2024 has been a busy year for politics on the local, national, and international level, and I am honoured to have been able to represent Richmond Park throughout the events that have taken place over the past year.
The UK General Election which took place in July was a high point for my year personally. Being returned as the Member of Parliament for Richmond Park with an increased majority was a great moment for me, and the success of my colleagues across the country made that night even more special. I would like to thank everyone who turned out to vote for me on the 4th July, and I look forward to serving all my constituents in 2025.
As this is the last edition of my newsletter in 2024, I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on some of the major local and national events that have occurred over the past year and to recap the work that I have done to represent my constituents locally and in Parliament. With Parliament on recess until the 6th January, I will not be producing a newsletter next week.
JANUARY:
In early January I voiced my opposition to the then Conservative Government’s Finance Bill. The Government presented the proposed legislation as being an attempt to cut taxes after repeated tax increases on working people. The Bill also maintained the ‘stealth tax’ – a policy that the Liberal Democrats have been opposed to. I tabled several amendments to this Bill, including a proposal to prevent water companies who behave irresponsibly by dumping sewage in our rivers from accessing a tax deduction, as well as a proposal to ensure that the Government report to HMRC on staffing provisions.
The noise disturbance caused by night flights affects a lot of my constituents. During my time as an MP for Richmond Park, I have received countless emails from constituents stating that they cannot enjoy a full night of sleep which causes them to suffer with further ailments. Following my campaign, a ban on take-offs and arrivals at Heathrow between midnight and 4:30am will be introduced in 2025. However, I recognise that these hours are insufficient to enable a good night’s sleep, so I presented to Parliament the Airports (Prohibition of Night Flights) Bill. This would seek to ban night flights between 11pm and 6am.
In late January, I was proud to vote against the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill. The former Government attempted to advance this Bill with disregard to the environmental consequences of their proposal, and I was pleased to stand with my Liberal Democrat colleagues in voting against the Bill.
FEBRUARY:
At the beginning of February I took part in Channel 4’s ‘Political Slot.’ I used the segment to draw attention to the pollution in our rivers locally. Thames Water’s Direct River Abstraction proposal has drawn criticism from environmental groups, local residents and those affected by the works and pollution in our rivers. In the slot, I highlighted my concerns with the proposal, and I was delighted to be joined by the ‘Teddington Bluetits’ who braved the February morning cold for their weekly swim in the Thames. The levels of pollution in our rivers has been a prominent theme on the news cycle this year, and the importance of keeping our rivers clean for a variety of reasons, including leisurely activity, was demonstrated by the Bluetits.
The conflict in Gaza has produced horrific images and unimaginable suffering. I know that residents of Richmond Park have also been moved by these events as I have received thousands of emails regarding the ongoing conflict. In February, I asked an Urgent Question to the Minister of State for Development, Andrew Mitchell, regarding the UK’s involvement in discussions of the release of hostages. Later that month, I was joined by my Liberal Democrat colleagues in voting for an immediate bilateral ceasefire.
The low uptake of donor participation for blood transfusions and organ transplants is one which results in disproportionate outcomes for ethnic minorities – this can result in difficulty providing those in need with the necessary treatment. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ethnicity Transplantation and Transfusion has sought to raise awareness of this matter, and I was pleased to chair their Annual General Meeting in February. Our work has helped uncover the unacceptable inequalities for mixed heritage and ethnic minority patients in respect of transplant and transfusion treatment, and I am proud to have instituted this APPG.
MARCH:
In March I spoke at a Westminster Hall debate led by my colleague, Munira Wilson MP, regarding the Government’s plans for children’s cancer care facilities. The Conservative Government moved to consolidate all services for Children's Cancer Care in South London at the Evelina Hospital, which raises multiple concerns for constituents of Richmond Park due to the distance required to travel for treatment. In my speech, I advocated for St. George's Hospital in Tooting to become the preferred location, and I have since also called on Labour to review the decision made by the previous Government. However, the Labour Government plan to move ahead with this change. I will be following further developments closely.
March also brought the Budget announcement. The Chancellor’s statement did little to assure me that the Government would be putting more money in people’s pockets during the cost of living crisis, and I raised my serious concerns about the Spring Budget in the Commons.
