It is very exciting to have been included in the Birthday Honours List marking Her Majesty The Queen’s historic Platinum Jubliee. I have had the good fortune to work with incredibly talented people in Basingstoke, Parliament and as a Government Minister. I am particularly pleased that this honour recognises the importance of work done to make our country a more equal place for everyone. It is so important to give people respect and the same opportunity to succeed.
I was born in a council house and went to my local comprehensive school in South Wales. I learnt how to work hard from my parents. But becoming a Member of Parliament, and receiving an Honour from the Queen was never on my radar. It is an absolute privilege to represent my community in the House of Commons.
I look forward to continuing the work I am doing to help make Basingstoke, and our country more widely, a place where we all have the opportunity to succeed in life regardless of where we were born, our sex, gender, sexuality, disability or ethnicity.
