A quick round-up of my week down in Westminster and beyond.
๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ
Following a ministerial statement on proposals to restrict social media access for under-16s which I welcome, we need robust regulation to tackle hate, misinformation and harmful content properly, hold platforms accountable for what happens on them, and consider whether platform owners should be subject to a fit and proper person test.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ
I joined UNISON’s annual conference in Brighton to discuss the cost of working and the campaign for fairer mileage rates at a fringe event. After sustained campaigning alongside UNISON, the RAC Foundation and others, we’ve secured the first increase in HMRC mileage rates in 15 years. A real win, but there is more to do with the government’s wider review ahead of the next budget.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐
Tuesday marked ten years since the murder of Jo Cox MP. Jo’s belief that we have far more in common than that which divides us remains as important today as it was then. Her legacy continues to inspire many of us across public life in times which feel more divided than ever.
๐๐ผ-๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐๐
I was also pleased to attend the Co-operative Party’s Annual General Meeting. At a time when many people feel politics isn’t working for them, the co-operative values of self-help, mutuality and community ownership matter more than ever.
๐๐๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น
This week members voted on the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. As more of our lives move online, this overhaul is needed to ensure we stronger protections for the critical services, businesses and infrastructure we all rely on. I intervened in the debate in the chamber about what the government is doing to ensure local government can recruit the talent needed to ensure cyber security.
๐ง๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐น๐-๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
At a Delegated Legislation Committee this week, I spoke in support of the Digital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations 2026. Fly-tipping is a blight on communities and these changes will help track waste more effectively and crack down on rogue operators.
After a good couple of days in Makerfield for Andy Burnham’s emphatic by-election win, it’s now on to another busy week ahead.
Jim McMahon OBE MP 