Trust to give support to local adult learners.So proud to be a trustee & today to attend AGM with Mayor & Mayoress & to meet 2 students, 1 studying social work & 1 studying to be a doctor & used part of our funding to buy her stethoscope!

Inspirational visit to Brentwood Council today to hear about ambitious agenda on net zero social housing & their exciting new town proposal & hear about progress on devolution for Essex. Thanks to Cllrs Barry, Tim, Vicky & Ben, council officers & colleagues from Homes England, MHCLG & devpt partners

Busy week for me & for local government in the House of Lords with the Business Rates Bill, Questions on Future Homes Standard & Local Government Funding and 4 Statutory Instruments to reorganise councils in Devon, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire & Lancashire

These are exciting times for local government & I was delighted to meet with colleagues from the National Association of Local Councils (Parish & Town Councils) to discuss their ideas for devolution, local govt finance & standards. Thank you Keith, Justin & Ros (Baroness Scott)

Such a great pleasure to meet so many local government friends at the Local Govt Association Reception in Parliament this week. Amazing speeches from my fellow Minister, Jim McMahon, our brilliant LGA Chair Louise Gittins and thanks to Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson for sponsoring the events

80 years since allies liberated Auschwitz Birkenau, it is more important than ever to remember victims & survivors of the Holocaust, to make sure our humanity & respecting the dignity of those with whom we share this world shapes our actions & our thoughts. Only then will light triumph over evil 🕯️

Thank you to Lord Steve Bassam for his invitation to meet with the fantastic team from Fare Share in Parliament this week!

Always a pleasure to meet Kate Henderson from the National Housing Federation, a tireless campaigner for social housing! This week we were discussing the Renters Rights Bill as it comes in to the House of Lords, support for housing staff and regulatory issues including Awaabs Law.

Even on a misty morning, what a view from County Hall! ❤️London

Inspirational and insightful Roundtable with UK100 council leaders and officers this week exploring sustainability & net zero ambition & issues as we strive to build the 1.5m homes the country needs!

Stevenage and Knebworth stations have secured tap-in and tap-out ticketing by the end of 2025 🎉

£20 million of funding across the UK has been invested by the new Labour Government, to ensure that we can finally use contactless payments to get the train 🛤️

Fantastic celebration of social housing in Parliament this week as G15 tenants group launched their report on tackling stigma. Thanks to Daisy A from G15, Ben Coleman MP @FloEshalomi for moving speeches & support for our government’s work on social housing delivery.

The world’s top destinations for 2025 have been named by TripAdvisor Can you guess which capital claims the crown?

London has been named the world’s No. 1 destination for 2025 🎡🇬🇧

From iconic cultural landmarks to a food scene that’s second to none, there’s no place like London. Proud to see our city shine on the global stage—come experience it for yourself.
www.timeout.com/news/the-wor...

Delighted to support our fabulous county council candidate for St Nicholas, Claire Parris, today as our Stevenage Labour Party team get back out talking to local residents for our first 2025 session!

What a treat to visit the fantastic Spode Museum in Stoke on Trent today!

Fabulous that industrial & creative heritage of Stoke & potteries being used as foundation for incredible regen schemes with homes, jobs & leisure of future for people of six towns. Huge thanks @CllrAshworth @gareth_snell @AllisonCGardner @david4lcs & Stoke team #GetBritainBuilding

Delighted to meet with Henry Jordan & colleagues from Nationwide Building Society to talk about the importance of access to finance in the housing market, our new mortgage guarantee scheme, social housing and how to provide the certainty developers need. 🏡

Stevenage is the home of the Beautiful St George’s Coptic Cathedral (formerly Shephalbury Manor) so I am delighted to wish all Coptic Christians a very happy & blessed Orthodox Christmas today!

London leaseholders call for service charge reform Leasehold reforms can't come soon enough, London homeowners facing thousands in fees tell BBC News.

Opaque and unaffordable service charges are putting leaseholders and tenants across the country under immense strain.

The government are committed to improving service charge transparency and making it easier to challenge unreasonable increases.

Change is on its way.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Sir Keir Starmer to launch plan for millions more NHS appointments Sir Keir Starmer will launch his plan to deliver millions more appointments across the NHS and to reduce waiting times to 18 weeks over the next five years.

Sir Keir Starmer to launch plan for millions more NHS appointments