Olivia Blake was elected as the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam at the 2019 general election.
37 Facts About Olivia Blake
2.
Olivia Blake studied Biomedical Science at the University of Sheffield.
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In 2013, Olivia Blake stood in the election for the Youth Representative on Labour's National Executive Committee and came second.
4.
Olivia Blake campaigned to introduce 'one member one vote' elections for internal positions and was supported by the Labour Party's left-wing.
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In 2018, Olivia Blake was elected to Labour's National Policy Forum with the endorsement of the left-wing groups Momentum and the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance.
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Olivia Blake unsuccessfully stood in the 2 May 2013 by-election for the Fulwood ward of Sheffield City Council before being elected as a local councillor to the Walkley ward of Sheffield City Council in 2014,2015 and 2016.
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Olivia Blake was elected Deputy Leader of the Council in April 2017.
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Olivia Blake said she was elected as Deputy Leader "on a ticket of reform", and worked to in-source council contracts and tackle privatisation.
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Olivia Blake supported a campaign to initiate a pilot scheme of universal basic income in Sheffield.
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Olivia Blake later resigned as Deputy Leader to support a grassroots movement to change the democratic structure of the council, remaining as a councillor.
11.
Olivia Blake later resigned from the Council following her election as an MP.
12.
Olivia Blake was selected as the prospective Labour Party candidate in Sheffield Hallam in December 2018.
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Olivia Blake was elected as the Member of Parliament at the December 2019 general election.
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Olivia Blake nominated Rebecca Long-Bailey in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election and Angela Rayner in the 2020 Labour Party deputy leadership election.
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In February 2020, Olivia Blake was elected as the Treasurer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.
16.
Olivia Blake was elected to Parliament's Public Accounts Committee in March 2020.
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Olivia Blake was appointed to the frontbench as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Andy McDonald, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, in January 2020.
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Olivia Blake is Vice-Chair of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union Parliamentary Group.
19.
Since 2020, Olivia Blake has served as the Chair of the SEND APPG.
20.
Olivia Blake was forced to resign from her position as PPS to Jo Stevens and Ian Murray in September 2020 when she, alongside 18 other Labour MPs, including two other junior office holders, Beth Winter and Nadia Whittome, defied the Labour whip and voted against the Overseas Operations Bill.
21.
In early 2021, Olivia Blake launched a series of monthly climate assemblies in the run-up to COP 26 From these assemblies, Olivia Blake created the Hallam Citizens' Climate Manifesto, informed by constituents' contributions in the assemblies.
22.
Olivia Blake launched the manifesto in October 2021, with a launch in Sheffield and by handing in a copy of the manifesto at 10 Downing Street.
23.
On 14 May 2021, Olivia Blake was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Nature, Water and Flooding.
24.
Olivia Blake resigned from this role on 15 June 2022, citing personal reasons.
25.
Olivia Blake serves as the Co-Chair for the APPG on Migration, alongside David Simmonds, Conservative MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner.
26.
In late 2022, households in Stannington ward in Olivia Blake's constituency were left without gas for a week in freezing temperatures.
27.
Olivia Blake stationed members of her constituency team at Lomas Hall in Stannington throughout the incident, and led door-knocking teams to identify vulnerable people in need of support.
28.
Olivia Blake introduced the Climate and Ecology Bill in May 2023 under the Ten Minute Rule procedure in the House of Commons.
29.
Olivia Blake is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group, the left grouping of Labour Party Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.
30.
Olivia Blake supported Britain remaining in the European Union, saying in November 2019 that she would campaign to remain in a potential second referendum on the issue.
31.
Olivia Blake is a supporter of a "Green New Deal" for the UK, and passionate about the issue of climate change.
32.
Olivia Blake has expressed support for improved transport links for Sheffield to address the climate crisis.
33.
Olivia Blake discussed her experience of having a miscarriage in August 2020 in a parliamentary debate on Baby Loss in November 2020 and called for the three miscarriages rule where support was only offered after this point to be changed.
34.
Olivia Blake successfully campaigned to allow one partner to be present at all times with pregnant mothers during the pandemic.
35.
In March 2021, Olivia Blake announced that she had taken on the role of 'species champion' in Westminster Parliament for the threatened hen harrier.
36.
In March 2023, Olivia Blake tabled an amendment to the Government's Illegal Migration Bill, to create a "safe passage" visa to give entry clearance to those already in Europe wishing to come to the UK to make an asylum claim.
37.
Olivia Blake said that 'if we want to save lives, ministers need to change their approach, drop the cruel and inhumane deterrence policies, and look at real solutions.