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MP’S UPDATE FOR RESIDENTS - AUGUST  2021

Dear John

Parliament is on recess now, returning on 6th September. So my next report
will be at the end of September. Meanwhile, I do hope you have a good,
ping-free, summer, and are able to enjoy to enjoy some of the wonderful
spaces we have locally.

Best wishes

TO CONTACT ME 

My MP Office email is [email protected] I welcome the opportunity
to attend community events to catch up with residents (and also with party
members!). Or if you have concerns where you need my support - do include
your address so I know you or they are a constituent, and any relevant
reference numbers - DWP/Home Office. Please do share this information with
neighbours and local friends.

You can find previous reports of my work on my web site;
www.ruthcadbury.co.uk [1] I also report regularly on my Facebook page [2]
and via Twitter [3] and Instagram @RuthCadbury [4]. You can see full
details of my questions and speeches in Parliament, and get Regular updates
about my Parliamentary activities on TheyWorkForYou [5]in Hansard [6]and on
YouTube [7]

I PLAN TO RESTART FACE-TO-FACE SURGERIES IN THE AUTUMN. MEANWHILE I AM
HAPPY TO MEET CONSTITUENTS EITHER BY PHONE, OR ON-LINE, TO DISCUSS YOUR
CONCERNS. PLEASE EMAIL ME ON [email protected] WITH YOUR ADDRESS,
A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE AND ANY RELEVANT REFERENCE NUMBERS.  

SEE MY SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS WEB-PAGE [8] FOR INFORMATION ON

LOCAL AND NATIONAL SERVICES, HELP-LINES AND VOLUNTEERING;

 AND TO SIGN UP FOR HOUNSLOW COUNCIL’S DAILY UPDATES.

There can be little doubt that the current Prime Minister must be the worst
the UK has ever had. Parliamentary rules meant that Brent Central MP Dawn
Butler had to leave the Chamber for refusing to withdraw her statement that
PM Johnson is a liar, yet at PMQs and in speeches he repeatedly tells
mistruths; from saying that in the last ten years CO2 emissions have been
falling, to stating that the economy is growing. He's said there are
400,000 fewer families living in poverty when in fact the figure has grown
significantly, that there is no other working Covid app in the world, and
that the Tories invested an extra £34bn in the NHS.  Keir Starmer has
done a brilliant job challenging Johnson each week at PMQs, but week after
week we see Johnson deflecting rather pathetically.

The Queen's speech in May set out the Government's full legislative agenda
[9] and many of their proposed Bills are deeply worrying. The HEALTH BILL
further expands the power of the private sector in NHS decision-making and
does nothing to address the future of social care. The BUILDING SAFETY
BILL, introduced 4 years after the Grenfell fire, brings little hope to so
many leaseholders trapped in potentially unsafe buildings with huge costs
still hanging over their heads. Meanwhile housing associations that manage
developer-built blocks for social housing, get no help at all from
Government to make their buildings safe for tenants.

The NATIONALITIES & BORDERS BILL punishes asylum seekers and those helping
them, which could even affect the RNLI. The POLICE AND CRIME BILL
criminalises peaceful protest and trespass but does nothing to address the
appalling backlog in the court system nor the shockingly low performance of
our justice system for victims of rape and sexual assault.

We are still to see the details of some of their programme, but
announcements made so far are also worrying including tackling non-existent
voter fraud by REQUIRING PHOTO ID AT POLLING STATIONS.  The Government
have also said they plan to weaken the JUDICIAL REVIEW system, and review
the HUMAN RIGHTS ACT.

As Shadow Planning Minister my work will be cut out when the Government
publishes the PLANNING REFORM BILL. However their intentions to undermine
the power of local Councils and remove Community Consultation on Planning
applications has, rightly, run up against very serious opposition from many
quarters, not least a large number of Tory MPs. Here is the link [10] to
one of my Chamber speeches on the expected "reforms".

Through all of this gloom, ENGLAND’S MEN’S FOOTBALL TEAM went all the
way to the final of the Euros. The behaviour and statements of the England
football team and manager Gareth Southgate challenged the Government
head-on. His "Dear England" letter [11] set out his aspiration of a
progressive, unified, modern

England at ease with its diversity. This contrasted starkly with Priti
Patel refusing to condemn fans who booed the players when they took the
knee. Southgate showed the best of what England can be, in stark contrast
to so many in Government.

