Launch of the Global Equality Caucus at the UN
On Friday I was proud to launch a new Global Equality Caucus at the United Nations in New York. We will link parliamentarians from around the world who are committed to challenging laws which discriminate against LGBT people.
It was an appropriate time and place to meet, since this week is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City that marked the beginning of the gay rights movement. We have come a very long way since then, but there are still too many countries in the world where human rights are suppressed, sometimes brutally.
Back in the Commons this week, I will open an event on behalf of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global TB (which I co-chair) together with our sister groups for HIV/AIDS and Malaria.
Our focus will be on just how much further we need to go to meet the Sustainable Development Goals target of beating these diseases by 2030. This year it will be vital to replenish the Global Fund, which is a great example of how foreign aid helps to save millions of lives. Our guest speakers will include the actor Michael Sheen.
On another global issue, this week I will meet constituents who are coming to Parliament to lobby on climate change and environmental issues. I will be pleased to report that the UK has become the first major country to commit to achieving ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050, an incredibly challenging target.
I always prioritise local issues in my constituency, and this week West Sussex MPs will meet at Westminster to discuss the deeply concerning report by HM Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services on the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.
On Friday I will visit Slindon College to mark National School Sports Week and present the Sports Day trophies. In the evening I will attend the ‘PreFest’ Fundraiser at Arundel Castle for the Arundel Festival which will be held in August.
On Saturday I will attend the Storrington Village Show where I will present the prizes for the best scarecrows. There must be a good political joke in that.
You can find further information, including the highlights of my diary each week, on my website: www.nickherbert.com.
If you would like to get in touch with me, please e-mail me at nick@nickherbert.com.