I grew up locally by Old Trafford football ground and began my working life serving at the shop counter of a pawn shop, an experience that taught me more about the struggles of life than any degree or qualification ever could. I also worked in call centres, a furniture factory, and as a postwoman before eventually studying to become a solicitor, where, for many years I acted on behalf of NHS Bodies on a range of governance and contractual issues.

I became interested in politics at an early age because I saw the struggles that my parents and other local families faced. I was angry at the inequality and unfairness I had seen and I wanted to do something about it. A society should be judged on how it treats the most vulnerable in the community and I believe that we should rebuild a British economy with the welfare of the British people at its very heart. The foundation stones of our economic policy should be prosperity and social justice not greed and despair.

In May 2015 I was honoured to be elected as MP for Salford and Eccles with 49.4% of the vote, and with over 21,000 resident votes, and again in 2017 with 65.5% of the vote and over 31,000 votes. I am truly grateful for the support I have received.

In my maiden speech to Parliament I talked about the history of Salford and Eccles and the struggles that the people of Salford, Swinton, Eccles and Pendlebury unfairly face due to a financial crisis they didn’t cause. At the same time the Conservative Government turns a blind eye to tax avoidance and hands out tax breaks to millionaires. I told Parliament that this constituency and its people have a proud socialist history, and that I intend to use my time representing them in parliament to fight for them to have a proud, socialist future as well.

I am honoured to have been a member of Jeremy Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet as the Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, setting out Labour’s policies on how we can rebuild our communities, support local businesses and their work forces, and revolutionise our energy system so that it works for our people, with communities and environment at it’s very heart.