In late March, the House was asked to vote on the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024. This legislation was an attempt to enable the UK to deport certain migrants to Rwanda. The plan was unacceptable, and I echo my colleague and Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael, in calling the policy an 'immoral and costly gimmick.' It was an easy decision for the Liberal Democrats to vote against this Bill, and I am pleased that the Labour Government have decided to scrap this plan.
APRIL:
April 10th marked 5 years since Hammersmith Bridge had last been open to vehicles. The failure to even make a decision on the future of the Bridge is one which is a stain on the last Government. I was joined by local councillors and the Leader of the Council in attendance at the Bridge to speak about the impact that the closure has had on residents, businesses and commuters.
During Prime Minister Questions, I asked the then PM, Rishi Sunak, as to whether he would support the Liberal Democrats’ amendment to the Victims’ Bill to give victims the right to read sentencing remarks and summings-up free of charge. I have fought passionately for full court transcripts to be free after one of my constituents came to me to say that she had been quoted over £7,000 to receive a court transcript after her ex-boyfriend was convicted for drugging and raping her. Sadly, the Prime Minister evaded my question and the Conservatives failed to support the amendment.
Near the end of April, I introduced the Thames Water (Special Administration) Bill to Parliament. The company continues to be in dire financial straits, and this Bill was my call to the then Government to use their powers to put the company into Special Administration.
MAY:
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and we are lucky to have a diverse range of popular businesses here in Richmond Park. Concerningly, I have been repeatedly hearing in casework, and during visits to businesses, the impact that the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and Brexit have had on their viability. It is vital that businesses are provided with the platform to thrive, and I called on the Government to review the impact that Small Profits Rate of Corporation Tax have on small businesses.
The costs of childcare is an issue which has arisen in my caseworker inbox regularly. I was pleased to hear that the then the Government was taking action to support working parents via the extension of free childcare to 30 hours for those eligible, but I wanted to ensure that the rates paid to providers are enough to ensure that a high quality of childcare can be delivered. I raised this concern to the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Education, Susan Acland-Hood during a Public Accounts Committee meeting.
JUNE:
At the end of May, Rishi Sunak called a General Election for 4th July. Following the dissolution of Parliament, I spent the month of June campaigning for re-election as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Richmond Park. The results on the local and national scale exceeded my expectations, and it was an incredibly proud moment to be returned as the Member of Parliament for Richmond Park.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped with my campaign, the hosts of the hustings that took place, and of course everyone who turned out to vote for me.
JULY:
After over a month of campaigning, I was pleased to get back to representing Richmond Park in Parliament, and I sought to start the new session by promoting the issues that matter most in our constituency to the Labour Government. This included raising to the relevant new ministers the need for the return of Richmond Police Station, for clarity on the Government’s position on repairing Hammersmith Bridge and a call to Labour to declare their opposition to any Heathrow 3rd runway plans.
After over a year of hard work from myself, my colleague Munira Wilson MP, and many local activists, Thames Water announced that they would be reforming their Direct River Abstraction project. The new plans include the removal of any planned works that were due to take place on Ham Lands. Thames Water had also recognised local residents' concerns and will not pump the regular flow of the treated water from Mogden Sewage Treatment Works into Teddington Lock.
In late July, I voted for the immediate scrapping of the two-child limit to Universal Credit. Axing this cap would lift a significant number of children out of poverty, and I was pleased to be joined by my new colleagues in voting against the amendment.
AUGUST:
At the beginning of August, I met with representatives from Network Rail and TfL at Richmond’s Signal Box to discuss the recurring disruptions on the District Line. Over the next few months, Network Rail carried out works which they believed would increase the reliability of their service. While Network Rail are yet to fully understand the underlying reason behind the increase of disruptions over this period, from personal usage of the Line, it does seem to have provided a better service after the works were completed.
In Parliament, I responded to the statement made by the Chancellor regarding the state of the public finances. While I recognised that the Chancellor has been put in a difficult position due to the mismanagement of the economy by the previous Government, I called on her to ensure that the NHS frontline services are properly funded to reduce the growing waiting lists.
