Are you under 18 and an EastEnders fan?
Summer holidays mean lots more time to get creative so I’m extending the deadline for my EastEnders set-design competition. Send your entries in by 10th September to be in with a chance of winning a visit to the EastEnders set.
Young people can enter by either drawing (minimum A4 paper) or making a 3-D model of a shop, house, or location that will help make the EastEnders set reflect the modern, up-to-date East End.
After years of austerity, the magic money tree has appeared for Boris Johnson’s reckless megaphone diplomacy with Brussels.
This is money that should be spent on health, education, housing – on the issues that affect us in our day-to-day lives.
See me discuss this in my new weekly round-up below.
After winning the support of 0.13% of the country, Boris Johnson is our new prime minister and already he’s wasted no time in resurrecting the Brexit fantasy of 2016.
It is worrying that an economically and socially ruinous No Deal Brexit has now become a mainstream position in the Conservative Party. I will continue working with colleagues across Parliament to make sure this destructive outcome is taken off the table as soon as possible.
Has the new Prime Minister found a magic money tree?
See me challenge Boris Johnson on how he has promised the Earth but can't tell us how he'll pay for it.
After nearly a decade of funding cuts local authorities are struggling.
See me challenge the Government to look at the impact of their cuts on homelessness prevention and ensuring that people have decent homes to live in.
Watch the full Housing, Communities, and Local Government questions session here.
I’m supporting The Food Chain in their appeal to raise £100,000 in the next 9 months so they can continue their vital work.
The Food Chain is a charity which has been providing invaluable support for over 30 years to Londoners living with HIV. A dedicated small staff team alongside more than 200 volunteers provide food and support for people during times of crisis.
This week I arranged an emergency meeting with Lord Agnew, the Minister with responsibility for free schools, to help resolve the current crisis with Hackney New School. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the situation and holding the Department for Education to account to make sure no current pupils miss out.
See me discuss this as well as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) new report on Crossrail and my Hackney nomination for the All-Party Corporate Responsibility Group’s 2019 Responsible Business Champions award, in my new weekly round-up.
It was an honour to nominate Barley Massey, founder and owner of Hackney business 'Fabrications', for the All-Party Corporate Responsibility Group’s ‘2019 Responsible Business Champions’ award. Today I welcomed her in Parliament at the awards reception and thanked her for her business' 20 year dedication to championing sustainability in Hackney.
As a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on cycling, I know the real mental and physical health benefits that regular cycling can bring. Not only is regular cycling better for our health, it is also better for the environment.
It's estimated that around one million women cycle in the UK compared to three times as many men. Cycling UK want to double that number of female cyclists and get a million more women cycling.
Join me in taking their cycling pledge for the month of July:
It was a real pleasure hosting a productive meeting between the FA and Hackney Wick FC.
On the agenda was inclusion, investment, and better facilities for grassroots community football.
It was also a welcome reminder of the important role that sports plays in our communities – everything from building community spirit to keeping us fit and healthy (both physically and mentally).