Sharon Hodgson: 'From health to economy, it's been a flying start for Labour'

​Politics should not only bring change, but change that is felt. So, almost a year on from taking office, we should be asking exactly what has changed and, most importantly, how is this felt by constituents?

Flashback a year when I was door-knocking, similar issues and conversations would arise.

From NHS waiting times to levels of crime to the cost-of-living crisis – it was clear that any incoming government would have serious work to do. Last July, following a landslide victory, this challenge became ours. I’d argue we have made a successful start.

Starting with our NHS, which is now delivering an extra 100,000 appointments per week than it was under the Tories. In the first nine months since taking office, when compared to the same period the previous year, the Government delivered an extra 4.2million appointments. This is more than double the target we had set which was to deliver two million extra NHS appointments in the first year. We not only delivered early, we delivered double. However, these are not just merely statistics - they are peoples lives. With each extra appointment, there is a story of someone able to live their lives easier, more independently, or with less pain. That is the difference a Labour government makes.

We know that working people felt the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis, and that is why they are, and will remain, at the heart of this Government’s decisions. Our free breakfast clubs will ensure no child starts the day hungry and provides 30 minutes of free morning childcare to working parents, our Employment Rights Bill offers the biggest upgrade to workers rights in a generation. We also know that the previous government crashed the economy due to unfunded and reckless economic decisions, while ordinary families paid the price. So, as a preventative measure we have introduced a fiscal lock law meaning future governments will be held to greater scrutiny over their economic plans.

That is the difference a Labour government makes.