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Dear John,

We’re closing on Autumn in Harrow, and the past month, while a turbulent one in Parliament, has been a bit brighter at home, with residents celebrating Diwali and the Hindu New Year in homes and temples across the borough. We also joined in the celebration of Black British history, as part of Black History Month.

With the shorter days and colder nights brings the slow build towards Christmas, and, with it, many of the great Fairs, carols, pantomimes, and Bazaars that make this period special. I look forward to meeting with residents in the weeks ahead, whether at an advice surgery, or on a tour of Parliament, or at functions of Remembrance in the next two weeks.

SURGERIES & TOURS

As I return to in-person surgeries, I plan to continue my roving surgeries across Harrow West. In recent months, this has been held at local churches, temples and community centres across the borough. My next walk-in surgery is taking place on Monday, 14th November at The Beacon Centre at 9 Scott Crescent, HA2 0TY from 10AM-12PM. Open to all Harrow West residents, please drop by if you have any concerns or issues that you would like to raise with me.

If you have a suggestion of where you would like me to host a surgery next, do please drop me a line. I also run my regular advice surgery, taking on casework at my constituency office at 132-134 Blenheim Road, this surgery is appointment-based and appointments can be made by calling my parliamentary office on 020 7219 4243.

Following successful clean-ups of Byron Park and Headstone Manor, I’m looking forward to joining the Friends of Alexandra Park and Harrow Litter Pickers on Tuesday, 08/11 for a litter-pick of the park from 9:30AM.

If you don’t have a litterpick and/or bag, we will aim to provide you with one, by the Park Lane entrance at 9:30AM. Open to all, so please come along if you can!

It was a privilege to show over forty plus members of Harrow’s Romanian community around Westminster last week - some great questions on British democracy from the children and I look forward to even more questions from more of Harrow’s youth, with pupils of Vaughan School, this week.

A reminder that anyone living in Harrow West and wanting to join a tour of your House of Commons , please feel free to let me know by filling out a form here: - https://www.gareththomas.org.uk/parliamentary-tours/

PARLIAMENT ROUND-UP

It’s safe to say that I have seen some turbulent months in my Parliamentary career but October 2022 might have been in a league of its own.

A major vote that many residents have been in touch about and I know that many more were watching closely was Labour’s motion on the banning of fracking. Fracking would make no difference to energy prices, and would risk the health of local communities, nature, and water supplies. In 2019, every single Conservative MP stood on a manifesto that pledged to ban fracking yet not a single Tory MP (including the two other Harrow MPs) joined us in the vote.

Ultimately, the vote for Labour’s motion brought about enough Party turmoil and pushed Truss to give her resignation after only 45 chaotic days in office. Whilst their irresponsible actions continue to impact residents across Harrow, the Tories continue to show they no longer have a mandate to govern.

After the financial backlash to a shocking mini-budget, October brought about the fourth Chancellor this year, which was shortly followed by the appointment of the fifth Home Secretary and the country’s third Prime Minister. It is certainly a big milestone to see representation at the highest level, with the country’s first Indian Prime Minister and, while we will disagree politically, I know that seeing an Asian man at the highest office in our politics will be of huge significance for so many young boys and girls across Harrow.

Trade (Australia New Zealand) Bill

Despite the turbulent Westminster backdrop, much of my work in Westminster has focused on the ‘Trade (Australia New Zealand) Bill’.

As Shadow Minster for International Trade, I led the oppositions scrutiny at 2^nd Reading and Committee Stage of this Bill which has important implications for the Government Procurement Chapters of the Australia and New Zealand Free Trade Agreements.

These Free Trade Agreements which were recently even criticised by the newest Prime Minister this year as one-sided in favour of Australia and New Zealand, during his leadership campaign against the most recent former Prime Minister this year (Liz Truss).

I tabled a number of amendments to the Bill which sought to provide safeguards against the inadequacies of Procurement chapters of the Bill. Inadequacies which would have potentially huge implications for our NHS, the UK’s agricultural sector, future trade agreements and beyond.

Unfortunately, due to the most recent chaos in the Conservative party, limited time was available to fully explore the deficiencies of this Government bill and I hope for further opportunities to amend the Bill to protect the UK against its potential harms at Report Stage in the coming weeks.

