On 24 January, I joined the Lord Mayor, Councillor Julie Gunnell, to add my support to York’s bid for White Ribbon City status.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of violence towards women. White Ribbon status can be awarded to cities and organisations that support the movement.

Domestic violence is serious and it is widespread. It ruins lives, breaks up families and has a lasting impact. It is criminal and has been with us for a long time. It is only in the last fifteen years that it has been taken seriously as a criminal justice issue.

Before that the majority of cases were brushed under the carpet with the refrain “it’s just a domestic”. One in four women experiences some form of domestic violence in their lifetime.

The NSPCC say that children who witness domestic violence are four times more likely to turn violent themselves. They are also four times more likely to carry a weapon, three times more likely to take drugs, steal or bully and twice as likely to be excluded from school.

Many victims are frightened to report what is happening in their homes and domestic abuse is a hidden crime. When women have the courage to report violence they need support to deal with changes in their lives.

On Valentine’s Day I visited Kyra Women’s Project to sign a heart shape pledge of support for the charity, which helps to empower women by providing practical and emotional support and courses in self-development.

The White Ribbon campaign is about everyone taking responsibility for tackling domestic violence against women.

I am supporting the campaign for York to become a White Ribbon City and it would be good if this could be achieved before International Women’s Day on March 8.

Last month I attended a round table meeting about York’s Outer Ring Road. Politicians from all York’s chief political parties share the view that there is a need for a comprehensive upgrade of the ORR (involving dualling and flyovers) and this should be a local priority.

At the meeting we agreed to work on a cross-party basis. A full upgrade will cost around £350 million and finding this amount in the current economic climate presents a real challenge.

We agreed that we should lobby the Government and its agencies to further the case for the development of the Ring Road. This will demonstrate the importance of the improved infrastructure to York.

A major upgrade of York’s Outer Ring Road would further strengthen the city’s economy, bringing enormous benefits to everyone living in York.