For many people, the work they do is one of the most important aspects of their life. A good job can provide a sense of purpose and meaning, not just a salary. Yet people can only work if the opportunities are there – which is why one of my top…

I am honoured that the voters of Houghton and Sunderland South put their trust in me again. But I know from countless conversations on the doorstep that too many lifelong voters felt badly let down by Labour, and could not support us. We must now seek to re-build, select a…

I suspect it will be months before we have anything more than a fairly broadbrush understanding of what happened in last week’s election, and while the results did not surprise me, the points I really want to make are about the immediate pitfalls to avoid rather than the longer term…