I challenged the Chancellor on the Government's inability to tackle COVID loan scheme fraud during pandemic. The Chancellor claims he had to act quickly at the start of the pandemic, but with even just a short pause for better planning and preparedness, some of estimated £26 billion paid out under fraudulent claims would have been saved. The money lost to fraud would have mitigated the rise in National Insurance contributions that will hit on 1 April. This comes at the worst possible time with rising prices and soaring inflation creating the perfect storm for households. 

I was appalled to read the City & Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership’s review into the incident with Child Q. This was a young black girl who was on her period and was strip-searched by police officers at her school without an appropriate adult present because she allegedly smelt of cannabis. Read the report in full here.

Ukrainian refugees have been through hell and back but are still being put through more difficulties by the Home Office. I pressed the Home Secretary, Priti Patel MP, on what security risk a 90-year-old woman fleeing war in Ukraine poses, or people in their sixties, or mothers with small children? See here. The Government’s approach to Ukrainian refugees just underlines the chaos at the heart of the Home Office. It needs to urgently get a grip.

What security risk does a 90-year-old woman fleeing war in Ukraine pose? Or people in their sixties? Or mothers with small children?

The Government’s approach to Ukrainian refugees just underlines the chaos at the heart of the Home Office. It needs to urgently get a grip.

We all have so much to thank the NHS for. Hackney's NHS heroes went above and beyond for us during the pandemic, working through extraordinary and difficult conditions. The NHS Parliamentary Awards are your chance to help recognise this dedication.

See below for a list of the ten categories I can submit nominations for. More information about each category can be found here.

The Home Secretary, Priti Patel MP, updated the Government's position on visas for Ukrainians refugees. Ukrainians fleeing war will no longer be subject to procedural hurdles such as English language requirements or minimum income tests. I've been working with my frontbench Labour colleagues urging the Government to simplify the visa process for Ukrainian refugees since the outbreak of war. This is now a welcome step, but the Government has been slow off the mark.