Alex Sobel MP

Alex Sobel MP

@alexsobel.co.uk

Labour & Co-operative MP for Leeds Central and Headingley. Promoted by Hollie Ridley on behalf of the Labour Party, 20 Rushworth Street London, SE1 0SS

5.5K followers200 following596 posts

Nine years after Grenfell, too many people are still living in homes with unsafe cladding, facing uncertainty, financial strain and concerns about their safety.

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If passed, it would give regulators stronger powers to tackle delays, make it easier to hold manufacturers of unsafe building products to account, and help ensure no building is left behind.

Everyone deserves a safe, secure home, and residents who have waited far too long for action deserve to see remediation delivered faster. #BuildingSafety #Housing #Leaseholders #CladdingCrisis #FireSafety #SafeHomes

Nine years after Grenfell, too many people are still living in homes with unsafe cladding, facing uncertainty, financial strain and concerns about their safety.

The new Building Safety Bill, which has now been introduced to Parliament, is designed to accelerate repairs, strengthen enforcement, and ensure those responsible for building safety failures pay to put things right.

AI can be discriminatory. Evidence shows facial recognition technology displaying racial bias and recruitment tools treating women unfairly. Safeguards are needed to protect people's rights and make sure AI works fairly for everyone. #AI #HumanRights

England's fully privatised water system isn't working. After years of pollution, leaks and rising bills, people are rightly asking why water companies continue to reward shareholders while services fail.

That's why I was proud to sign Clive Lewis's letter to the Prime Minister, alongside fellow Labour MPs, calling for public ownership to be made a priority in the Government's plans for water reform. Water should work for the public, not private profit.

I was proud to sign a cross-party letter calling on the Government to reject licences for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields.

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Rosebank and Jackdaw would do little to improve energy security or bring down bills, while locking us into further fossil fuel extraction at a time when we should be accelerating the transition to clean, affordable energy.

Instead, we should be investing in clean energy that cuts bills, strengthens energy security and creates jobs across the UK, while meeting our climate obligations. #ClimateAction #CleanEnergy #NetZero #EnergySecurity #Rosebank #Jackdaw 🌍💚

I was proud to sign a cross-party letter calling on the Government to reject licences for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields.

Communities across the country are already feeling the impacts of climate change, and we cannot tackle the climate crisis while continuing to approve new fossil fuel developments.

A £75 million refund to customers would be welcome, but it cannot distract from the scale of Yorkshire Water's failings. The company faces the largest proposed underperformance payment of any water firm in England and Wales after missing key targets on pollution and leaks.

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While bills continue to rise, Yorkshire residents rightly expect cleaner waterways, better service and higher standards. Yorkshire Water must get a grip on these issues and rebuild public trust.

A £75 million refund to customers would be welcome, but it cannot distract from the scale of Yorkshire Water's failings. The company faces the largest proposed underperformance payment of any water firm in England and Wales after missing key targets on pollution and leaks.

At the same time, pollution incidents have increased by 72% in a year, with Yorkshire Water set to receive the lowest possible one-star rating from the Environment Agency.

My view hasn’t changed. Jackdaw won’t save North Sea jobs, cut bills or improve energy security. What we need is serious investment in a just transition, giving workers and communities confidence in the future while accelerating the move to clean energy.

I've joined 40+ cross-party MPs calling for a fair tax on private jets ahead of the Budget. ✈️ ✅ Could raise £2.7bn a year ✅ Backed by voters across parties ✅ Fairer for taxpayers Those who pollute the most should pay their fair share. 🌍 #FairTax #PrivateJets #Budget #ClimateAction

Celebrating #NationalAlbumDay with Beneath the Eyrie by Pixies at Leeds' brilliant independent record shop, Noise Is For Heroes. One of my favourite albums from an iconic band that helped shape alternative music. 🎵💿 #Albums #Records

I asked the Prime Minister what more the UK can do to help Ukraine face what may be its hardest winter yet. After meeting Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Korniyenko and MP Lesia Vasylenko, I raised concerns about the impact of continued Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

As well as the urgent need for generators, solar panels, thermal batteries and other humanitarian support. The Prime Minister reaffirmed the UK's unwavering commitment to Ukraine. We must continue standing with the Ukrainian people for as long as it takes.

