Lizzi Collinge MP

ICYMI: The SEND system is failing too many children, families and schools.

This white paper is an opportunity to put it right. Please share your experience through my survey so I can take your voice directly to the minister. www.surveymonkey.com/r/SouthNorfo...

Ask Her To Stand 50:50 Parliament If you know a woman who would make a great elected representative please ask her to stand. Tell her about 50:50 Parliament and our friendly network of support which helps women progress in politics.

We need roughly 60 more women in Parliament to achieve gender parity with the general population - could one of them be you or a friend of yours? If so, #askhertostand

5050parliament.co.uk/ask-her-to-s...

I am a Member of Parliament today in part because of the brilliant work from groups supporting women in politics, like the Labour Womens’ Network, and the work of so many other amazing women who we celebrate on International Women’s Day.

Hypatia being confronted by a Christian mob.

Happy International Women’s Day to everyone except Cyril of Alexandria.

Yep. The idea that the cabinet actually debating ideas, policies and difficult decisions is bad is *quite* the take. Yet another regular criticism that takes not much thought at all to unpick, and yet very little unpicking seems to happen in much of the Westminster press.

Starmer’s ‘Love Actually moment’ with Trump treads a fine... The PM is adamant that bombing Iran is unlawful without evidence of threat

Starmer’s Love Actually moment was deliberate because he believes in the rules-based world order - he was not bullied into it by Ed Miliband. My piece for @theobserveruk.bsky.social on the rupture in the special relationship observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Heating oil prices are surging & rural families are being hit first.

I have joined colleagues in the Labour Rural Research Group to write to ministers calling for a four point action plan to protect off grid homes and businesses from unfair price spikes.

Rural Britain must not be left exposed.

This is really worth reading, not least as it highlights how the 'Hero Voter' idea has been twisted beyond all recognition in most commentary and Westminster briefing.

Two black and white photos of a soldier who has received a facial injury during World War I. In the first photo, his injuries are on display. In the second photo, he is wearing a facial prosthetic (mask) that covers his injuries.

Facial prosthesis, c.1917. THREAD for #InternationalWomensDay🧵

From the moment the first machine gun rang out over the Western Front, one thing was clear: mankind’s military technology had wildly surpassed its medical capabilities. Bodies were battered, gouged, hacked, and gassed. /1

Apparently I’m a “shill” for writing this book. I agree - I’m a shill for human progress & flourishing. Energy poverty is a war on human dignity, and abundant clean energy is the solution. Environmentalism got this wrong, forgetting that Energy is Life.

amzn.eu/d/hAsmuUJ

Starmer’s ‘Love Actually moment’ with Trump treads a fine... The PM is adamant that bombing Iran is unlawful without evidence of threat

Good to see the Observer’s political editor correcting the nonsense in the right wing press and BBC this week that Keir was browbeaten by Cabinet colleagues over #Iran. “The PM, contrary to some reports, had never been willing to allow UK bases to be used for the first wave of air strikes”.

Whilst ever there is breath in my body I’ll continue to fight for our rights - and goodness me we face an existential threat of them being eroded.

Thank you to those who help, women and men.

The fight continues.

On #InternationalWomensDay we celebrate women. Paths they tread and their achievements. Little girl me never imagined i’d one day sit in Parliament, standing up for women & girls. But I am, thanks to generations of other women who fought, spoke up, & refused to accept things couldn’t change.
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Happy #InternationalWomen’sDay! — here’s a clip from this week’s episode of BBC’s ‘You’re Dead To Me’ about China’s most extraordinary woman, Empress Dowager Cixi, who rose from concubine to ruler, and clung on for half a century

I’m joined by Professor Yang-wen Zheng and comedian Sophie Duker

It is important to recognise the NHS staff, carers, volunteers, and key workers across #NorthSomerset and the country who pulled together to get the country through one of the hardest periods.

Today we remember the more than 250,000 people in the UK who lost their lives to COVID-19, and think of those families, friends, and colleagues who continue to carry that loss.

Today is COVID-19 Day of Reflection.

During the pandemic, I worked on the front-line in pharmacy, saw the sacrifice of so many and mourned patients lost. It is a time that has stayed with me.

