An Update from your Local MP – 19th July 2024

Jul 19, 2024 | News

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Picture of Bell against a graffiti backdrop

Dear *|FNAME|*,

This week saw the official state opening of Parliament and the delivery of the King’s Speech. As is tradition, King Charles read out the legislative agenda set out by our new Labour government to officially begin the Parliamentary year.

This King’s Speech set out some key foundations for recovery after 14 years of austerity, privatisation and squeezed living standards. I was particularly pleased to see plans to take rail back into public ownership; strengthen workers’ rights; set up our publicly owned energy supplier, GB Energy; ban no fault evictions; and scrap non-dom tax status. These are policies that can provide a basis for renewal and recovery.

Supporting King’s Speech Amendments

One concern regarding the King’s Speech was the absence of a commitment to scrap the two-child benefit cap. Removing this cap would be the most cost-effective and immediate way for our government to tackle child poverty, lifting 300,000 children out of poverty. I’m pleased to put my name to Kim Johnson MP’s amendment urging the government to do this.

I was also pleased to put my name to an amendment from Zarah Sultana MP, urging our government to suspend arms sales to Israel and uphold international law. The government has been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. It is vital that it now backs up these words with actions to prevent further onslaught.

Scrap Tory Voter ID Laws

According to preliminary studies, 400,000+ people were blocked from having their say at the last election, with voters of colour more than 2.5 times likely to be turned away from the polling station. I wrote for Labour List, urging the government to scrap the Tories’ exclusory and discriminatory Voter ID laws, which are locking people out of our democracy. We must deliver on promises made during the general election to protect and extend voting rights. For our democracy to work for everyone, it has to include everyone. I’ll keep working to ensure this is the case.

Read my piece →

Solidarity with Striking Teachers

I joined Lambeth NEU members on the picket line at my old primary school, Holy Trinity Church of England on Thursday morning. Teachers are on strike to protect local education provision, with many schools facing closure after 14 years of cuts to council budgets. Schools in Clapham & Brixton Hill have seen real terms funding cuts of £1,165 per pupil since 2010/11 according to the Stop School Cuts campaign. This situation highlights the urgent need to boost investment in our education.