ALSO IN PARLIAMENT IN JULY:  

* I spoke in a Statutory Instrument debate about PAVEMENT LICENSING FOR
SHOPS
* A constituent asked me to attend the All Party Group on BRAIN TUMOURS
which is launching an Inquiry into the difficulties scientists have in
getting funding for potentially life-saving research on brain tumours.
* In a debate about the need to regularise the STATUS OF UNDOCUMENTED
MIGRANTS who have often been in the UK for many years, I stated that over
80% arrived legitimately but cannot afford the exorbitant fees to keep
applying for Leave to Remain. I also addressed the long delays in the Home
Office Immigration Service, only made worse with the number of EU citizens
applying for Settled Status
* I questioned the Aviation Minister over a serious constituency case
where my HIV-positive constituent was treated very badly when returning to
the UK; unable to get medicine while waiting to return, and again when in
hotel quarantine on arrival
* I wrote to the Government on behalf of a large number of constituents
who contacted me because they, or their family members, have been fully
Covid-vaccinated outside of the UK, yet will have to follow strict
quarantine restrictions on return, as the vaccine they had is not one of
those used in the UK.

COMMUNITY UPDATE

In 2018 Hounslow Council pledged to deliver 5000 new homes, including 1000
new Council homes, by 2022. Despite the challenge of the last 16 months,
over 3000 have been delivered including 100s of new Council homes. I
checked out their new development on the site of the former Acton Lodge on
London Road in Brentford where all homes are being built to the best
low-energy standards.

Hounslow housing department is also investing in its existing estates,
such as here at Brentford Towers with significant estate refurbishments,
new family homes in the unused space on the first floors of the 6 blocks,
large new recycling stations, and wildlife meadows.

With Shadow Sport Minister Ali McGovern and Shadow Schools Minister Peter
Kyle I visited Nishkam School in Osterley to see the work they have been
doing with the Football Association on GIRL’S LEADERSHIP SKILLS through
the FA's Game of Our Own programme. The programme develops a more positive
self-image, and works on social and mental well-being. It was wonderful to
see the Year 8 and 9 students leading sports activities with younger
children in Year 2 and 4.

EID MUBARAK to everyone celebrating Eid Al-Adha this month. It was such a
pleasure to join local residents after prayers at their party in Isleworth,
the first time that collective Eid has been able to be celebrated properly
for well over a year! 

Shafali Shown-Keen grew up locally, and after a career working in a large
company she wanted to be her own boss. She has now bought the franchise to
run MacDonald's in Brentford. She has plans to follow with several more
nearby franchises in future. When we met she told me of her desire to
respond to local community concerns and give back to the community

Young people from across West London spent two weeks together on a range of
community projects through the NCS (NATIONAL CITIZENS SERVICE) which is
managed locally by Brentford FC Community Sports Trust. I met up with them
all at their charity car wash at West Middlesex hospital, where they were
raising funds for the NHS charity.

ARTSED in Chiswick is one of the country's top performing arts schools. Its
school and degree-level leavers almost always find work immeditately on
leaving, in film TV and theatre and go on to great things. I was able to
see round their wonderful newly-expanded teaching spaces that will further
enhance the quality of the education they provide. I have agreed to help
their bursury programe, by linking them up with local schools, to ensure
that talented young people who are unable to afford their fees are able to
benefit from the world-class education they provide.

BRENTFORD MUSICAL MUSEUM [12] has a unique collection of mechanical musical
instruments, including this incredible Wurlitzer cinema organ. At their
Open Day I learned of their extensive programme of silent film-shows, tea
dances and concerts. I also met up with Karen aka BrentfordThruMyLens [13].
Karen is an inveterate photographer of Brentford's places while also
collecting photos of Brentford past, which she often shows together at
local exhibitions.

I met up with West Middlesex Hospital Direct Mark Titcomb, who told me that
in the last week of July, Covid in-patient numbers had risen to 25, from 17
the previous week after around three months of tiny numbers. Apart from
five very elderly people, the in-patients were of all ages, and none had
been vaccinated and some are very seriously ill. Which illustrated just how
important it is that we all get vaccinated against Covid.

July ended with the first week of the TOKYO OLYMPICS, where Britain is
doing well in the medals table and Isleworth is getting very excited. Sue
Cooper posted on the Isleworth Riverside facebook page about her protégé
saying; "after dominating early heats at Lidl, fuelled by medicinal gin,
Lady Myrtle is a strong medal hope for Bag-on-Wheels"

UNSUBSCRIBE [14]

Printed from an email sent by Ruth Cadbury MP 367 Chiswick High Road
London, LON W4 4AG
United Kingdom




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