Last night the House of Commons voted to hold a General Election on Thursday 12 December. I am proud to be Labour’s candidate for Barnsley Central. I’m standing because my commitment to Barnsley is a long-term one.

Although Brexit has dominated our political debate in recent years, this election is about so much more than our future relationship with Europe.

A decade of Tory austerity has devasted our town and our country. Too many people are in low-paid and insecure work, too many children face barriers to opportunity. Our public services and infrastructure are rapidly deteriorating due to chronic under-investment and we are in the midst of a climate emergency.

I was recently fortunate enough to spend an evening with the men and women of the Barnsley branch of the York and Lancaster Regimental Association.

The branch is made up of ex-service people and their families, and is drawn from a broad range of armed forces backgrounds, not just the Yorkshire Regiment. This mix of personalities and pasts combine to create a hugely welcoming and enjoyable community club. One where, despite the usual mickey-taking about me being an ex-para, I had a great time.

Whilst it is clear that we need a mix of energy sources in the future, I do not believe there is sufficient evidence to justify fracking at this stage. I am very concerned about the potential impact of fracking on Barnsley and on other communities around the country.

It’s a free-to-enter, 5 kilometre run that takes place every Saturday at 9am in Locke Park and is part of a national chain of events in parks across the country. I’ve taken part in the event a number of times and I always enjoy the great atmosphere and camaraderie of the run.

Last week the Office for National Statistics released figures showing that over the course of winter last year a staggering 24,300 people died from mostly preventable causes.

Back in January I wrote about the plight of hundreds of thousands of women facing financial hardship following the government’s rapid increase in their state pension age.

We all hear stories in the news about food going to waste from supermarkets and a lot of us question why it can’t be used to help people who need it.

This past week I have been out and about across my Barnsley Central constituency. Parliament is in recess for the conference season and so it’s a good chance to be talking to people about the issues that matter to them.

The people of Barnsley made their voices heard last week. 68% of those who voted said that they wanted the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.

Last weekend’s win at Wembley was momentous – both for Barnsley FC and our town. This was reflected in the amazing turnout on Monday evening when so many local people turned out for the victory parade.