Dear John,

It’s my first update of 2025, so here’s wishing you and your family the very best in the year ahead. I’ve just wrapped up my first surgery of the year, assisting residents with a variety of important cases, and it’s already been a busy start in Westminster as well.

Careers Fair Final Request: Do you work in hospitality, creative/media or digital technology?

My annual Careers Fair is being held with Rooks Heath School on Thursday, 23rd January and we are still in need of voices to speak with Harrow students about careers in these industries! Please get in touch with me on [email protected] if you can support on the day.

We’ve just confirmed a Google CV-building workshop will be returning to the Fair for Harrow students. This is open to all Harrow schools - so parents/students please get in touch with your teachers to get you on the list.

Below is my newsletter covering some of my work in Parliament and locally in Harrow too – as always, throughout the year, you can find regular updates from me on Facebook, Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram, or if you have an issue you would like to raise with me, contact me on [email protected] or 02072194243.

PARLIAMENT

Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

This week in Parliament, I was proud to vote for the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. This Bill is the single biggest piece of child protection legislation in a generation and this Bill will put our vision of a child-centred government into action by:

🍎 Stopping Children from Falling Through the Cracks

Implementing landmark reforms in safeguarding and children’s social care.

Introducing a mandatory register of children not in school – warmly welcomed by schools and teachers across the country.

📈 Raising School Standards

Enacting common-sense reforms to ensure more qualified, expert teachers are in classrooms.

Delivering a cutting-edge curriculum that prepares children for the future.

🎒 Making Education Affordable for Families

Providing free breakfast clubs for all pupils.

Capping the number of branded school uniform items to save parents money.

The Conservative Party opposed this Bill. They did so putting forward an amendment saying this was because it did not announce a new inquiry into child sexual exploitation. This is despite the fact that when in Government they themselves commissioned the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

The 2022 Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) in England and Wales, led by Professor Alexis Jay OBE, lasted seven years, heard from more than 6,000 victims and cost £186.6 million. It made 20 important recommendations on addressing systematic failure and enhancing child protection. It also included a specific national inquiry into Child Exploitation by Organised Networks, which lasted two years alone.

This government is acting fast to implement the key recommendations on enhancing child protection from Professor Alexis Jay’s 2022 national inquiry, which the previous government failed to implement in full.

The time for talking on this issue passed long ago. Only meaningful action will suffice now.

This government will make it mandatory to report abuse, and we will put the measures in the crime and policing bill that will be put before parliament this spring, making it an offence with professional and criminal sanctions to fail to report or cover up child sexual abuse.

We will also establish a victims and survivors panel to oversee reforms and make grooming an aggravating factor in child sexual offences

Labour are getting on with delivering the real reforms this country needs – not pretending to stand up for victims they’ve consistently let down over 14 years in government.

Elective Reform Plan to reduce NHS waiting list

🏥 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐇𝐒 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬

We inherited a broken NHS, with millions of people languishing on waiting lists. Their lives on hold. This week, the Government set out our plan to cut down NHS waiting lists, tackling the hospital backlog, and getting people the treatment they need faster.

The Elective Reform Plan sets out a new, whole-system approach to tackling the backlog and hitting the 18-week referral to treatment target by the end of this Parliament.

We’re creating half a million more appointments by opening Community Diagnostic Centres for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Increasing same-day tests so that patients aren’t waiting weeks between care, and creating 14 new surgical hubs in hospitals by June of this year. Under the plan, by the end of 2026, 65% of all patients will be treated within 18 weeks.

The NHS should work around patients’ lives, not the other way around, and these reforms will enable the NHS to be there for us when we need it once again.

🔍 You can read more about the plan here: www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-sets-out-plan-to-end-waiting-list-backlogs-through-millions-more-appointment

Sanctions regime

On Thursday, the Foreign Secretary launched a world-first sanctions regime to cripple people-smuggling crime rings.

As the world’s first standalone sanctions regime dedicated to targeting irregular migration and organised immigration crime, it will allow the UK to target individuals and entities enabling dangerous journeys. Criminal networks are making huge profits exploiting vulnerable people, including through dangerous sea crossings across Europe. 

The announcement forms part of the government’s Plan For Change to bring back control of the immigration system, smash the gangs, reduce small boat crossings and secure our borders.

The Prime Minister spoke with police officers dealing with illegal migration gangs on a visit to the City of London Police Headquarters.

CALLING ALL MALE CARERS - Visit the House of Commons

Calling all registered male carers of Harrow - Join a special visit and discussion at the House of Commons! Email [email protected] or call 0208 868 5224

This is exclusively for registered male carers. If you're a carer living in Harrow and wish to join, please register using Harrow Carers online form: https://harrowcarers.org/carer-registration/