Shadow Chancellor to speak at Sheffield event

The Labour MP is to address an event held by Sheffield Constituency Labour Party on February 13 about a range of topics, including the six months since party leader Jeremy Corbyn was elected.

Later the same day he will also campaign with Rotherham MP and shadow minister Sarah Champion.

It was hoped he could attend the Sheffield No Cuts Budget conference which is also to be held at the Novotel Hotel in the city centre from noon but he cannot.

The conference comes after Sheffield Council announced plans to cut 400 jobs to balance its books, while the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills is to close its Sheffield office, axing 250 jobs. The HMRC has also announced it is to close its Sheffield office, affecting 500 workers.

The Public and Commercial Services Union has pledged to fight the cuts and a spokesman added: “PCS believes Sheffield’s Labour Council, faced with another 30-50 per cent cut in central Government funding over the next four years, must say ‘enough is enough’.”

Ministers say the office move is part of providing a ‘sustainable civil service’.