I’m going to talk rubbish.

Well, what else would you expect from a politician, some may say!

Summer’s here – give or take the odd bit of rain – and every parent and grandparent is familiar with the annual challenge of trying to keep the children entertained!

I have often spoken about the talents of the Barnsley Youth Choir but their latest success deserves further recognition.

Hopefully most people in Barnsley know of my ongoing campaign against so-called ‘legal highs’ – the vile substances that mimic the effects of illegal drugs, such as ecstasy and cocaine, and are easily purchased in high street shops due to a loophole in the law.

Every winter elderly people die in Barnsley because they are unable to properly heat their homes – on average there are an extra 116 deaths each year in our town, purely as a result of the cold.

On 5 March at 11am, I will be involved in a live debate on BBC Radio Sheffield with Michael Heseltine about the legacy of pit closures on mining communities.

Every week I get literally hundreds and hundreds of different messages, from people asking me about my views. I get letters, emails, phone calls, posts on Facebook and tweets on Twitter, as well as people stopping me in the street to ask me about different issues.

I was listening to a local radio programme last week where they were discussing some of the strangest requests for Christmas presents from children. A potato, a brick and a kebab were mentioned, along with a little girl who wanted a wall – so that she didn’t have to share her room with her sister anymore!

Earlier this year I won the lottery. Not the national lottery (although with Christmas around the corner that would have been quite handy)!

Over the last few months it has become increasingly clear that local mental health services for children and adolescents are under acute pressure.