GUEST COLUMN: '˜I apologise for the Labour Party being in such a state' by Gloria De Piero MP

I agree, and want to apologise that the party that most of you wanted to win the last general election has got itself into this state.

The bottom line is that one of the main jobs of the leader of the Labour Party is to lead MPs and the majority of Labour MPs have simply lost confidence in Jeremy Corbyn and his ability to do that.

I want to thank all the Labour voters who have emailed me over the last week to offer their support.

I promise we will sort ourselves out so you will want to vote for us again.

I have raised the problem of a lack of buses serving Selston and the rural villages of Ashfield many times in the past.

Constituents frequently tell me that because they do not have access to adequate public transport, even getting to work can be extremely difficult.

I have now been told that the situation in Selston is set to get even worse for some residents, with the times of the buses to Phoenix Park changing and their costs rising.

I have contacted Nottinghamshire County Council about the changes and am awaiting a reply.

We all know the council’s budget is under immense pressure because of massive cuts inflicted by the Tory government and bus services, which are subsidised by councils, have suffered.

Since 2010, more than 2,400 local authority-supported bus routes have been withdrawn or downgraded and fares have risen by more than a quarter on average.

Labour has long called for reforms in the bus industry to provide more comprehensive networks and keep the costs of bus travel low.

This is more vital than ever and I will be doing what I can to make sure Ashfield is not affected by any more bus cuts.

I recently visited the Citizens Advice offices at Ashfield Health and Wellbeing Centre in Kirkby and was so impressed by the set up they have there.

The facilities are a huge improvement on those at its former Sutton premises and chief executive Kathryn Stacey has built a team of hard-working staff and an army of brilliant volunteers.

They do an outstanding job helping the people of Ashfield by offering advice on debt, employment and consumer issues.

The centre is open five days a week from 9.30am until 2pm and also has a mobile van that travels around the district.

Anyone who needs any advice or is interested in becoming a volunteer should check out their website at www.ashfieldca.org.uk.

Keep up the good work Citizens Advice!