MP’s UPDATE FOR BRENTFORD AND ISLEWORTH RESIDENTS February 2023

If you would like to raise issues with me as your MP Please email on [email protected] with your address, a quick summary of the issue (and relevant reference numbers).   

 

See my Web page for information on local and national services.

As 2023 gets under way, the impact of 12 years of Tory rule is really showing; a cost-of-living crisis, stagnant growth, failing public services and key workers striking - nurses on strike for the first time in history!  As Ministers continue to refuse to conduct meaningful negotiations with the Unions, the Government has pushed through the appalling Minimum Services (or “Sack the Nurses”) Bill.

Sunak, the third PM in a year, promised to be a better leader; but he’s so fearful of backbench rebellions he has had three climbdowns in a few weeks, on housebuilding, onshore wind, and social media regulations.  He’s dithered over sacking Zahawi and Raab and should never have appointed Braverman in the first place.   

 

It’s looking so bad for this Government that even life-long Tory supporter Rod Stewart has called time on them and said the Labour Party should have a chance!

 

Meanwhile, not only are the polls continuing to show strong support for Labour; business leaders are now actively engaging with Shadow Ministers in the expectation of a Labour Government.  So many business leaders told us at the packed Trade Reception how they really welcome Keir’s vision for a fairer, greener, more dynamic economy.

MY PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITY in JANUARY

You can see full details of my questions and speeches in Parliament,

and get regular updates about my Parliamentary activities TheyWorkForYou (votes) in Hansard (speeches) and on YouTube

In the Chamber;

• I asked the Housing Minister how the Government can ensure there is adequate funding for new social (council and housing association rental) housing, when his department had the largest proportional cut in spending plans of any Government Department. As usual the answer referred to “Affordable” housing, which is not the same as social rent housing!
• I spoke in the Retained EU Law Bill debate, a Bill that Labour is fundamentally opposed to because it removes Parliamentary scrutiny to a whole body of legislation. The Government has decided that any of our rolled-over laws that originated in the EU before Brexit, must be Bad and don’t need to exist (unless they – Ministers - decide to review them).  The Bill gives sweeping powers to wipe out laws that already exist, laws that govern everything from our rights at work, our food, our environment, vehicle standards and much more.
• I challenged Michael Gove to address not only flammable cladding, but all the other non-fire safety scandals in blocks of flats, such as the Paragon in Brentford, which was evacuated with a week’s notice over two years ago
• With Iran selling drones to Russia to support its war in Ukraine, I asked the Foreign Secretary what the UK Government is doing to counter this trade.

It was good to see the Government finally agreed to pay Bereavement Benefit to cohabiting partners with children, an issue I raised with Ministers after being approached by a bereaved constituent.

 

I’ve submitted further written questions to Government ministers seeking information on;

• severance pay for Ministers who were only in post for a few weeks in 2022, and on the costs of overseas visits by Trade ministers
• the support needed for event organisers based in Europe to be able to work in the UK
• the export of Paraquat
• overdue Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the Trade Department
• Arms export controls
• the implications of changing the state pension age for women from 60 – 65
• Energy voucher rebates for those on prepayment meters

Parliamentary Events

• Brew Monday with the Samaritans; encouraging people to talk to others when overwhelmed
• The All Party Parliamentary Group on Cycling & Walking met Jesse Norman MP. He’s back again as the Transport Minister responsible for Active Travel. Lots of warm words, but nothing we havn’t heard before.  At least he committed to retain Active Travel England – an important agency that only recently got off the ground.
• Celebrated the “Pongal” harvest festival with London’s Tamil Community
• A briefing on #FurFreeBritain calling for the ending of the sale and importation of animal fur

I attended a moving Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony in Parliament with the Speaker and survivors of the Holocaust and of the genocides in Bosnian and Darfur, as well as signing the Memorial Book

 

I joined a cross-party group of MPs at the Bank of England where we were briefed about their work, and learned how their decisions impact on the cost of living for our constituents.  We also had a tour of the Bank (but didn’t get to see the gold bars …)

COMMUNITY UPDATE

So many of us in London rely on our buses which, compared to much of England, are reasonably reliable and safe.  I visited Stamford Brook Garage in Chiswick, which is also the UK HQ of French Company RATP who run several of London’s bus routes.  Like all London’s bus operators, ridership and revenue are not yet back to pre-Covid levels. They struggle to fill all driver vacancies though they have agreed a 10% wage increase for their drivers.  I also learned that, while new TfL bus contracts are required to use 100% zero emission buses, RATP have concerns about the grid capacity needed serve the charging points that their bus garages will require. 

I was introduced to Biteback 2030 by Alice, a school student who is active in this national youth-led campaign to improve children’s nutrition.  At our on-line meeting they told me about their campaigns;  to end junk food advertising, and for all low-income children to get free school meals.

At Ashton House school I attended their assembly, then met the School Council. 

 

I also welcomed the “female Young Leaders” of Lampton School when they came into Parliament.

The Hyde Gallery is a new art gallery in Chiswick showing and selling works by women artists. I was delighted to meet owner Luda Hyde, and artist Jo Holdsworth who is showing her amazing painting of Westminster Bridge.

TDS Commercial is a small specialist commercial laundry in Isleworth serving hotels, hostels and spas with clean towels and sheets as well as cleaning specialist clothes. Owner and CEO Rona Tait is leading the way in a conservative industry, to reduce their climate impact, by cutting gas and water consumption.  For instance, her washing machines use ozone which means all laundry can be washed in cold water, and with minimal detergent.

With local police officers, Councillors and community representatives I went on a Police “Walk and Talk” round Hounslow Town Centre.  I heard how the new dedicated policing team for Hounslow Town centre had made a huge difference for local businesses in making the town centre a safer place to shop and work.  This team provides the extra focus in and around the High Street that I and Councillors called for over many years.  It was also good to see how Hounslow Council has invested in better fencing and lighting along a key alleyway linking Spring Grove Road with Kingsley Road, used by many residents.

 

After being contacted by several local residents about thefts from cars on Lionel Road North during matches at Brentford FC, I raised the issue with the police.  I’m pleased to hear that they are taking action and are working closely with the council and the football club to tackle this specific issue. However, we urgently need more neighbourhood police officers on our streets after a decade of Government cuts. It is therefore welcome news that London Mayor Sadiq Khan has committed to deliver 500 neighbourhood PCSOs across London but it’s not enough, and we need more funding from Government to ensure London can return to the policing levels we had in 2010. 

Irish poet WB Yeats lived and hung out in famous Bedford Park, the area and its people that inspired many of his poems.  Chiswick resident and poetry fan Jeremy Vine launched a smart-phone poetry-places guided walk through Bedford Park with the many donors and organisers who have made such an exciting project possible. We started at the information board next to the silver and gold Enwrought Light sculpture, outside St Michael and All Angels Church.  To do the tour, which takes about an hour, all you need is a smart-phone or tablet to read the QR card, and off you go, listening to descriptions and poetry at each key landmark. 

Printed from an email sent by Ruth Cadbury MP