After Parliament breaks for Conference Recess on the 13th of September, I will be hosting a number of coffee mornings in neighbourhoods around the constituency so that I can report back on my work in Parliament and hear about the local and national issues that matter to you.
You can register to join me with the link here or by emailing office@saraholney.com
TREASURY AND BUSINESS QUESTIONS
I know how concerned many residents have been about the Government's proposed cut to the winter fuel allowance which would see around 90% of all pensioners lose the credit just as the months begin to get colder.
Although I do recognise the catastrophic economic inheritance left to Labour by the Conservatives, it's worrying that the new Government has so far refused to allow MPs the chance to properly scrutinise their cuts through a full and comprehensive debate. On Tuesday, in my role as Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, I made this point to James Murray MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, urging him to give MPs the opportunity to place these cuts under a microscope.
If you are a pensioner, and you are eligible for pension credit but have not yet applied, please make sure you make your application as soon as possible in order to qualify for the winter fuel allowance. If you do not, this could mean you aren't eligible for any additional support that you are entitled to.
You can apply for pension credit with the link here and learn more about your eligibility with the link here.
Turning to business questions, on Thursday, I turned my focus towards supporting small businesses, in particular our high streets, which have been placed under so much pressure in recent years. The current business rates system is not fit for purpose, and despite Labour promising to improve the system, this year's King's speech did not include a single reference to the issue. When I challenged the Minister on this subject, I was pleased to hear that his department is actively considering it's options, but I remain disappointed that the Government will not take immediate action to support small businesses this year.
BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY BILL
On Wednesday, I spoke in the Budget Responsibility Bill on its return to the House of Commons.
This legislation would, if enacted, strengthen the powers of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). It would ensure that this independent body publishes independent forecasts of major fiscal events such as a Budget or Autumn Statement, to prevent the kind of economic instability we saw after Liz Truss’s catastrophic mini-budget.
At this stage of the Bill, I tabled four amendments which aimed to broaden the definition of fiscally significant events. This would extend the powers of this bill to measures that might have relatively small upfront costs to the Government, but significant indirect fiscal or economic effects.
The Liberal Democrats are supporting this legislation which will help safeguard the British economy from acts of recklessness by the government. It is now important that as we move towards the upcoming Budget in October, we see clear action from the new Chancellor to accelerate growth in our economy whilst protecting and investing in our public services.
TEDDINGTON DRA - WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN
I am very sorry to report that earlier this week the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs approved the Water Resource Management Plan - South East England, pushing the Teddington DRA project forward towards its next design stage.
Upon receiving this news, Munira Wilson MP and I wrote immediately to Steve Reed MP asking for an urgent meeting and laying out why his Government needs to review this decision. Ultimately, given the dire state of Thames Water's finances and their stated need to increase bills by up to 60%, now does not seem to be the right moment for the company to invest in a £300 million white elephant that will only be used once every two years.
While this is a blow to the campaign against the DRA, the battle against this project is far from over. There will be other opportunities to halt it's development and I intend to do all I can to ensure that this misguided scheme is not built in our community.
TREE FALL IN KINGSTON
Between 5 am and 6 am on Wednesday morning, a tree on Queen's Road in North Kingston fell into the road, blocking it entirely and causing severe disruption in the surrounding area. At present, the cause of the treefall is unknown, but I have been informed that there is no arboricultural reason for the tree to have fallen, implying some external factor may have been responsible.
I'd like to thank Kingston Council's dedicated team who attended the site within half an hour of the fall being reported and who managed to remove the tree and clear the road within hours of arriving. Another tree has also been pruned to reduce the risk of any further damage to the local area.
If you come across a fallen tree, or want to report something that does not look right, you can contact Kingston Council here and Richmond Council here.
MANOR CIRCUS
I am pleased to report that the renovations to Manor Circus Roundabout are due to be completed soon. I am sure that this news will come as a welcome relief to local residents who have spent months living with the additional noise and pollution caused by the roadworks and who have been beyond patient with TfL as the repairs were repeatedly delayed.
TfL's execution of these renovations left much to be desired. It was quite clear that they did not foresee the levels of disruption that would be caused by their works. They had to work quickly to find resolutions to the traffic following pressure from my office, the Council and local residents. While I was pleased that, in collaboration with the Council, my office was able to pressure TfL to extend the working hours of their contractors on site during the most impactful phase of their works, I understand that this situation has not been ideal for anyone living near the roundabout.
While various cones and signs remain on the site, I have been provided reassurances that they will be cleared and that the works on North Road will be completed by early next week.
The works that Cadent were carrying out on Lower Mortlake Road were also completed and cleared on Wednesday. I understand that this was causing congestion around Richmond Circus so I hope that the absence of these sets of works will reduce the congestion in the area significantly.
TEA AND TREATS
I was so pleased to be able to join Sue and the team behind Tea and Treats this morning for a cup of tea and a chat with everyone who had braved the drizzle to join us.
Tea and Treats offers a warm, welcoming, and inclusive space where people come together and meet others from the area over a game of scrabble or a bite of lunch. Tea and Treats is an amazing initiative designed to give everyone from parents who want to get out of the house, to older people who live alone, a place to come and take a break from their routine.
Tea and Treats is held on the first Friday of every month at Swinnerton Hall, KT2 6AB. To find out more about the event email them on teaandtreatskingston@gmail.com.
KINGSTON SMALL FESTIVAL
Although I was disappointed that Kingston's Annual Carnival could not go ahead in the normal way this year, it was great to be able to join the Kingston Small Festival on Sunday to celebrate the communities and diversity that make our corner of London such a special place to be.
Alongside the live music, good food, and some wonderful stalls, Kingston Rec's committee wanted to draw attention to recent far right violence across the country and the need for our communities to stand together against hatred and intolerance. These events are a small demonstration that we will not be divided by hateful rhetoric and it was heart-warming to see so many people come together to support the event and its cause.
COMMUNITY NEWS
NETWORK RAIL UPDATES AND INFORMATION
Network Rail has launched a new email scheme intended to keep residents who live by the railway line better informed about planned engineering and disruptive works within the local community. While Network Rail currently send letters to affected households, the new email service should help update residents about short notice or emergency works quickly.
This is an entirely voluntary scheme and should you wish to continue receiving letters, you do not need to do anything. If you would like to sign up to email updates you can do so with the link here.
BIG GREEN CLASH
On the 8th September 2024, the Big Green Clash will be taking place at Richmond Athletic Ground with the world's first vegan rugby team, the Green Gazelles, facing off against Richmond Rugby. The Green Gazelles are an initiative made up of over 250 rugby players who come together to promote sustainability, animal welfare, and environmental causes through their love of rugby.
The event will be accompanied by a plant-based food fair and eco-friendly handicrafts stalls with over 100 organisations sending representatives to help out. You can read more about the event and buy tickets for the match with the link here.
ESEA CULTURE FESTIVAL
The ESEA culture festival will be taking place tomorrow in the Ancient Market Place with traditional dance, music, and martial arts demonstrations from across East Asia starting at 11 am. Alongside these performances, you'll have a chance to try on traditional Korean and Chinese outfits, make a paper lantern, and try the best of Hong Kong Street Food.
You can find all the details of the event on the poster below and learn more about the festival here.
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