It was a pleasure to meet the team at Beacon and learn more about their trauma-informed support for people at risk of homelessness. Their work is more important than ever as the Government steps up efforts to end rough sleeping. #Leeds

Alex Sobel MP reposted

There are currently no limits on how much UK-based donors can give to political parties. I'm proposing a modest £1 million cap on donations to help ensure our democracy works in the public interest, not in the interests of the highest bidder. #PoliticalReform #Democracy #PoliticalDonations

A few weeks on, it's worth revisiting this important step. I've long campaigned for a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements, and I welcomed Parliament's decision to take action. International law must be upheld. #Palestine

It was a privilege to attend Leeds' Ukrainian Independence Day celebration last month. A brilliant evening that brought people together in solidarity with Ukraine while raising funds for life-saving support on the front line. Thank you to the organisers and everyone who attended. Slava Ukraini!

Too many graduates are paying more and for longer because student loan repayment thresholds have failed to keep pace with earnings. That's why I was proud to support Tom Gordon MP’s cross-party Student Finance (Review) Bill, which has now progressed to its next stage in Parliament.

I’m pleased to see Andy Burnham echo the call for G20 leadership on AI. I first set out the case for this in my Artificial Superintelligence Bill on 8 September, and the Joint Committee on Human Rights has also highlighted the need for international coordination in its report on AI and human rights.

POLITICO Europe@politico.eu

The U.K. will seek to use its upcoming G20 presidency to forge a global agreement on AI, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said ahead of a visit to the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Yorkshire Water released untreated sewage into waterways for over 285,000 hours across nearly 51,000 spills in 2025. I raised this in Parliament because it's clear the privatised water model is failing. Yorkshire deserves clean rivers, not pollution. 🌊💧

Wishing everyone observing Yom Kippur a meaningful day of reflection, prayer and reconciliation, and an easy fast. G'mar Chatimah Tovah to all marking the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. ✡️

AI can benefit society, but superintelligent AI is a different challenge altogether. My Bill would prohibit its development in the UK to protect our national security and democratic institutions.

I've written to the PM, alongside 70+ MPs and peers, calling for action to stop the development of superintelligent AI. My Bill would prohibit its development in the UK before it's too late www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/11/mps-urge-andy-burnham-block-artificial-superintelligence-asi

To everyone in our community celebrating Rosh Hashanah, I wish you a happy and healthy New Year. May it be a year of peace, hope, and happiness for you and your family. Shanah Tovah. ✨

With 71 colleagues I am calling on the Govt to work with us on my bill to prohibit the development of superintelligent AI and champion an international agreement We can then lead on preventing the extinction risk posed by superintelligence while preserving strategic AI ambition

The day I introduced this bill Jacob Coxon resigned from Anthropic, warning AI companies are racing to superintelligence that “could kill us all within the decade”. The government must take action to secure an international agreement banning superintelligent AI.

AI is vital to Britain's economic future. But superintelligent AI is different: it would threaten the lives of everyone on earth. That’s why my bill prohibits superintelligence development while safeguarding the UK’s AI ambitions The race to superintelligence cannot continue

Good news for forests from Parliament. The Government has signalled investment in the Tropical Forest Forever Facility and reaffirmed its commitment to legislating to end the UK’s consumption of forest risk commodities.

As Co-Chair of the APPG on Global Deforestation, I’ll continue pushing for strong, rights-based protections for forests and the communities that depend on them. The UK must deliver on its commitment to help end global deforestation by 2030.

It is a privilege to have been elected as Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights. This committee performs a crucial role in ensuring each bill that goes through Parliament respects human rights. We also carry out focussed inquiries on a diverse range of issues that impact us all.

Lord Alton showed exemplary leadership on a number of vital human rights issues including transnational repression, modern slavery and the rights of children, and it is an honour to carry on his work. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the committee in carrying out this scrutiny.

AI can bring enormous benefits. But superintelligent AI is different. Leading experts warn that systems more intelligent than humans could threaten national security and even pose an existential risk.