SEPTEMBER:
Individuals across the UK were shocked to hear Labour’s announcement that they would introduce a system of means testing Winter Fuel Allowance payments. I raised my concerns about this policy to the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, James Murray MP, as the proposal may leave vulnerable individuals in a situation in which they will be unable to pay their energy bills. To underscore the irresponsible mismanagement of the economy by the previous Government, which Labour claim is causing them to make such cuts, I spoke in support for the Budget Responsibility Bill.
Throughout the year, I tend to devote at least one day a week conducting visits in the constituency to talk to individuals, businesses and institutions about a range of topics or events, but it is also an excellent opportunity for people to raise to me the challenges that they experience and how they believe I can assist them with such matters. An example of this was when I visited Laurel Pharmacy in Kingston. It was concerning to hear about the multiple structural difficulties that pharmacies manage with daily, and following this visit, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP, to voice my concerns about the management of the NHS’ funding in relation to pharmacies.
With Parliament in recess, I took the opportunity to visit wards in the constituency for coffee mornings. It was excellent to see such a huge turnout for these events, and it was evident that the recent General Election had served to engage individuals in local, national and international issues. I would like to thank everyone who signed up to attend and for engaging in constructive discussions and debates.
OCTOBER:
In Parliament, I spoke to oppose Labour’s plans to levy VAT on private school fees. The Liberal Democrats are opposed to this change on principle as education should not be taxed. This change will cause many parents to have to reconsider their children’s schooling placement due to financial constraints, and it will disproportionately affect those who require additional SEND support.
The next day, I raised in the Commons a case involving two of my constituents who have lived under the threat of eviction from an abusive landlord to highlight my support for the Renters’ Rights Bill. The most common individual casework my office receives is regarding housing disrepair and homelessness, and it is vital that individuals’ rights are protected to prevent no-fault Section 21 evictions.
In late October, I raised to the Government the future of UK-EU relations and the possibility of extending a youth mobility scheme. It is important that our country starts to rebuild relations with European countries which have been impacted following the previous Government’s conduct over Brexit, and the youth mobility scheme would be an excellent first step in this direction.
I also spoke at the debate on the Infected Blood Scandal. The motion to provide compensation to the victims passed, and I was pleased that it received cross-party support to ensure that this injustice is addressed as quickly as possible.
The end of October also marked the announcement of the Labour Government’s Budget. While there were some positives to take from the announcement, such as the commitment to additional funding for the NHS, I was also concerned about the impact that an increase in Employers’ National Insurance contributions would have on small businesses. For my reaction to the Budget, please see the following link.
NOVEMBER:
Reform of the House of Lords has been an issue which the Liberal Democrats have consistently campaigned on. I'm delighted that we have now voted to abolish hereditary peers, making Parliament a more democratic place. In my role as the Liberal Democrats’ Spokesperson for the Cabinet Office, I tabled two amendments to the Hereditary Peers Bill. These were to call for directly elected members to the Other House and to strengthen the powers of the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed through its second reading in the Commons by 330 votes to 275. I received a large amount of very moving correspondence about this issue, and I was pleased that the debate and vote were conducted in such dignified manners. This showed Parliament at its best.
I was also delighted to announce that South Western Railway agreed to restore the bike channel to Barnes Bridge Station. This is a matter that I have persistently pushed SWR on as I know that it has been challenging for cyclists to carry their bikes up the stairs without the channel.
DECEMBER:
December started with a historic vote in the Chamber, as for the first time, the Commons voted in favour of moving to a system of proportional representation for UK General Elections. The last election produced wholly unrepresentative results based on the vote share, and I was very proud to have presented this 10 Minute Rule Bill to Parliament.
In the constituency, I visited the Richmond Royal Mail Sorting Office. At this time last year, my office was receiving a number of emails to complain about the service as there were severe delays in receiving mail – if it made it to its final destination at all. I was pleased to hear that, having started the year in the bottom 5% of sorting offices nationally for on time deliveries, the branch is now in the top 10% in the country. I hope that this change was seen in practice this Christmas, and that people did not suffer with delayed or missed deliveries.
I hope that everyone is taking the Christmas period to relax and to share the time with loved ones, and I would like to take this chance to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Comments