ISSUES WITH PARLIAMENTARY DIGITAL SERVICES:
On Friday morning, there was a widespread issue affecting digital services across Parliament. During this time, no emails were able to reach my parliamentary email address, and constituents who emailed in this window may have received an error message in response. The issue was thankfully resolved by midday, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.
WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATE ON TOURISM:
Richmond Park is a destination for millions of domestic and foreign tourism, but the number of people visiting the UK is only just returning to what they were prior to the pandemic. The reduction in visitors has had a knock-on effect on our economy, businesses and people’s employment security as so many jobs are reliant or linked to the tourism sector.
While, of course, the pandemic has been the primary cause of a reduction of tourism, the vote to leave the EU followed by the catastrophic Brexit deal negotiated by the former Government is also a major factor. In fact, 45% of respondents to a survey asking individuals why they would not consider travelling to the UK, cited increases in post-Brexit travel costs and accommodation.
In yesterday’s Westminster Hall Debate on the tourism sector, I raised the impact that Brexit has had on Europeans’ views of the UK and discouraging tourism to our country, while also highlighting some local examples which may have a knock-on effect to our tourism industry.
Richmond Park in our constituency is home to 5.5 million visitors each year, and a key part of it being such a significant tourist attraction is its tranquility and peacefulness. The rumoured cuts to the Parks Police could serve to disrupt this, as the department conducts excellent work to ensure that criminal activity and ASB are kept to a minimum.
You can watch a clip of my speech here.
PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE:
On Monday, in my capacity as a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), I attended a session that scrutinised the Government’s efforts to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG). A National Audit Office (NAO) report on this topic found that, although over £300m was spent between 2011-2021 on numerous VAWG prevention strategies, neither the outcome for victims nor the overall safety for women and girls has improved.
I asked Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, what progress the government can expect to make in their efforts to halve VAWG in the next decade. Nicole Jacobs responded that they hope to make significant progress, but that there are multiple contexts to consider, such as what the first point of contact is for different types of support, whether that be the police, domestic abuse services, or health services.
I also attended a session on Thursday focused on the decommissioning of the Sellafield Nuclear Plant. Work to decommission the site began in 2005, but holds a legacy of contaminated buildings, untreated waste and ageing facilities, some of which pose an ‘intolerable’ risk.’ Sellafield has started addressing these risks and retrieving and storing nuclear waste, but at too slow a pace.
I asked Clive Maxwell, Second Permanent Secretary for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNEZ), why more hadn’t been done to streamline the decision making process for many of their major projects, including the decommissioning of Sellafield. Clive responded that the department has various types of decisions to consider, relating to investment, commercial approvals, and budgets, subject to Treasury approval. I questioned whether the Treasury should be involved earlier in their decision-making processes, and I was pleased to hear that, since the NAO report’s publication, the Treasury is now involved in DESNEZ’s analytical services strategy.
TERMINALLY ILL ADULTS:
This week I have continued to work on the Bill committee for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, working line by line through the legislation before it returns to the House of Commons for its next reading.
LBC INTERVIEW:
Last weekend, I appeared on LBC News to speak about my views on the topical issues which are impacting the UK.
David Harper, of LBC, opened the interview discussing the UK’s economy. While the Conservatives did do severe damage to our economy, it is Labour’s task to find solutions to produce prosperity. It is time that Sir Keir Starmer provides a clear vision for the country instead of looking back on the previous Government’s failures, and I look forward to the Spring Statement which will be presented next week.
One challenge that the Government has been confronted with is the introduction of tariffs imposed on the UK by the US. Instead of attempting to cosy up to President Trump, the UK should be showing that we cannot be bullied into accepting US’ trade demands, and I reiterated this sentiment on LBC.
This week, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall MP, announced changes to the benefits system, aimed at getting people back into work. While I recognise the investment in employment support, reducing the eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) could leave vulnerable people who cannot work without the support that they need. I also raised the urgent need for the Government to prioritise tackling NHS waiting times and fixing social care.
The interview ended on the topic of the War in Ukraine in the wake of the Prime Minister’s meetings with the ‘Coalition of the Willing.’ I am proud of the UK’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine, and working with our allies to support Ukraine, following President Trump signalling closer ties with Moscow, is imperative.
You can watch my full interview here.
RICHMOND STATION RENOVATIONS:
As some local residents and commuters may have noticed, renovations have been ongoing at Richmond Station recently. The refurbishments have been led by Lord Hendy in collaboration with Network Rail, South Western Railway, the Railway Heritage Trust, and Richmond Council.
These renovations include cleaning the station, repainting the walls and creating a new customer information point. The Council have supported the renovations by contributing £100,000 towards the works, and I was pleased to be in attendance at the reveal of the new canopy which now presents a beautiful outward aesthetic of the station.
The design of the canopy and the internal decorations is a call back to the station’s appearance in the 1930’s, and the improvements to the station are evident and provide an excellent reflection of Richmond Borough’s beauty for those who are visiting or passing by.
NAMASTE KINGSTON FESTIVITIES:
Following my visit to the ‘Mortlake Mash-Up,’ I headed towards Kingston to attend Namaste Kingston’s Rangostav. A ‘Rangostav,’ is a festival of colours, and it is tradition in Hinduism to hold this event at this time of the year to mark the beginning of Spring, and to celebrate new life and love.
