I welcome you to your new position, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to make my maiden speech during this important debate on poverty.

It is a great honour to serve as the Member of Parliament for Leicester West. My constituency has a proud history, as part of an open and diverse city that has welcomed people, commerce and ideas. In Roman times, Fosse Way, which still runs through Leicester West, was one of the main routes across Britain. This road helped to bring trade to my constituency in wool and leather during the middle ages, and later in textiles, hosiery and shoemaking-industries for which Leicester was long and rightly famed.

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So…this is it! Today is polling day and its your chance to vote for a better future for your family, your community, and your country.

It’s a big decision, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. I believe Labour is the right choice for people in Leicester West. We are the only party that will stand up for this area, and be on your side.

Labour will:

• Bring more and better local jobs here, by investing in skills, transport and IT, and supporting modern manufacturing.
• Give children a flying start in life, with more time off for new dads and a toddler tax credit.
• Help children in all our schools, with incentives to bring the best teachers here and one-to-one tuition for children who are falling behind.
• Make all our communities safe, with tough action on anti-social behaviour and more activities for young people in the evenings and at weekends.
• End the post-code lottery of care for older people through a new National Care Service, and re-link the state pension with earnings.

Click here to watch a short video about why people in this area are voting Labour.

So, exercise your democratic right, make sure your voice is heard, and vote.

Vote for a better, fairer future. Vote Labour on May 6th.

PS Don’t forget:

• Polling stations are open from 7am – 10pm.
• You don’t need your polling card, just your name and address.
• If you’ve forgotten to post your Postal Vote, you can take it with you to the polling station.
• Ring 0116 253 7374 if you don’t know where your polling station is or if you need a lift.

Today we launched Labour’s manifesto for the East Midlands. Our fantastic Leicester West campaign team joined Labour candidates and members from across the region to hear Ed Balls give a great speech about Labour’s record and plans for the future.

Ed set out a powerful vision for the East Midlands as a region of industrial strength, creating future prosperity and good quality jobs for all. He talked about the improvements we’ve already made in the NHS and local schools, and how we’ll make more changes in the years ahead. This includes a guarantee that patients will see a cancer specialist within 2 weeks, and get their test results back within a week, a promise of one-to-one tuition for children who are falling behind in primary schools and early in secondary schools, and a guarantee of an education or training place for every child up to the age of 18.

I thought the most powerful points Ed made were about Labour’s plans to provide more help for hard working families. Labour will increase paternity pay from 2 to 4 weeks, to help new dads spend the crucial first month of life with their babies, and we’ll introduce a new Toddlers Tax Credit and free nursery places for 2 year olds, to help families with the costs of childcare.

The contrast with the Tories couldn’t be more stark. Ed reminded us that – for all their claims of being family friendly – the Tories voted against Labour’s increases in maternity pay (now up to 9 months) and the new rights we’ve given parents to request flexible working. Now they want to cut Child Tax Credits and cut our fantastic Sure Start services for ordinary hard working people, but give an inheritance tax cut that will benefit the 3,000 wealthiest families.

And the Tories want to ’send a signal’ that marriage is best through their marriage tax allowance. This won’t help any couple where both parents work, or single parents, widows or widowers. And it shows how stuck in the past the Tories are – they simply fail to recognise that stable, loving families come in all shapes and sizes these days.

I’m proud of the difference Labour has made in Leicester West. I’m not complacent – far from it: I know much more still needs to change here. But I believe Labour’s experience in Government, and our plans for the future, will help make all our communities even better places to live and work.

Yesterday’s campaign was proper old school. Jack Straw, Labour’s Candidate for Blackburn and Justice Secretary, decided he wanted to lend us a hand and promptly turned up with his soapbox in Leicester City Centre.

Jack made a brief speech on Labour’s record, our manifesto, and the choice facing voters on May 6th. He then took questions for over an hour. People wanted to know about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, what’s happening to care homes locally and how we’re going to pay for long-term care nationally, what Labour is doing about immigration, our policies on education, how we’re going to help students….to name but a few!

Lots of people wanted to know Jack’s opinion, some wanted to make it clear how fed up and disillusioned they are with politics and politicians, and a few were just plain angry. Some people agreed with what Jack said, some wanted more information, and others vehemently disagreed. It was politics in action – voters and candidates, face to face, a real debate, no holds barred. Brilliant.

A quick trip back to the office to grab some balloons and stickers, and we were off again – to Caldecote primary to do a school gate session. I’ve written to parents about Labour’s plans to do even more to help families and to give children the best start in life, and to ask for their views – particularly about what more we should be doing to improve schools in this area. If you want to tell me what you think about this issue, please give me a ring or email me.