It’s a well-known fact that school visits are my favourite part of my job and I was lucky enough to spend the morning with pupils in the Reception class at St James C of E Primary who asked me to join them on one of their regular litter picks.

I am always inspired when I spend time with children and young people who care so much about their community and the world around them.

We were joined by St Michael’s ward councillors Bill Fairfoull, Jean Drennan and Andrew McLaren and filled dozens of bags with discarded bottles, takeaway boxes and crisp packets.

While we were out and about the children told me how much it upsets them when they see people drop litter and that is what drives them to take action.

One thing that always resonates with me when I visit schools and colleges is how passionate pupils are about climate change and the environment.

Last week, Labour announced plans to kick start growth and deliver clean power by 2030. The Green Prosperity Plan will be funded by a windfall tax on the oil and gas giants.

The centrepiece of the package is Great British Energy, a publicly owned energy company to take back control of the energy system on behalf of the British people. 

Great British Energy includes the Local Power Plan, which is designed to invest in clean homegrown power generation that can cut bills for families, create jobs across the country and end the energy insecurity that is blighting so many families in my constituency.

A driving motivation for Great British Energy will be the need to emulate the success of other European countries and we will be able to invest in and deliver projects alongside the private sector. 

Great British Energy will invest in the following key areas: - 

- Partnering with industry to deliver homegrown power for Britain by co-investing in leading-edge clean energy technologies such as floating offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and tidal. 

- Helping to get capital-intensive projects over the line, for example by ending a decade of drift on nuclear power under the Conservatives. 

- Putting profits into the pockets of working people and communities, to deliver Labour’s Local Power Plan. 

Alongside this, Labour's National Wealth Fund will help to create up to half a million jobs in Britain's industrial heartlands, giving opportunities to plumbers, electricians and welders.

This is a real plan to invest in Britain and get our country’s future back.