Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake vows to 'fight Government cuts to transport in the North'

I was elected by the people of Sheffield Hallam to fight for action on the climate and nature emergency, and to do everything in my power to protect and restore our vital public sector services.
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That is why I have been fighting further privatisation of our NHS in Parliament and it is why in January last year, in the lead up to COP26, I launched our Hallam Citizens’ Climate Manifesto, a series of assemblies with constituents to discuss their vision for climate action.

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It is this vision, built by the people of Hallam and based on the many conversations and discussions we have had, that will drive my work in Sheffield and in Parliament over the next year.

Olivia Blake MP.Olivia Blake MP.
Olivia Blake MP.
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From these discussions, I know how important it is to people in Hallam that we radically transform public transport in our city - to not only help us reach net zero and reduce air pollution, but to better connect us to our friends, family, workplaces and beautiful outdoors. Over the next year I will continue to fight government cuts to transport in the North, double down on our campaign for funding to restore rail services to the Sheaf Valley, and join campaigners across the city calling for bus services to be brought back into public control. I share the view of many in Hallam that only by transforming our local transport network will we be able to recover from the pandemic, and build a green, sustainable, just future for our city.

I also know that people in Hallam care deeply about our surrounding natural environment and its many benefits - from the moorlands at the top of our constituency which act as a vital carbon sink for the city, to the Peak District National Park and the biodiversity it protects. Earlier in the year I joined Sheffield-ers in declaring a Nature Emergency in our city, and convened a Nature Emergency Summit to discuss how Sheffield can lead the way in tackling this crisis. It is outrageous that the Government is still allowing our peatlands to be burnt at such a rate, releasing an equivalent amount of CO2 to 140,000 cars a year. Peatland burning must be banned in full and our natural environments restored, so they can provide vital flood protection and carbon sequestration that everyone in our city relies on. As we head into 2022, and in my new role as Shadow Minister for Climate Change, I will push for stronger targets and an ambitious national plan for nature restoration.

These are just a few of the ideas put to me by the people of Hallam in our Climate Manifesto, ideas I will put at the heart of my work over the next year. But I know there are so many more. So this year I am asking everyone in Sheffield Hallam to take my survey, so I know what issues you want me to raise and campaigns you want me to join over the next year. From housing conditions and renters rights, to rising living costs and support for our wonderful small businesses, I want to know where you want me to put my focus in 2022.