FIND HOMES, FIND HOPE

Labour’s manifesto was a gamechanger. But for me, one idea stood out – the pledge to make homelessness history.

I’ve worked with homeless people since I lost my dad to a lifelong struggle with drink.

I learned that most homeless people have been hit by a twist of fate

– be it mental health problems, loss of a parent, relationship breakdown…

Without a family to catch you, you easily end up on the pavement, self-medicating trauma with drugs and alcohol – just like my dad did.

His slide was triggered when he lost my mum to cancer when she was young.

And because these twists of fate hit anyone, the reality is they affect everyone.

That’s why we built “social security” after the War – so we could guard each other, watch each other’s back.

On Friday, I shivered though the night sleeping on the streets, helping to raise cash for St Basils, a brilliant homelessness charity.

But let’s be honest – we shouldn’t be relying on charities. We need a Labour government to end this moral emergency for good.

The darkness of our politics finds a stunning echo on Sunday night Beeb with the magnificent new series, His

Dark Materials. Centre-stage is Ruth Wilson’s knockout performance as the enigmatic, power-hungry child-catcher Mrs Coulter and her daemon, a vicious golden monkey.

We pass hours on the campaign trail imagining which daemons best match our friends’ and, er, enemies’ inner-selves. You can guess who gets the snakes…