MP’S REPORT TO BRENTFORD & ISLEWORTH
RESIDENTS; JANUARY 2020
I PROVIDE REGULAR UPDATES ON MY WORK TO LOCAL RESIDENTS.
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 AND
VIA TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM @RUTHCADBURY [2].
YOU CAN SEE FULL DETAILS OF MY QUESTIONS AND SPEECHES, AND GET REGULAR
UPDATES ABOUT MY PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITIES ON THEYWORKFORYOU [3]
THANK YOU!
After being overwhelmingly endorsed by B&I Labour members at the selection
meetings on October 2nd, I was honoured to be the candidate in the general
election that followed.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who supported the incredible election effort in this
constituency and thank you to everyone who voted for me.
GOODBYE 2019
Having got rid of Theresa May and his one-nation pro- EU rebels, Johnson
tried to shut down Parliament to avoid scrutiny and the opportunity for a
confirmatory referendum. When that failed he called an election instead, so
for over 6 key weeks before the 31 January Brexit deadline, there was no
debate about transitional arrangements for leaving the EU, or the UK’s
future relationship with our former partners, or about anything else
either. We’ve had no debate, no committee scrutiny, and there has been
little Government accountability, and like all re-elected MPs I am still
waiting for replies from Ministers on a number of topics…..
The whole atmosphere in Parliament before dissolution was toxic, as
highlighted by Paula Sheriff’s powerful emotional anger about Johnson’s
inflammatory language when talking about his opponents. Debate has become
not about left and right, Brexit or Remain, but fundamentally about right
and wrong. And we are seeing this atmosphere spreading out from Westminster
with the shocking rise in all forms of hate crime…..
IN OTHER NEWS; CLIMATE CHANGE became the issue that rightly galloped up the
political agenda. In May, following pressure from Labour, Parliament
declared a climate emergency and called on Government to return in 6 months
with a detailed plan of action – but there is still nothing to show….
2020: LOOKING AHEAD
2020 has hardly begun, yet each new day brings further uncertainty. As I
write, we learn that Trump instructed US forces to assassinate Suleimani
(the head of the Iranian equivalent of the CIA and special forces combined)
bringing an unprecedented level of uncertainty to international relations
and peace-keeping.
Brexit is just round the corner and yet we’re hardly further on in
knowing the nature of our departure. Last week Dominic Cummings announced a
fundamental culture change in the Civil Service and with it a further power
grab by Government from Parliament. Despite his apparently radical agenda,
Cummings clearly has no ideas or even interest in addressing the
country’s top challenges; the distribution of power and wealth, gross
inequalities and poverty, tackling climate change etc.
HEATHROW: We are waiting for the High Court judgement on the judicial
review of the decision to proceed with Runway 3 at Heathrow. A recent
announcement has the project delayed by a year, and I would like to hope
that the project will be scrapped. The associated but essential rail
infrastructure make the scheme increasingly unaffordable to both Heathrow
and the Government, whilst it brings little economic benefit and involves
huge levels of carbon emissions that the rest of the economy will have to
trade.
MY PRIORITIES: As Labour MPs we now face being in continuous opposition for
the months and years to come. Nevertheless I will continue to raise the
impacts of Government policy that matter most to my constituents such as
the housing crisis and poverty. Particular local focus will be on;
* addressing knife crime and support for our young people;
* services for children with disabilities and additional needs;
* air quality and climate change – including the impact of Heathrow
expansion
* the rights of leaseholders
* running the London Marathon again!
I will also play a continuing role on the All Party Groups for Cycling and
Walking, and on the Loan Charge.
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Parliament sat for only a few (short) weeks between September and
Christmas, thanks to the conference recess and the election, but it was not
without incident as we tried to thwart the Government’s efforts to crash
the UK out of the EU with no deal and no confirmatory referendum. However,
Johnson returned after the election with an unassailable majority, his
revised Withdrawal Bill is even worse than the last. Just before Christmas
I spoke in the 2nd reading of the Withdrawal Bill – condemning the
Government for dropping even those commitments made in the Bill’s last
iteration; workers’ rights, the rights of refugee children, and concerns
about proposals to remove the role of the courts in interpreting EU law.
Other updates since my last MP report
* urged the Government to support London Mayor Sadiq Khan in enshrining
the legal right to clean air and include World Health Organisation targets
into domestic law
* joined calls for the Government to release the Intelligence and
Security Committee report into Russian interference in UK elections and the
Brexit referendum – as I write, we are still waiting
* signed the letter to the BBC criticising them for censuring Naga
Munchetty over her remarks about Donald Trump’s “go home” language.
* was pleased to be named by the Evening Standard as one of London’s
most influential Environmental Activists for my role as co-Chair of the All
Party Cycling Group attended a celebration of Mahatma Ghandi’s birth 150
years ago
* signed a letter to the DWP Secretary demanding full state pension
uplifts for the 1/2m expatriate UK pensioners living across the world but
mainly in Commonwealth countries
* signed an Early Day Motion on charging mothers for Maternity care
I met Cllr Tom Bruce, Hounslow’s Cabinet member Education and
Children’s Services, to discuss how the national school funding pressures
are impacting on Hounslow’s children and schools.
Explaining my concerns about the growing Brexit crisis on Sky News just
before the election was called
As Labour’s representative at a national election hustings on Cycling &
Walking policy at the Brompton factory in Greenford
The annual Bangladeshi Caterers’ Association awards
LOCAL UPDATE
Chiswick is due to lose its sorting office this year, Brentford already
has no Post Office counter, and I am now told that Chiswick’s Post Office
and Brentford’s sorting office will both close at some point in the
future. I am still waiting for answers from Royal Mail and the Post Office
about their plans for these essential services – and will be working with
the CWU and Hounslow Council on solutions to ensure that local people are
not left stranded.
The new Co-op store opposite Gunnersbury station has had a persistent
problem of anti-social behaviour that’s affected customers, staff and
local residents. I am awaiting a response to my letter to the Co-op’s
management about their plans to address the situation
IT WAS A PLEASURE TO ATTEND A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT LOCAL EVENTS;
“Plogging” on Hounslow Heath (running and litter picking) with
volunteer group Plogolution
As Chiswick British Legion President, I laid a wreath on Remembrance Sunday
LB Hounslow’s Climate Emergency action planning workshop
Celebrating the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak – the founder of Skihism …
and the birth day of the prophet Mohammed (pbuh) at Hounslow Jamia Mosque
The launch of Isleworth 390 book – a community project that researched
the lives and deaths of 390 local men who died in WW1
KEEPING IN TOUCH
TWITTER: @RUTHCADBURY [5] WEB: WWW.RUTHCADBURY.ORG.UK [6] FACEBOOK: “
RUTHCADBURYMP [7]”
CASEWORK: for issues to raise with me as your MP, please contact my office:
[email protected]
TEL: 020 8581 3646 OR WRITE: RUTH CADBURY MP, HOUSE OF COMMONS, SW1A 0AA. I
hold weekly advice surgeries, please get in touch for an appointment. Many
issues can be dealt with quickly be email or a phone call which saves
waiting for the next available surgery.
DIARY: I welcome the opportunity to attend community events and to meet
residents or party members, concerned about issues affecting the area or
specific groups of people. Please do get in touch with by emailing
[email protected] OR PHONE 020 7219 8590
UNSUBSCRIBE [8]
Printed from an email sent my Ruth Cadbury MP 367 Chiswick High Road
London, LON W4 4AG
United Kingdom
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