Olivia Bailey MP
Member of Parliament for Reading West and Mid Berkshire. Please email with casework Olivia.bailey.mp@parliament.uk
- As a friend and neighbour, I know that Yuan Yang is a dedicated representative working tirelessly for our communities in Reading.
- I was deeply concerned to hear about her detention in Israel alongside fellow MP Abtisam Mohamed, and wholeheartedly agree with the Foreign Secretary that it is unacceptable, counterproductive, and absolutely no way to treat British Parliamentarians.
- I've been in touch with IKEA, West Berkshire Council and National Highways today following significant congestion at the IKEA Calcot Retail Park. All agencies are responding as swiftly as possible to prevent any further issues tomorrow.
- This follows the bridge repairs at J12 of the M4 at Theale which this weekend necessitated a full closure on the east side of the junction. I understand that the IKEA carpark will not open tomorrow and I advise people to follow guidance from National Highways: South-East before making a journey.
- Please see National highways web page for full details and diversion routes: nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/so...
- I welcome the news from Reading FC that they have entered into a period of exclusivity with a potential buyer. 🧵(1/4)
- Whilst we’ve seen similar talks fall through in the past, I remain cautiously optimistic that the club will succeed in finding new owners - and that this will be the first step in the long road back to where Reading belongs. (2/4)
- However, we need to make sure that this sort of thing can’t happen again. This Government's Football Governance Bill plans to establish an independent football regulator, and bring in a new set of rules to empower fans and keep clubs at pride of place in their communities. (3/4)
- If, like me, you think we need to protect clubs from rogue owners and put fans back at the heart of football - then please sign my petition at: oliviabailey.co.uk/back-the-foo... (4/4)
- I was delighted to lead my first Westminster Hall debate this afternoon, on the topic of affordable rural housing – an issue vital for many of my constituents 🧵 (1/6)
- We need to build more homes, but the specific housing needs of rural communities like the villages in my constituency are often missing from the conversation. (2/6)
- Without affordable housing, young families in rural communities are often priced out of the places in which they grew up – taking students from classrooms, punters from pubs and volunteers from local services (3/6)
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View full thread(6/6) Watch the debate here: parliamentlive.tv/event/index/...
- I have just listened to the Prime Minister announce his commitment to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from 2027, with an ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament. This is a momentous day for our country and our national security. (1/5)
- As the PM outlined, this is the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, and is necessary as the UK faces an era of profound change, intensifying geopolitical competition and conflicts overseas undermining security and prosperity at home. (2/5)
- To pay for this, the government has had to make a difficult choice in reducing Overseas Development Assistance and reinvesting it in defence. This reflects the need to respond to the evolving nature of the threats we face as a country while maintaining economic stability. (3/5)
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View full threadThe Prime Minister also spoke about the British jobs that will be boosted by this announcement, and this is particularly welcome in Reading West and Mid Berkshire where the defence sector is such a big employer. (5/5)
- I'm delighted by today's news that we've already delivered the 2 million extra NHS appointments we promised - 7 months early!
- There's obviously still work to be done as we fix our NHS, but this - and last week's news that waiting lists have fallen 4 months in a row - is strong evidence that our health service is firmly on the road to recovery.
- I’ve spoken in the House of Commons many times since I became an MP, but yesterday was a particularly special occasion as we marked LGBT+ History Month. (1/5)
- As a teenager, I would have never thought I’d be standing in the Commons chamber as a proud lesbian MP, celebrating all the progress we have made as a country. (2/5)
- One of the reasons I wanted to be an MP was because I’ve seen how personally how politics can transform lives, and it was an honour and a privilege to pay tribute to the LGBT+ people throughout history who have fought for our rights - while also acknowledging the work we have yet to do. (3/5)
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View full threadWatch my speech here: fb.watch/xL3fKkoTs6/ (5/5)
- We need action not rhetoric to secure our borders. I have written for @labourlist.bsky.social on how this Labour government is delivering just that.
- This Labour government are delivering on our promise to put more money in people's pockets. This week we've confirmed significant increases to the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage from April, set to boost pay packets by as much as £2500 a year.
- I am proud to represent a constituency that is so integral to our national security, with many local people employed by the defence sector including young people taking up apprenticeships which will set them up for a varied and skilled career. (1/2)
- It was brilliant to see many of those firms at the ADS reception in Parliament today and meet Paul and Heather - two constituents who have benefited from the fantastic apprenticeships offered at QinetiQ and NCC Group. (2/2)
- 🚨Great news for our economy today🚨 but what has been announced and why is this so exciting for Reading West and Mid Berkshire? 🧵(1/6)
- Today, the Chancellor announced a whole host of powerful growth measures: ✈ Expanding Heathrow while retaining our commitment to sustainable aviation 🧭 Delivering the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor (2/6)
- The Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and Heathrow will create new, skilled jobs in life sciences, construction, and aviation right on our doorstep. (3/6)
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View full threadThis government is rolling up its sleeves, showing leadership and doing what is necessary to grow our economy and deliver the brighter future this country deserves. (6/6)
- I'm looking forward to voting for the Water Bill this afternoon. As I said last month, this Bill will clean up our water by: 🛑 banning bonuses for polluting water bosses 🚨 bringing criminal charges against lawbreakers 💰 forcing water companies to cover the cost of enforcement
- This government's landmark deal with Rolls-Royce to support the Royal Navy's fleet of nuclear submarines is great news for our economy, our national security, and our defence sector. (1/2)
- With AWE on our doorstep, I'm proud to represent a constituency that is so integral to our national security. I welcome today's news as confirmation that this government is committed to our nuclear deterrent and to securing long-term skilled jobs for British people. (2/2)
- The government's Fraud, Error & Recovery Bill has its first reading today. This important legislation will update many of the DWP's anti-fraud powers for the first time in 20 years to make sure we can stop fraudsters taking public money.
- The bill will: 🏠Give DWP new powers to apply for court warrants to seize items for evidence 💰Recover debts directly from the bank accounts of individuals who can pay but have avoided doing so 🔎Help us protect claimants from error including by getting alerts from banks
- Our tough but fair approach will drive down fraud and error and bring greater fairness to the recovery of debts. This is expected to save up to £1.5bn over the next five years.
- This important bill also tackles fraud in the public sector - so we can stop people like those who ripped off covid grant schemes. We will give new powers to the Public Sector Fraud Authority’s Enforcement Unit so they can deal with fraud against the public sector efficiently.
- I was honoured to sign the Holocaust Educational Trust's Book of Commitment today.
- It’s concerning to hear that Tory leader Kemi Badenoch wants to 'means test' state pensions, confirming that her party is not actually committed to maintaining the triple lock which protects all pensioners' incomes against inflation. (1/3)
- She has even said that she is 'excited' about her policy review, while the Labour government remains committed to the triple lock. (2/3)
- This means that we can guarantee a £470 cash boost for pensioners in April and worth around £1,900 over the course of this parliament. We’ve had to make some really challenging decisions, but this huge investment in our state pensions shows that our commitment to pensioners is steadfast. (3/3)
