John,

Here’s an update on some of the other things I’ve been focused on recently. 

As rents continue to skyrocket and 1 million people have been issued no-fault evictions since the Government promised to ban them, there are now record numbers of people who are homeless or living in temporary accommodation. In the least affordable city for renters in England, this is a huge problem for Brighton residents, who on average spend almost 56.9 of their pay on rent. And it is our young people in particular who are paying the price. Last year, Clock Tower Sanctuary in Brighton reported almost 3000 visits from young people who had nowhere to call home. Local organisations do a fantastic job offering support, but urgent action is needed at a national level. However, the Government has watered down its Renters Reform Bill to appease landlords on its backbenches, so I have tabled a motion in Parliament calling on the Government to establish an independent Living Rent Commission tasked with designing a nationwide system of rent controls in the private rented sector. You can read my piece on this in the Metro here.

The passage of the Government’s illegal, immoral and unworkable Rwanda scheme was a shameful moment in UK history. What we need to be doing is putting in place safe routes to stop people putting their lives at risk with trafficking across the channel, not this performative act of cruelty which comes at such eye-watering costs. You can watch my response on Politics Live here.  

In Brighton Pavilion, 85% of people support a change in the law to allow assisted dying for people with terminal illness – the highest level of support in the country. My inbox is full of heartbreaking emails from constituents who are upset at how badly we are letting dying people down by not allowing a legal option for a safeguarded, compassionate and medically-assisted death on their own terms. You can read my article in the Express on why I’m backing legislative change or read my full intervention in the debate here.  

Many congratulations to everyone involved in the successful funding bid to conduct a proper study into the feasibility of protecting and reopening the incredible synagogue in Middle Street, which I was honoured to support. I hope that one day this unique and precious part of Brighton's history will be open once again for our Jewish communities & the wider city. 

Royal Mail have failed to provide any satisfactory answers to a whole range of concerns form local residents about their proposals for a new distribution centre at the Patcham Court Farm site. I've submitted  further objections to the planning application and I remain highly alarmed about the impacts of developing on such environmentally sensitive land, whether it’s increased flooding in Patcham or a threat to the city’s water supply. Patcham Against Royal Mail campaigners are organising a public meeting on Sunday 5 May to update the local community on their excellent work scrutinising the planning documents – details on the meeting here.  

I have been raising questions with Brighton and Hove City Council to support residents who have concerns about serious anti-social behaviour, which have been exacerbated by a recent fire in the high-rise block. Thankfully nobody was hurt in the fire back in February, but I have been seeking clarity from the local authority on whether all outstanding actions in its fire risk assessment have been completed, and the steps they are taking to tackle anti-social behaviour in the block. I have also been in contact with East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, and the Building Safety Regulator. 

I've finally received a response from Southern Water regarding concerns I raised with them about a sewage incident in early April which saw sewage spilling into the street and into people's gardens. Southern Water's response apologises for the abysmal delay resolving the issue, which took days - yet they appear to push the blame to their "service partner" experiencing reduced staffing levels over the bank holiday. I am not confident (yet again) that Southern Water have a proper handle on their responsibilities and will be raising further concerns with them about their catalogue of failures in my constituency. 

UK dictionaries exclude humans from their definitions of nature. But language matters and if we want to repair our relationship with nature - we also need to redefine it & recognise that we ourselves are nature. Join the campaign to change the definition and sign the petition here. 

Lastly, I’ve been doing a number of interviews recently reflecting on my time in Parliament and my hopes for the Green Party. You can read my interview with the Guardian or watch me talking about my biggest regret on James O’Brien’s “Full Disclosure”or telling Matt Chorley on his “Exit Interview” why MPs hide in the toilets thanks to our broken political system. I also wrote about Englishness on St George’s day and discussed my new book Another England with the Daily Mirror, Andrew Marr and on Pod Save the UK. 

If you are a local resident and need help with case work or to find out more about my activities locally please do contact me at the office of: Caroline Lucas MP, Brighton Media Centre 15-17 Middle Street, Brighton BN1 1AL. Tel: 01273 201 130. Email: [email protected]

I hold regular surgeries across the constituency. If you would like to book an appointment at a forthcoming surgery please call Liz Collis on 01273 201130. She coordinates my constituency office and is able to help with most local enquiries.

If you would like to know about my parliamentary work please get in touch at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Tel: 020 7219 7025. Email: [email protected]

You can also keep up to date with my news on:

Twitter: @carolinelucas

Facebook: /carolinelucas.page

My Website: www.carolinelucas.com

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