October was Black History Month and I was proud to secure a debate on the topic in Parliament, where I called on the government to follow Welsh Labour’s excellent example of teaching a properly integrated curriculum that sees students studying Black history year round. This year’s theme was Proud to Be and I paid tribute to the many trailblazing Black Britons who laid the pathway for a more equal future: from Yvonne Conolly, the UK’s first black headteacher; to C. L. R. James, the prolific writer; to William Cuffay, the Chartist leader and Diane Abbott, the first Black woman elected to Parliament.

I also had the chance to get into the Chamber this month to highlight the failures of the Government’s so-called affordable homes scheme and speak on the Autumn Budget and Spending Review, where I highlighted their failure to publish a comprehensive equalities impact assessment. Outside of Parliament, I’ve had a busy time supporting local residents: from helping newly arrived refugees residing in Home Office bridging accommodation to supporting local residents with longstanding housing issues, visiting schools, pushing for more Black blood donors, chairing an event at Streatham Festival and meeting with local care leavers.