The Chilcot Checklist, for how to optimally plan and execute military operations in light of learning from the Iraq War. It states: The Chilcot Checklist 1 VISION: why do we care? What does this mean for British interests? What are the risks of acting or doing nothing, including in the longer term? What is different now? 2 ANALYSIS: what IS happeNINg NOw? What are your sources of ground truth/evidence? Have assumptions been exposed to analytical tools or external challenge? 3 SCENarIOS: what might happen next? Have you looked at a range of options, and scenarios and consequences that could flow from these? 4 OptIONS: what should we do? Have you designed your options collaboratively, built in challenge and presented Ministers with clear information on risks, opportunities and costs? 5 LegaL ImpLICatIONS: how do we eNSure actION IS lawful? What is the wider legal context? Are Ministers aware of any legal risks? What are the policy implications? How will you ensure that any international legal basis remains sound if circumstances change? 6 POLICY AND Strategy: what does suCCeSS LOOk LIke? Does a clear strategy, and a feasible course of action that will meet policy objectives, exist? Is the approach supported by analysis? 7 reSOurCE: what do we need to deLIVer? What are the resource implications of your options? 8 PLANNING AND DOING: how should we do it? Have you planned for a range of possible contingencies? Who is accountable and responsible for what? 9 POLICY perfOrmaNCE: how wILL you mONItor performaNCe? How will you measure and evaluate success/failure? 10 EVALuatION: IS the pOLICy workINg? When and how will you review this policy? Has the context changed? Have UK objectives/interests changed? Do you need to change direction?

Way beyond military strategy & operations this checklist makes sense

Like any critical situation though the emotional urge maybe to think it’s a unique crisis & you should throw out the rules, my learning from Critical Care in health is that in crises you lean into what you’ve learnt not panic away

Republican Congressman (quoted in the Times) says,
"the United States always takes for granted, the UK's partnership."

That's precisely the point. No country can take another for granted, no matter how longstanding the alliance.

The Prime Minister is absolutely right to be defending UK interests.

After the American/Israel attack, which we didn't take part in, Iran started throwing out drones and missiles that targeted our bases, nationals and allies. We *then* started trying to stop the missiles and drones, and then allowed limited use of bases. That's the timeline, not the other way around

The problem with this idea is that we currently have bombs and drones threatening British nationals, British forces/bases and allied nations. I'm not sure how a PM could justify letting them get killed when we can take (limited) defensive action to stop it. It's a horrid mess though.

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Some thoughts on why I think it's important to remember that the natural and physical world provide joy and curiosity, even though global geopolitics is very mean and horrible right now. Appreciating the world around us gives us joy & agency. Don't forget the bad, but hold on to the good too.

Lizzi Collinge MP gothed up.

Well kids, tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999, choker and all.

A plate of chips and halloumi fries sits on a wooden table next to salt and vinegar. The pov is looking out through a window emblazoned with 'Fish and Chips' and looks out onto a blue and white sky over Morecambe Bay.

Don't mind if I do Arnside, don't mind if I do...

YouTube video by Rich Johnston Nigel Farage dancing with Chagos women on a boat moored to the Thames outside Parliament

In the last three days, the Brexiters have been losing their shit because "MPs were dancing while the war in Iran was going on."

Here's Farage yesterday.

And nothing...
youtube.com/shorts/BLG7X...

In the same week as Reform criticised me for *checks notes* promoting physical activity through dance.

UK reaffirms commitment to peace, protection and development in the DRC UK Minister for Africa Jenny Chapman visited the DRC, pledging £13m for peace, aid, and support for survivors of sexual violence, while boosting clean energy, business finance, and sustainable growth.

Yet again, as the media is focused on a single conflict, our Labour government reminds us that other areas are suffering from instability & conflict.

The development minister has just visited the DRC &announced £13m for support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in the country.

I'm a vicar in a small rural village. I could never say this to my flock because of the outcry, but Reform are blatantly opposed to genuine Christian values and it's clear that anyone considering voting for them has not been listening to a single word I say each week

Purest, undiluted Bluesky