Marie Tidball MP delivers her Maiden Speech

This week, Marie Tidball MP, newly elected Labour Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge made her Maiden Speech in Parliament. 

The MP delivered a love letter to the constituency, celebrating the rich history, unique landscape, and constituents who literally reach for the stars. 

The Maiden Speech was made during the debate on the Second Reading of the Employment Rights Bill, which delivers the biggest upgrade in worker’s rights in a generation. This means that those local teachers and teaching assistants who played such a pivotal role in Marie’s life, will now be valued properly for their hard work. 

The speech began by highlighting how our communities nurtured Marie growing up, including the world class NHS care at Barnsley and Sheffield Children’s Hospitals, and local state education in Penistone. This support enabled Marie to walk, catch up, and find expression through education. 

The speech also paid tribute to the significant contributions made by our constituency’s histories to the country, with “our rich agricultural heritage putting food on the country’s table, and grit and determination of local miner’s, the steelworks in Stocksbridge and ironworks in Thorncliffe power[ing] the industrial revolution”. 

“Talent bursts forth in our constituency out of the dramatic landscape, gruelling weather, and lives hard-worked and hard-won.” Talented individuals in the speech included: 

Grenoside’s Helen Sharman, who was the first British citizen to go into space in 1991. 

Thurlstone born Nicholas Saunderson was a blind 17th century Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.  

England international footballer, John Stones also hails from this village and follows a long and proud history of footballers who’ve gone through Penistone Church FC. 

Ecclesfield produced Barry Hines, author of A Kestral for a Knave, who documented working class lives for over 40 years. 

Musicians abound too, Alex Turner of High Green, Rachel McShane of Bellowhead, and Cawthorne’s Kate Rusby. 

The speech noted that “ensuring the very special people of the place that made continue to innovate to change the world will be central to the work I do”. 

Marie ended her speech addressing the people across Penistone and Stocksbridge, pledging to work to give back to our special communities. 

 “I will do what it takes to get things right, and get things done”, supporting the Government who will “restore hope across our communities and bring people together.” 

Marie Tidball, Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said: 

“My Maiden Speech was a love letter to the constituency. I was so proud to make my maiden speech as the first constituency MP to have grown up here for over 100 years. Our local communities nurtured me growing up, and now it’s the honour of my life to be elected your MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge. As your MP I will work hard every day to give back to the place that made me, and be a strong voice for our communities, ensuring people growing up and growing old in our constituency can fulfil their potential.