As this is my last Westminster Diary before the Christmas break, I thought I would look back over the past year.

There is no doubt Labour has been though a difficult time politically and that the local elections were fought against the backdrop of our lowest opinion poll ratings for a generation. However, by keeping our nerve and showing our determination to make the tough, long term decisions, we have re-earned the respect of the electorate, particularly for the leadership shown by Gordon Brown in response to the global economic crisis

Here in Reading West we produced a stunning set of local election results, comfortably holding on to our traditional wards of Whitley, Battle, and Norcot, and holding off the Tory onslaught in Minster and Southcote. Given that the Tories were boasting that they were set to take control of Reading Borough Council, and the huge resources that they ploughed in to the campaign, we did incredibly well to hold five of the six Labour seats up for election in my constituency. As a result Labour is still the largest party and leads the council, although we no longer have an overall majority.

It has been as busy as ever on the local campaign front with a superb victory over Kennet Meadows with pressure from Labour councillors and myself resulting in the Secretary of State deleting the Meadows as a development zone from the South East Plan. We have also been active in trying to protect wildlife sites at the Bath Road Reservoir and at Pincents Hill in Calcot. I was particularly pleased with the successful campaign to stop the Environment Agency disposing of twenty-two lock-keepers’ cottages along the Thames. This crazy proposal would have put river users’ lives at risk and would have seen lock-keepers and their families evicted from their homes. This was an appalling way to treat loyal public servants and it was political pressure which forced a welcome change of heart by the Environment Agency. I have also been working with Network Rail on the plans to refurbish Reading Station to increase track and platform capacity and reduce delays to passengers. The new plans will see the widening of the notorious Cow Lane Bridges to both end a traffic bottleneck and provide dedicated pedestrian and cycle access north of the railway line.

Much of my work in Westminster is related to my membership of the Home Affairs Select Committee and my position as Vice-Chair of the Labour Party with responsibility for the environment. I have been actively campaigning against the proposals for a third runway at Heathrow Airport as we are already in breach of European air quality standards and increasing flights will only make matters worse.

The Home Affairs Committee has been engaged in inquiries into policing, immigration, forced marriage and domestic violence, knife crime, and human trafficking. I have also set up and now chair a new All Party Parliamentary Group on Gurkhas’ Rights and have been lobbying for Gurkha soldiers to be allowed to settle in the UK, in the same way as other foreign national soldiers, at the end of their period of service. I am hoping for a positive announcement from the Government on a new settlement policy for Gurkha soldiers in the next couple of weeks.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.