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Karen put her name to the following letter published in the Guardian yesterday:

"The Conservative party's calls for immediate cuts to the economy have been met by a growing chorus of criticism, warning that this risks sending the economy back into recession (Report, 8 March). The government was right to stimulate the economy with a variety of measures last year and so offset some of the worst effects of the recession. Yet, as some of the world's leading economists have pointed out, the fragile nature of the recovery means that fiscal stimulus is still required. However, according to the IMF,… » Read more

The Environment Secretary, the Rt Hon Hilary Benn has announced that the Government will hold a consultation on whether the current laws on dangerous dogs are enough to protect the public and encourage responsible dog ownership.

The vast majority of dog owners are well-meaning and responsible and make sure their pet ownership does not impact negatively on the wider community. I know in north Westminster that we've made progress through the use of dog wardens and behavioural training programmes for dogs. But there… » Read more

I have just returned from a three day fact finding mission to the Gaza strip. I went with a British parliamentary delegation and other members of the Britain-Palestine All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) to assess the effects of the on-going blockade and limited reconstruction efforts, over one year on from Israel's invasion which left 1,400 Palestinians dead.

The lack of reconstruction in Gaza fourteen months after Operation Cast Lead is truly astonishing. I saw first hand the homes, schools and hospitals that continue to lie in ruin, because Israel refuses to allow access for the concrete, steel and glass that are… » Read more

On Monday night Karen made an appearance in a Channel 4 political slot to highlight the benefits of early detection and treatment when it comes to fighting cancer and to discuss the changes being made by the Labour Government to introduce a legally enforcable right to see a Cancer specialist within two weeks if a GP suspects their patient may have cancer.

You can watch Karen by following the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/user/theuklabourparty#p/u/0/V3fuQJs1Shk

In Prime Minister's Questions today I asked the Prime Minister about continuing support and investment in police numbers and Safer Neighbourhood Teams. As I said in my question earlier "high visability police patrols are the public's number one priority for reassurance and crime prevention." I am therefore highly concerned that the rise of police numbers in London by 6,500 over the last few years appears to be going into reverse with Mayor of London Boris Johnson's Draft budget implying a cut of 455 officers over his time in Office.

These planned cuts to the operational budgets of the Metropolitan Police… » Read more

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the first Labour exchanges set up to help people find work. There were just 62 Labour exchanges when they were first introduced on 1 February 1910. Each had separate entrances for men and women, the skilled and unskilled were kept apart and children as young as 11 were regularly seen in the queues.

We have come a long way since then. Labour exchanges have become Jobcentre Plus centres. We now have 750 newly designed centres around the country staffed by over 78,000 employees and with jobs that range from security guards… » Read more

On Wednesday I pledged my commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day by signing a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons to honour those who perished in the Holocaust.

With 27th January marking the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Holocaust Educational Trust placed a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons to give MPs the opportunity to remember those who were persecuted and murdered during the Holocaust - and to support a ‘Legacy of Hope', learning from Survivors' experiences to help create a future free from hatred and prejudice.

I… » Read more

Holocaust Memorial Day is commemorated internationally on 27th January each year. The date was chosen as it was the day in 1945 on which the Soviet Army liberated the largest Nazi concentration camp - Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The day allows us to reflect on what can happen when racism, prejudice and exclusionary behaviour are left unchecked. As well as remembering the victims and survivors of the Holocuast it is also a reminder that unless we oppose discrimination, persecution and racism such crimes could happen at any time and in any place as the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and the ongoing atrocities… » Read more

My experience as a parent in north Westminster has almost exactly mirrored my life as an MP - local childminder, Pre-School, nursery, primary and secondary school. Real life being what it is, it has sometimes been a bumpy ride. Yet, taken overall, I have been impressed and often deeply moved by the dedication and ability of those working in our early years services and schools. Happily, my journey has occured at the same time that we've seen immense improvement in Westminster's education provision.

A decade or so ago, half of all the borough's secondary schools, and several primaries, were either… » Read more

The unprecedented level of devastation and loss of life caused by the earthquake that hit Haiti on 12th January becomes more apparent with every day that passes.

Ravaging large parts of the poorest country in the Western hemisphere - where 80% of the population live in destitution - the earthquake has brought untold misery to a people who have already suffered so much.

I am very pleased that the Government is trebling its funding for the immediate humanitarian response to the Haiti earthquake. The total sum will now rise from $10 million to £20 million (over $30m) based on the… » Read more