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Setting the agenda

Posted by Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston, at 10:40, Fri 15 February 2013:

I have been especially proud today to be a Labour MP. Today, Labour politicians have been dominating the political agenda on two really important topics.

Ed Miliband’s speech this morning set out bold plans for a 10p starting rate of income tax for those on low and middle incomes, paid for by a tax on houses worth over £2million.

Policies that will help make work pay, help hard-pressed family budgets, and help address the gross inequalities in income and wealth that persist in the UK.

I don't think we have many houses valued at over £2million in Stretford and Urmston.

But we do have lots of working families who are struggling to make ends meet.

A cut in basic rate income tax would make a real difference to them.

And a "mansion tax" could pay for it.

Also today, my colleague Stella Creasy MP oversaw a truly brilliant day of campaigning against violence against women and girls, as part of the global One Billion Rise campaign.

Events took place all over the country. Women and men danced, partied, shouted, waved banners, demonstrated - demanding action to tackle sexual and domestic violence.

In parliament, as part of the campaign, MPs organised a debate on the importance of sex and relationships education in schools. It's so important that we teach our young people that violence and abuse towards women and girls are never, ever, acceptable.

I've been shocked at figures that show 1 in 2 boys and 1 in 3 girls think it can be ok for a man to hit his partner.

Three quarters of the victims of domestic violence are women.

And they typically experience more than 20 incidents of abuse before the police are called in, and criminal proceedings follow.

I was really delighted that MPs of all parties supported One Billion Rise today.

But I am very disappointed that the other parties wouldn't support Labour's call for sex and relationships education to be part of the national curriculum.

We will keep campaigning for that.

Parliament is now in recess for halfterm, and I am looking forward to spending the next 10 days at home in Stretford.

I'll be out and about, meeting residents, hearing about the issues that matter locally.

I'll be going on a number of community walkabouts, and holding local community events, as part of my Safer Trafford Streets campaign.

Over the next week, I'll be out and about in Old Trafford, Urmston, Partington and Davyhulme.

If you'd like to know what's happening in your area, or you're interested in learning more about the campaign, visit my website www.kategreen.org, follow on twitter @kategreensu #safertraffordstreets, or visit the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SaferTraffordStreets, to find out where I'll be!

I hope to see you!

Kate Green Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston Shadow Spokesperson for Equality

Tel: 0161 749 9120 (constituency); 020 7219 7162 (Westminster) www.kategreen.org @kategreensu