Last week Emma was at Labour Party Conference in Brighton. Between Saturday and Wednesday Emma met with a range of local and national organisations including the British Chambers of Commerce, the homelessness charity Crisis UK, mental health charity Mind and North East transport operator Nexus.
She took the opportunity to raise issues including the Bedroom Tax, skills and training, and local bus services.
Emma also spoke at several fringe events, including those hosted by the British Association of Social Workers and Unions Together. At the former event she discussed her experiences as a social worker before becoming an MP, and highlighted the impact of cuts to Local Authority funding on vulnerable people. At the Unions Together reception Emma talked about her experiences as a new MP, and called for more support for union and working class candidates running for council and parliamentary seats.
Tuesday afternoon saw the highlight of Conference – the speech from Labour Leader Ed Miliband. Ed announced a number of new measures a Labour government would take to tackle the cost of living crisis and make the economy work for all of us, and not just the few at the top currently benefitting under David Cameron. These included a freeze on household energy bills, a higher minimum wage, and repealing the hated Bedroom Tax.
He promised that Britain would win the “race to the top” and not the “race to the bottom” happening under the Coalition.
Emma praised Ed’s speech, saying it showed Labour was the party of the many, not the few.
“Today is a proud day to be a Labour supporter. Ed Miliband’s announcements on the Bedroom Tax, energy prices and the minimum wage are exactly what millions of struggling families wanted to hear after years of declining living standards. These are critically important issues in South Shields, and Ed proved today that Labour will put people like them first.”
She was also privileged to be able to introduce Ed at the Labour Party’s Northern Night, a celebration of the region’s contribution to the party’s success and its strong Labour values.