Member

One of the meanings of the name Dewsbury is “God’s town”, which is reflected today in its diverse communities living in harmony and in the many places of worship. It is home to the famous Dewsbury market, which was established in the 14th century and was my first place of employment, aged 14, on a wage of £4 a day. Dewsbury and Batley became a global textile centre during the industrial revolution and a world leader in recycled wool textiles known as shoddy and mungo. Today, despite the lack of support, my constituency is a leader in bed and furniture manufacturing, and it competes with Bradford for the best curry in the UK. It is also home to the Dewsbury Rams and Batley Bulldogs rugby clubs. Dewsbury and Batley have too many worthy sons and daughters to mention, including Nobel laureates. I will, however, pay tribute to the late Jo Cox MP, who is fondly remembered and dearly missed to this day.