Fire and hire practices have no place in our society

We have witnessed incredibly distressing scenes in Ukraine in recent weeks, and the military invasion by Russia is completely unjustifiable.

The focus must now be on military de-escalation and diplomacy to force the withdrawal of Russian forces. Recently, I spoke to members of the Ukrainian Club in Stockport to offer my support, and I will continue to do all I can in Parliament to push our Government to help all those fleeing the war. We must offer shelter to everyone seeking sanctuary.

I was disappointed that Pladis has taken the decision to restructure the workforce at its historic McVitie’s factory in Stockport, which could potentially result in job losses at the site.

I have written to their senior management team and urged them to meet with me to clarify this situation as soon as possible and, as a Labour MP, I will also be speaking with USDAW and Unite trade unions to ensure the voices of all workers are heard.

Equally shocking was the decision by P&O to dismiss its entire workforce during a video call, after failing to consult any of the trade unions that represent the 800 staff, before kicking them off their boats.

I raised this issue in Parliament and asked why the Prime Minister did not discuss this matter during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, where P&O’s parent company DP World is based.

Fire and hire practices have no place in our society and should be outlawed.

Thank you to everyone who has contacted me about the Nationality and Borders Bill, which seeks to criminalise all those fleeing war and persecution. The legislation will also fundamentally undermine the Refugee Convention, drafted at the end of the Second World War.

I joined my Labour colleagues in voting against this vicious Bill in Parliament.

Last month marked the five-year anniversary of the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack, which led to the deaths of five people. I attended a memorial service to pay tribute to the life of PC Keith Palmer who worked in Parliament and also lost his life in the attack.

On a more positive note, the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe after almost six years of incarceration in Iran was welcome news. I was honoured to have the opportunity to meet her, alongside husband Richard and daughter Gabriella, when she visited Parliament just a few days after her return to the UK.

As always, if you live or work in Stockport constituency and require support with any issue, please do not hesitate to email me at navendu.mishra.mp@parliament.uk.