TREASURY STATEMENT:
On Tuesday, the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, made a statement regarding her recent visit to China and the future of UK-China trading relations.
Whilst I am glad that the Chancellor is exploring routes for economic growth, UK exports to China currently represent less than 10% of the UK’s total exports, whereas our exports to the EU represent over 40%. As the EU are our largest trading partner, I encouraged the Chancellor to ensure that restoring beneficiary trading relations with our European allies is her priority.
Many local businesses are struggling with the increased costs of importing goods from our European allies since Britain's exit from the European Union, and it is vital that the Government ensures that the barriers to trade are relaxed to enable our businesses to prosper. You can watch my question here.
YOUTH MOBILITY SCHEME:
I am also pleased to have co-sponsored a new Bill, the Youth Mobility Scheme (EU Countries), which if passed, would introduce a greater freedom of movement for young people from the UK with EU nations.
The EU has stated they would welcome a Youth Mobility Scheme with the UK, and this is a step that the Government should be taking to start to repair our relationship with our European allies. The scheme proposed in this Bill would mirror existing capped arrangements that the UK has with 13 other countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Providing opportunities to young people should be at the heart of Government policy and I believe that establishing a Youth Mobility Scheme would not only offer huge benefits to young people, but would also have a broader range of benefits including strengthening cultural, social and economic links between the EU and the UK.
LBC INTERVIEW:
Yesterday, I was interviewed by Matt Frei of LBC to discuss the Liberal Democrats’ vision for closer ties with Europe following our party’s leader, Sir Ed Davey’s, public address in which he discussed the UK’s position on the world stage.
During this interview, I highlighted the increasing uncertainty of global politics with the imminent inauguration of President Donald Trump on 20th January and the potential tariffs that he may impose on both competitors and allies. President Trump’s election has made it even more evident that the UK needs to restore our mutually beneficial trading terms with the European Union, as well as highlighting our need to further strengthen our position on the global stage.
From speaking to businesses in Richmond Park, I know that the additional red tape imposed following Brexit has not only impacted their profit margins, it has also caused confusion about the taxes on imports and exports. This has caused many business owners to have to spend hours attempting to understand the trading regulations and filling in complex forms.
The additional costs of these barriers to trade are often passed onto customers during a cost of living crisis, and I was pleased to reiterate Sir Ed Davey’s call for Britain to re-join the Customs Union. I have attached a clip of my interview with LBC to the following link.
ITV LATE DEBATE:
Last night, I appeared on the ITV Late Debate to discuss a range of topics, from Labour’s means testing of Winter Fuel Allowance to the requests for delays to County Council elections in the wake of the Government’s devolution proposal.
In this debate, I reaffirmed that the decision to means test Winter Fuel Allowance is not one which the Government had to take, and it has consequently resulted in many pensioners having to make difficult decisions about what necessities they may have to forgo in order to pay their energy bills.
The panel also discussed the current NHS crisis which has caused one hospital in North London to advertise for registered nurses to work in corridors to meet the demands for treatment. One of the underlying causes of high hospital rates is our broken social care system, which prevents hospitals from being able to safely discharge patients in an efficient manner. The Department of Health and Social Care’s review of the social care system is not set to be completed for 3-4 years. This is unacceptable and I reiterated that urgent reform to social care in this country is needed.
The final topic of the debate was the requested delays submitted by some counties in reaction to the Government’s proposed devolution plans. These delays would cause disruption to our democratic process, and I raised my concerns with Labour’s lack of forward thinking when submitting their proposal. It also remains unclear who will be responsible for debt accrued by different bodies if some Councils are to merge, and I made sure to highlight this point of contention during the debate.
You can watch the full ITV Late Debate by clicking on the following link.
RSV VACCINE FOR OVER 80’s:
Over the past several months, I have been contacted by a number of constituents who have queried why the RSV Vaccine is available on the NHS for those who are aged between 75-79 years old, but not to individuals over the age of 80. As many of my constituents have pointed out, it does not seem to make sense that the most vulnerable age groups are not entitled to the vaccine.
When this matter was first brought to my attention, I wrote to the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to query their position on this and to ask why the Government is not encouraging a roll out to citizens aged over 80-years-old.
On Wednesday, I spoke in the Chamber to direct this question to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP. The Minister stated that the Government are only adhering to recommendations provided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
However, I have noted that this is only an initial recommendation to the programme and I will make sure to continue to press the Government on this matter if this recommendation is to change. You can see the full clip of my question here.
SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY DROP-IN:
Earlier this week, I attended a drop-in event in Parliament hosted by South Western Railway. I understand that their service to Waterloo from stations in the constituency has experienced additional delays and cancellations for the past 6 weeks or so, which has greatly impacted people’s ability to get to and from work, or other destinations, on time. Consequently, I used this drop-in event to highlight to a representative from South Western Railway the reliability issues with their network.
The reason given by South Western Railway for the recent decline in performance standards is due to staff shortages as they are currently training some of their team to run the Arterio Trains. My office is in constant communication with South Western Railway to ensure that complaints are responded to and that issues with their services are addressed. Following my discussion with their representative, I have followed-up with South Western Railway to ask for a more detailed answer regarding the steps that they are taking to address these staff shortages.
COMMUNITY NEWS:
RESEARCHING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY - 20th CENTURY SOURCES:
On Saturday 25th January, the National Archives will be hosting a webinar which aims to provide people with the tools and sources to learn more about their family history.
The presentation is hosted by a Family History Specialist at the National Archives, and the online webinar will be opened up to a Q&A for anyone who has any specific queries. The webinar is free to join and you will be able to re-watch it 48 hours after the event.
If you wish to learn more about this presentation, please click on the following link.
COMMUNITY BLUESCAPES FLOOD RESILIENCE FAIR
On Sunday 19th January between 10:00-13:00, Community BlueScapes are hosting the ‘Flood Resilience Fair’ at the OSO Arts Centre in Barnes.
The Fair is an opportunity for local residents to come together to learn about the work that Community BlueScapes are doing in the area to future-proof our areas as much as possible against the impact of climate change.
If you wish to learn more about this event, you can do so by clicking on the following link.
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