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Bell’s Newsletter
19th March 2023
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Dear *|FNAME|*,
This week, the Tories announced another austerity budget that does nothing to ease the burden on households struggling with the soaring cost of housing, heating, electricity, childcare, food, fuel, and other basics. The headline is that the average household will see their disposable income shrinking by record amounts over the next two years and public services will see a ÂŁ22 billion stealth hit whilst high earners, corporations and motorists benefit from tax cuts.
We need to shift the burden away from ordinary households and onto the wealthiest. Instead of hammering public services, the Government needs to follow the money and address the vast inequalities that now exist in our economy. That could start with a stronger windfall tax on the oil and gas giants raking it in and closing tax loopholes like non-dom status.
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Opposing the Latest Tory Attack on Refugees
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This week, I spoke out and voted against the Government’s latest legislative attack on some of the most vulnerable people in the world, also tabling a cross-party reasoned amendment to stop it in its tracks. People are no less deserving of human rights, dignity, or compassion because of the dangerous routes they have to take to reach safety. The Tories’“Illegal Migration Bill” is really a Ban Refugees Bill. They want to pretend that the majority of those making the crossing are not genuine refugees who will make successful claims; and recast them as illegal migrants.
This legislation would see people who’ve escaped some of the most horrific conditions denied safety, detained, and deported. As the damage wrought by thirteen devastating years of right-wing policies becomes clearer and clearer, the Tories are sinking deeper into their last redoubt: racism and scapegoating. In a world where a tiny minority of displaced people end up in Britain, we need to treat those who do with care and compassion. People who’ve escaped some of the worst horrors shouldn’t have to risk their lives again just to reach safety. We need viable safe routes, not another blatant attack on refugees to divide and distract communities.
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Standing With Striking Workers
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On a day when 500,000 public service workers were on strike to fight for fair pay, Wednesday’s budget brought no plan to repair our crumbling public services or reverse years of low pay for the workers struggling to hold them together. I was proud to stand on the picket lines with junior doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital and Streatham Job Centre staff to show my solidarity.
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This week’s improved pay offer to nurses, ambulance workers, and other health staff shows the strikes are having their desired effect. The Government’s tax cuts show us that there is money out there to repair public services and pay the workers who keep them running properly. And there is plenty more money sloshing around in corporate coffers and the bank accounts of the very richest.
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Meeting with Lambeth Peer Action Collective to Discuss Youth Safety
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On Wednesday, Lambeth Peer Action Collective came to Parliament last night to meet their MPs (myself, Florence Eshalomi MP and Helen Hayes MP) and discuss how we can make our community a safer place to live in, for everyone. It was great to hear young people arguing passionately for better social supports: from decent housing to better mental health services, an end to school exclusions, well-funded and inclusive education and good job opportunities.
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Resist Racism: Marching Against Hate
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I joined thousands of people yesterday to march through Westminster and mark UN Anti-Racism Day. As our public services and living standards get worse, so do the Tories’ attempts to divide and distract. They want people to blame refugees and migrants for the problems we are now facing, instead of their policies, which have failed to deliver for the majority of the country and mostly benefitted the richest 1%. We must continue standing against racism in all its forms if we are going to build a society that works for everyone.
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One Year on From P&O: Ban Fire & Rehire
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On March 17th 2022, 786 P&O Ferries crew members were sacked over Zoom and bundled off ships by masked security guards wielding handcuffs. Then-prime minister Boris Johnson promised to hold P&O accountable for its disgraceful treatment of seafarers. A year on, instead of sanctioning this unscrupulous company, the Government has legislated against the crew’s trade union. It’s very clear whose side the Tories are really on. This week, Labour outlined our plan to make it illegal for unscrupulous employers to fire workers only to re-engage them on worse terms.
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Hosting Commonwealth Parliamentarians
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It was a pleasure to welcome elected representatives from across the Commonwealth to the constituency on Friday to discuss the global challenges we are now facing. It was great to discuss the similarities and differences in our roles and give them a tour of our area. A big thank you to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for organising the event, to Madam Mayor, Councillor Pauline George, for hosting us at Lambeth Town Hall, and to Brixton Windmill for plying the delegates with tea, coffee, and cake made from locally ground flour.
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As ever, if you have any questions about the work I’m doing as MP, please get in touch at this address: bell.ribeiroaddy.mp@parliament.uk.
Best wishes,
Bell Ribeiro-Addy,
Labour MP for Streatham
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