Please read my submission to the Transport for London consultation on the proposed Bakerloo Line extension here.

This weekend was Small Business Saturday and in support of small local businesses I was joined by local councillor Lorraine Lauder on a trip to East Street market in Walworth, where I heard from traders about the challenges they are facing.

Joining councillors and local Labour Party members for a door knock in Faraday to talk to local residents about the issues they are concerned about.

The world renowned artist and sculptor Anish Kapoor has worked in Camberwell for over 25 years. This morning I visited his studios and saw a number of interesting works in progress. We talked about how important it is that everyone - especially young people - has access to the arts, and the role schools can play in encouraging children to explore and develop their creativity.

Sacred Heart secondary school in Camberwell has recently opened its new school building. This morning I visited the new school with Serge Cefai, the Head Teacher. I addressed the 6th form in their morning assembly and talked about the importance of young people engaging with the political process. I also had the opportunity to meet 6th form politics students who asked some very tough questions about the economy, gender equality, and democracy. Thanks to Tom Spreyer, Head of Politics, for arranging this event.

Today I attended the Trade Union Group’s Christmas reception, celebrating the work done by our Trade Union MPs and the Unions, as well as taking a look at the incredibly important year ahead. Speeches were made by Ed Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party, Paul Kenny, General Secretary of the GMB, Jo Stevens, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate in Cardiff Central, and Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC. I spoke about the significance of trade unions to the Labour Party, and how important they are to millions of working people across the country. I also took the opportunity to thank Frank Doran MP, who is stepping down from Parliament in 2015, for his service to both the Labour Party and the trade union movement. The event was hosted by Ian Lavery MP, Chair of the Trade Union Group of Labour MPs.

This afternoon I joined residents of the Walworth Estate for their Christmas lunch at St. Peter's Church in Walworth. Thanks to Henry and Margaret from the Tenants & Residents Association for organising a great event.

This morning I met with Dr. Jonty Heaversedge (Chair), Dr. Sian Howell (Clinical Lead for Primary Care Development) and Andrew Bland (Chief Officer) from Southwark CCG to discuss their plans for improving healthcare for people in Southwark. We talked about GP access, winter planning for A&E, and mental health services.

Please read my 2014 annual report here.

This year’s Labour regional conference was held in Hammersmith and Fulham – a council won by Labour from the Tories in this year’s local elections.  Over 350 members, MPs, Parliamentary Candidates, Trade Unions, Councillors, Assembly members and MEPs joined at the town hall to discuss the forthcoming General Election, sharing how Labour is standing up for their communities in tough times and what we would do in Government to address the cost of living crisis and make a real difference to the lives of people in London.  I spoke about the policies a Labour Government would bring in including on childcare, energy prices, immigration and to protect the NHS. Labour has the policies, people and politics – next May’s General Election is one Labour can and must win.

Today I met with Councillor Victoria Mills, Southwark Council Cabinet Member for Children & Schools and Merrill Haeusler, Director of Children's Services. We talked about the Council's support for local schools in Camberwell and Peckham and how we can work to improve parental choice and the transition from primary to secondary.

Gordon Brown will be remembered as one of the political giants of his generation. He was pivotal - along with Tony Blair - in bringing Labour out of the wilderness of 18 years of opposition.  History will also recognise his global leadership as the developed world quaked in the face of the global financial crisis.  Gordon Brown's leadership ensured that the USA and Europe - as well as the UK - took the action necessary to back up the banks and prevent the crisis turning into a crash.  He brought the issue of tackling global poverty in to the centre of our political agenda and put public resources into the increases in childcare and maternity pay that working women need. He inspired passionate support in the Labour Party - not least in Scotland - and I wish him well for a future which will undoubtedly see him continue to use his global stature to support progressive causes.

Joining many people on sunny Camberwell Green in support of bringing the Tube to Camberwell and Peckham.

Joining local Labour Party members and councillors to talk to residents in Livesey about the issues they are concerned about.

If you look at a tube map of London there’s a massive hole in the middle that is Camberwell and Peckham. North of the river and central London is peppered with tube stations, and some areas miles away from the centre have tube stations too.

Camberwell and Peckham is unique in that we have been poorly served by public transport for years. We have a Camberwell Station Road that has no station! Trains don’t stop here anymore because they only serve commuters from the outer areas of London. Thanks to Ken Livingstone our bus services have improved and we also have overland trains. But there’s nothing like a tube station.

I’m glad that Transport for London has agreed to consult on bringing the tube to Camberwell and Peckham. They are looking at extending the Bakerloo line into South East London from its current end point at the Elephant and Castle. It’s long overdue and a positive sign that they are taking the issue seriously. We would not have a tube until 2030 but we need to plan now.

I strongly support extending the Bakerloo Line to Camberwell and Peckham on both routes proposed – via Camberwell and Peckham Rye and Old Kent Road. It would create jobs and support development and regeneration in the area, and improve transport connections between South and Central London helping to reduce local traffic congestion especially along Walworth Road and Old Kent Road.

Local people are campaigning for a tube. Residents, businesses and voluntary organisations want to see better access for people who live and work locally. Camberwell and Peckham is home to several nationally important institutions including Kings College Hospital, Camberwell College of Art and the Maudsley Hospital, which have thousands of staff, visitors and students passing through every day. The tube would relieve pressure on our slow, overcrowded buses and trains, and provide quicker, direct and less crowded journeys into central London.

Camberwell and Peckham in particular are growth areas attracting new residents and new housing. Fundamental to the regeneration of this part of London is having a new efficient transport system through the area and across the river to major transport hubs in the north of the city. When Londoners are benefitting from the investment in transport projects such as Thameslink, the underground upgrades and Crossrail, we must ensure that residents in Camberwell and Peckham also benefit from investment.

Please show your support for bringing the tube to come to Camberwell and Peckham by attending the rally on Saturday 29^th November on Camberwell Green. The TfL consultation is at www.tfl.gov.uk/bakerloo-extension and is due to finish on December 9.

The West Yorkshire playhouse kindly hosted a Labour Arts Alliance roundtable to which all the leading arts organisations in Leeds and West Yorkshire were invited to. It was a great turnout and we had a very constructive conversation on the importance of the arts in the regions.

It was great to meet up in Elmet & Rothwell with Parliamentary Prospective Candidate Veronica King to do some local campaigning ahead of the General Election. We got to meet local people on their doorsteps to listen about the issues that are affecting them in their area and we were also joined by Rachel Reeves MP.

During a visit to Leeds Carnegie Stadium today Rachel Reeves I met with Gary Etherington, Chief Executive of Leeds Carnegie Rugby and the Chairman Sir Ian McGeechan to talk about the upcoming 2015 Rugby World Cup and also about the great work they do in the local community.

In Ipswich over 200 Labour members, Councillors, MPs, MEPs and Parliamentary candidates gathered for the Eastern Region Conference ahead of the General Election in May 2015.

Last night I joined local party members and councillors for the annual Camberwell and Peckham Labour Party gala dinner. We were delighted to have Dennis Skinner MP as our guest speaker.