Lives have been ruined due to the Government’s actions against those falsely accused of cheating on their English language tests for visas. Many have gone to court and proved the Government wrong, but at great cost to themselves and the British taxpayer. The simplest, fairest, and most cost-effective solution for everyone is to allow those accused of cheating to re-sit the test. But the Government is so far refusing. This scandal feeds into a wider pattern of behaviour and culture in the Home Office, as seen with the Windrush scandal. The Government must change tack.

The Public Accounts Committee published a report on the impact of Brexit at the UK border. There has been a clear increase in costs, paperwork, and border delay since the UK officially left the European Union. The Public Accounts Committee has repeatedly reported on Brexit preparedness and at every step there have been delays to promised deadlines. It’s time the Government was honest about the problems rather than overpromising. See here to read the report in full and see here to read a summary.

And the Prime Minister has boldly promised to lift all COVID-related restrictions by the end of the month but this will only work if people are vaccinated and can be kept safe. Vaccinations rates are still low in Hackney, so if you haven’t received your first, second, or booster dose it is not too late. You can walk-in at a local pharmacy or at Hackney’s main vaccination centre at 3a Bocking Street. You can also attend a local pop-up vaccination event – see here for further details.