RESULTS DAY
Congratulations to everyone in the constituency who received their AS Level, A Level, and T Level results yesterday. With so many schools disrupted by RAAC, and the impact of COVID over the past few years, all students have a right to feel proud of what they have achieved in the face of such adversity.
Across London, the number of students receiving A* or A Grades rose to 31.3%, up from a 2019 level of 26.9% - the last year that summer exams took place before the pandemic. To everyone heading off to university, an apprenticeship or work next year, I wish you the very best of luck in your future endeavours. If you did not quite get the results you had hoped for and wish to appeal against a result or learn more about UCAS's clearing system, the BBC has compiled a helpful guide which may provide some useful information. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the summer, and a well earned break.
RIOTS AND DISORDER ACROSS THE UK
I’ve received a lot of correspondence from constituents who have expressed fears and concerns about the riots that took place across the country last week. This was some of the worst civil unrest since the London Riots in 2011 with far right groups taking to the streets in more than a dozen cities across the UK, committing horrific acts of violence and looting. Hotels housing asylum seekers were attacked, businesses were broken into, and immigration lawyers and advisers had their names and addresses circulated by agitators online.
This kind of hatred has no place in our society. It is senseless, unjustifiable, and does not represent who we are as a nation. In the days following the first riots, thousands of people came out in counter protests and police officers across the country worked tirelessly to respond to any new disturbances.
Over 400 people have been arrested so far and a huge police investigation is underway to ensure justice takes its course. If you have any information that might be helpful to the police, I would urge you to call either 101 or report anonymously through the CrimeStoppers website.
SEWAGE IN BEVERLEY BROOK
On Thursday afternoon, the Royal Parks informed residents, representatives, and other local agencies that a sewage spill near Wimbledon Common had made its way into Beverley Brook contaminating the stream. Pedestrians should be careful about allowing their dogs to play in the water as they could become seriously ill.
I've contacted Thames Water to demand that they take action to repair the damage they have done to the spill and I have offered any assistance that my office can provide to the Royal Parks in their efforts to clean up the contamination.
Thames Water are no longer fit for purpose. They have failed to invest in their infrastructure for decades and now it is coming apart at the seams. I am calling for the company to be put into special administration as soon as possible and will continue to urge the Government to move faster in its efforts to end water companies' destruction of our rivers and streams.
INTERVIEW WITH LBC
I was very pleased to be able to speak to Nick Ferrari on LBC on Wednesday about the Liberal Democrats' proposals to allow schools where children had their learning disrupted by RAAC works to appeal A Level and GCSE results on behalf of their pupils. This would be implemented in schools where facilities had been closed due to RAAC, or construction could be shown to have had a serious impact on students' ability to learn.
The Liberal Democrats estimate that around 20,000 GCSE pupils and up to 8,000 A Level pupils were impacted by these works and I hope that the Government will consider our proposal to ensure all children receive a fair grade. You can listen to my full interview on LBC catch up from 1 hour 38 minutes.
HOUSING BENEFIT TO UNIVERSAL CREDIT MIGRATION
The Department for Work and Pensions are moving everyone who claims Housing Benefit to Universal Credit in stages over the course of this year. Unfortunately, in our community quite a number of people have not yet responded to communications about this shift.
In Richmond, of the 413 migration cases due to be moved between April and June, less than a 100 have been completed. Multiple communications have been sent by the local authority, but despite their best efforts, many people have still not taken action.
There are concerns that if people do not make a successful transition, they could end up in a very difficult situation where the DWP has ordered their housing benefits to be stopped despite their Universal Credit payment not being approved. If you, or anyone you know, is in receipt of Housing Benefit, I would urge you to check if you have been approached by the Council and to read more about the migration here.
KINGSTON NEWS
TRAFFIC IN KINGSTON
I know many of my constituents have been impacted by the hugely disruptive roadworks taking place across Central and North Kingston this week. Major congestion has resulted in TfL curtailing certain bus routes, and I know how frustrating this has been for local people who have had their commutes extended by up to an hour.
Although some of these works are not taking place on Kingston Council's roads, I've asked their team to compile a full and comprehensive list of all the works taking place, their expected end dates, and a summary of what is being done to improve traffic flows. I also plan to speak with the Leader of Kingston Council to highlight the need for a genuine strategic overview of roadworks in the borough to prevent scheduled repairs or upgrades taking place at the same time as urgent works.
You can find a list of some of the works taking place in Kingston Borough here. I will update residents with more information as soon as I can.
RICHMOND NEWS
KEW BANKSY
I was thrilled to see that last week, Banksy, the elusive artist responsible for launching street art into the mainstream, chose to make Kew Green the site of his most recent piece. The piece features a goat perched on a ledge as rocks fall below while a CCTV camera looks on and it's been wonderful to see so many residents visiting to see this newest addition to our community.
Click here to read more about the piece, or here to learn more about Banksy's latest collection in place across London.
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