It was a pleasure to take part in the Holi celebrations, and I spoke at the festival to convey the enjoyment that I have each year when I participate in the festival, as well as to pass on my wishes of festivities to everyone who was celebrating Holi.
THE MORTLAKE MASH-UP:
Last Saturday, I attended the ‘Mortlake Mash-Up,’ which is a community initiative led by the Mortlake Community Association (MCA) and a partnership of local community groups and businesses in the area.
The ‘mash-up’ was intended to gather local residents to discuss their vision for the area, and what improvements they wish to see in Mortlake.
It was excellent to hear such a wide range of ideas which ranged from the introduction of more green and sustainable initiatives and views about changes that could be made to make Mortlake even more aesthetically beautiful for residents and visitors.
ST PAUL’S SCHOOL VISIT:
Last Friday, I visited St Paul’s School in Barnes to speak regarding the challenges that women experience in the workplace and in politics for a belated assembly on International Women’s Day.
While the House upholds rules to ensure that male and female MPs are treated fairly and have equal opportunity to speak on behalf of their constituents, there are other additional challenges that female MPs face. In particular, women are spoken and judged by a different set of standards to their male colleagues in the media, with the way that female MPs dress and the content of their views being scrutinised under a microscope. This has been an experience of many of my former and current peers, and it is important that our future generation of women do not have to overcome unfair obstacles to achieve their goals.
I was grateful to have such an attentive and engaged audience listening to my presentation, and it was extremely impressive to hear the informed questions that some of the students asked at the end of the assembly. I would like to thank the staff and students at St Paul’s for being so welcoming on my first visit to their school.
MEETING WITH LIME:
While Lime bikes provide an eco-friendly and easy mode of transport for individuals, I have received multiple emails from my constituents to state that some users park their bikes in inconsiderate ways which can impact disability access on our pavements and roads.
In September, I met with representatives of Lime to raise my concerns about this issue, and to encourage the company to implement a system which would provide a deterrence to people from parking their bikes poorly. As this issue has been persisting since this meeting, I met with Lime’s Director of Policy to follow-up on Lime’s plans to address this matter.
I am pleased to state that Lime has listened to the concerns that myself, and many other individuals, have raised regarding their parking system. As part of their London Action Plan, Lime will introduce measures such as an advanced AI end-trip photo review to detect poor parking in real time, a QR code on the fender of the bike to encourage feedback and increasing their street enforcement team by 60%.
These measures will be introduced later this year and are all intended to prevent bikes being parked in such ways that block pedestrian and disability access.
TEDDINGTON DIRECT RIVER ABSTRACTION MEETING:
Yesterday, I met with representatives of Thames Water to discuss the Teddington Direct River Abstraction project. Following pressure from my office and activism from members of the public, Thames Water have now acknowledged the particular concerns of residents surrounding construction impacts (around Ham), tunnelling impacts and water quality, among other things.
During the meeting, Thames Water indicated that they would soon be launching their statutory public consultation, and I raised the importance of Thames Water sharing details of the consultation, when they emerge. I will be sure to update residents on how they can contribute to the consultation, as and when I receive further information.
Thames Water have also shared that, as part of the next stage of the Teddington Direct River Abstraction project they will be conducting a period of door-to-door activity, visiting addresses in person to verify as much property data as possible, to identify those with a legal interest in land or property required for the Project, such as owners or leaseholders.
FIGHT FOR SIGHT VISIT:
People who experience sight loss or blindness encounter multiple challenges in their lives, whether it be a loss of confidence, the inability to continue to participate in sports or activities or just completing everyday tasks.
Fight for Sight is a charity which aims to assist people who experience eye loss by providing funding for scientific studies and social projects. The charity has opened a new store on Upper Richmond Road which sells premium clothing, fashion accessories and books to help fund their targets, and I met with their CEO, staff and volunteers at their shop to discuss their initiatives.
The scientific studies that the charity helps fund are critical to developing treatments and surgeries which will help reverse, stop or decelerate an individual’s loss of vision. Once clinical trials are proved to be successful, they often receive a significant amount of grant funding to ensure that they can be moved forward in the clinical process, but without the funding for these trials, advancements would not be possible.
You can read more about the work that the charity undertakes each day and their aims by clicking on the following link.
COMMUNITY NEWS:
GREY COURT SCHOOL: NATIONAL READING CHAMPIONS QUIZ
On Tuesday 18 March, students from Grey Court School participated in the National Reading Champions Quiz, competing with other schools in the region. The quiz is part of an initiative by the National Literacy Trust to inspire young readers at an age where enjoyment for reading is often found to decline, and it is excellent to hear that students from Grey Court took part in this event again this year.
Congratulations to all the students who participated, they should be very proud of themselves.
KINGSTON SQUARE 1 CAFE
From 1 March to 6 December 2025, Kingston Environment Centre is hosting a weekly Square 1 Cafe. Square 1 Cafes are free and inclusive sessions, with refreshments and activities, as well as advice on local support services.
The Kingston Cafe is every Saturday from 12:00-16:00, and you can find out more information here.
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