Full details of the Committee stage can be found below:

· https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-10-12/debates/bedbdaa6-243e-43fc-bdad-029ccf6cad68/Trade(AustraliaAndNewZealand)Bill(FirstSitting)

· https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-10-12/debates/a47e3787-a0aa-4fb8-87d4-a84adb19e962/Trade(AustraliaAndNewZealand)Bill(SecondSitting)

Funding for the teaching of South Asian Languages

Recent data sourced by my office from the House of Commons library shows a steep decline in the number of UK students studying Gujarati, Urdu, and other languages prevalent across south Asia. I have pushed the Government for a debate in Government time to explore the reasons for that decline and how find solutions to how this trend can be reversed. My advocacy on this issue has received national and international coverage and can be found in the links below:

· https://www.easterneye.biz/huge-drop-in-students-studying-gujarati-in-uk-other-south-asian-languages-witness-slump-too/

· https://www.srilankaweekly.co.uk/huge-drop-in-students-studying-gujarati-in-uk-other-south-asian-languages-witness-slump-too/

· https://www.indiaweekly.biz/huge-drop-in-students-studying-gujarati-in-uk-other-south-asian-languages-witness-slump-too/

· https://www.pakistanweekly.co.uk/huge-drop-in-students-studying-gujarati-in-uk-other-south-asian-languages-witness-slump-too/

I will continue to push on this issue as I believe that Government investment in the languages of South Asia will help create stronger trade, cultural and security links with India and other South Asian nations, which are crucial to delivering long-term economic growth across the United Kingdom.

Support the campaign here: https://www.gareththomas.org.uk/save-community-languages-campaign/

WEST HARROW DEVELOPMENT AREA

As many readers of this newsletter will know, I was delighted to hear that we won the inquiry on 265, The Ridgeway in May, and that the Planning Inspector rejected the plans for a huge development.

Following the successful campaigns to reject planning proposals for 265, The Ridgeway, as well as the 11-storey Aparthotel on Vaughan Road, it is clear West Harrow needs its own Neighbourhood plan.

I have written the below letter to the new council Chief Executive, Patrick Flaherty:

Dear Chief Executive Patrick Flaherty,

RE: The Future of West Harrow

I am writing now, specifically about the implications for West Harrow of a decision by the Planning Inspector to reject Harrow Gospel Hall Trust’s appeal against Harrow Council’s entirely reasonable arguments against their proposals for 180 flats and huge further development on the site. On first hearing of the Inspector’s decision many will have sighed with relief that a nightmare was over.

There is as you will understand though the possibility of further development proposals coming forward for this site. In practice, it has merely bought time before the next big development gets proposed in our community. After 600 plus changes to planning law since 2010 it has become ever harder to stop over development and determined developers from getting their way.

Harrow Council could now support preparation of a local Neighbourhod Plan for our area. West Harrow has a distinctive character and a local plan could help to preserve this community whilst allowing sensible initiatives to increase affordable homes.

When Boris Johnson was Mayor of London, Harrow, like every other London borough, was required to identify an area for higher and more dense development. The resulting intensification area stretches from Harrow on the Hill to Wealdstone and includes the Kodak site. Recent Prime Ministers have perhaps not surprisingly kept this requirement in place. A neighbourhood plan for West Harrow would help to ensure that there was no developmental overspill from central Harrow and Wealdstone.

Harrow Council would have to accept a West Harrow neighbourhood plan so long as there had been proper consultation with all residents.

We therefore urge you to support and facilitate local residents to put together a Neighbourhood Plan for West Harrow before any further proposals are brought forward to damage the character and amenity of this beautiful part of our borough.

Yours sincerely,

Gareth Thomas

Sign your name to my open letter below if you support the idea of a specific local neighbourhood plan for West Harrow:

https://www.gareththomas.org.uk/west-harrow-neighbourhood-plan/

DIWALI

Wishing a very Happy New Year to our Hindu, Jain and Sikh communities – I was honoured to pay visits alongside local Councillors and many Harrow residents to our local Siddhashram Shakti Centre, as well as the great Jain temple in Kenton, and an incredible display at Neasden Temple, joining an expected 60-70,000 people that have ventured through the week.

SUPPORT IN HARROW

While we move to the Third Conservative Prime Minister of this year - on the ground here in Harrow, one of the richest countries in the world will be dependent on the good will of some amazing charities, churches and mosques to have 13 “warm hubs” this winter.

As set out by the ‘Help Harrow’ team, the Warm Hubs would become important spaces within the community, increasing the community resilience within Harrow and allowing for those residents struggling to be connected to support and enabled to assist themselves to get through the winter.

The hubs will become important places to connect local residents together, helping with their mental health and wellness at a time that many will be struggling with the cost of living crisis, social isolation and loneliness.

Details of Seven Local Hubs with details still to be confirmed – opening in the first week of December:

Hub1 South Harrow

- Salvation Army

The Salvation Army will open a warm hub at their site in South Harrow.

The hub will allow for local people to come along for a hot drink and a friendly place to spend some time.