The undoubted highlight of this week was the visit to Parliament by President Zelensky, who came and addressed a group of MPs and Peers. It was a real privilege to be present to listen to him talk about the great strides Ukraine has made in anti-drone measures and how their expertise is now being shared with the Americans in the Middle East. I do think it is vital that we do not forget the ongoing situation in Ukraine, whilst inevitably the world’s attention is turned to Iran.
The bravery and stoicism of the Ukrainian people is absolutely astonishing, and as the President highlighted, they have come through a terrible Winter with their determination still unbowed.
This week in Parliament I am being shadowed by a scientist from the University of Southampton as part of the Royal Society’s pairing scheme. I am not sure the breadth of activities in Parliament was quite what she was expecting, but attending PMQs was certainly a highlight. She also took part in an activity with the pupils from St Matthew’s Primary School in Stretford, where we made peace bracelets with the children. Not what I usually get up to on a Wednesday, but it is always lovely to meet children and answer their questions about Parliament and our democracy.
This month is ovarian cancer awareness month and there have been a range of events to highlight the importance of wider awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms. It is still a disease that impacts over 7000 women a year, and there is no effective screening programme. It was inspiring to talk to the women who have survived this horrible cancer and they are doing great work to educate others about the symptoms and the importance of understanding your own body.