The Imperial War Museum’s re- opened today with a major exhibition on World War 1.  Congratulations are due to all those involved in this major redevelopment. 

On 18th September Scotland will have a referendum on Scottish Independence. The decision will have a lasting impact, not just on Scotland, but on the whole of the UK.

Today I met the Interim Principal of LeSoCo, Ioan Morgan, who talked to me about plans to improve further education services for students on the college's Camberwell site. The meeting was productive and we discussed how, working with Southwark Council, LeSoCo can move forward and ensure high quality further education is locally accessible.

This morning I joined local councillors Fiona Colley, Sunil Chopra and Sandra Rhule to meet parents and carers at the school gate at Hollydale Primary school in Nunhead. It was good to meet the Head Teacher, Reema Reid, and talk to some of the pupils at the Breakfast Club.

One Nation Fizz, a new book edited by Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, Diana Johnson MP and Barbara Keeley MP was launched yesterday.

This evening I joined Iain Dale on LBC for my monthly hour long phone in. We had a lively discussion and I took a series of wide ranging questions from callers across the country

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Women today launched a report and held a reception in the Speaker’s House which I attended. The report makes a number of good suggestions. It is important we now have action.

On Thursday evening I was out campaigning with local ward councillors Mark Williams and Radha Burgess and local Labour Party members in Sceaux Gardens in Camberwell. It was good to talk to residents and hear that things are going well on the estate.

This morning I joined residents of the Bonamy Estate for an advice surgery and walkabout with Pat Hickson and Kieri Pieri from the Tenant's Association, local councillors Richard Livingstone and Evelyn Akoto, and Ifeanyi Onabu, Robertson Egueye, Michael Mann and Sharron Smith from Southwark Council.

The TUC Women’s Officers’ Summer School was set up 10 years ago with the aim to develop the next generation of women trade union leaders.

The Speaker’s lecture series was set up by the Speaker, John Bercow in 2011 to mark the centenary of the Parliament Act 1911. The first series covered some of the main political figures of the century. This year the series concentrated on individual policy areas. I was invited to speak about Parliament and Equality.  To read my speech please click here.

Today the 3rd stage of the Tour de France came to an end in London. The atmosphere was brilliant, the crowds were huge and all the riders & teams were great.

Next, Stage 4 -  Le Touquet-Paris-Plage > Lille Métropole

This morning I visited Harris Boys Academy East Dulwich in Peckham Rye to meet with students and staff. Many thanks to the Principal, Chris Everett, for showing me around.

Today I met with Southwark Council Leader Peter John at his office in Tooley Street. We discussed the importance of parents being happy with their local schools, scholarships for young people to attend local art colleges and the Peckham Rye station area re-development.

There are only 295 days left before the next General Election which is due to take place on Thursday 7th May 2015. Purna Sen, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Pavilion held her campaign launch with over 100 members and supporters. I spoke about how the Government is keen to keep saying that there is a recovery but it hasn’t come to the doorstep of people around the country. Brighton Pavilion would benefit from having an MP like Purna whose work can bring change to the city. Labour is the only Party that wants to tackle the unfairness in the system. We have already suggested policies to ease the cost of living crisis immediately on energy prices, childcare and scrapping the bedroom tax.

Last night the Labour Party held its fourth annual business reception. The event brought together over 1,300 business - both large and small - from a broad cross section of industries, sectors and regions. This was the largest business engagement event the Party has held to date. The event was hosted by technology reporter and UK Digital Skills Taskforce Chair Maggie Philbin and the evening included speeches from Chuka Umunna, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls and Ed Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party.

Today at DCMS questions, I asked about progress on the new system of independent self-regulation of the press:

The work of hugely talented designers from across Britain is on show at the New Designers Exhibition.  I saw the work of designers working with textiles, furniture, ceramics and even a clever design by Graham Friend for a baby-carrier for airline travel! 

Today I attended and spoke at an important meeting in Parliament with the Nigerian Minister of Finance Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown on the Nigerian schoolgirls who remain missing after their abduction on 14th April.

This week I was pleased to welcome three young people from my constituency to undertake work experience in my constituency office: Blessing Ayenge from Peckham who attends Notre Dame School, Oluwatomiwa ‘Tomi’ Sanyaolu who goes to St Thomas the Apostle School and Hanz Espino from Camberwell who is at Sacred Heart School.