Not one English river is in a healthy condition, with none meeting good chemical standards and only 14 per cent meeting good ecological standards. It is a shameful record that England has the worst river quality in Europe.

It is vital our curricula in schools reflects the rich diversity and history of our country. The contribution of people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities must be celebrated in schools.

I wrote to the Secretary of State for Education after receiving a letter from a year 7 student in Hackney, who raised concerns about the lack of diversity on the GCSE English literature curriculum. Click the pdf link below to read the response in full.

My office will be shut over the Christmas period from 1pm on Friday 24 December and will re-open on Tuesday 4 January. During that time my emails and phones will not be monitored daily. 

For urgent assistance, please see below for a list of services that should be able to offer assistance.

I hope you all have a safe festive period.

There's a good part-time job opportunity at Hackney City Farm as an Eco Therapy Facilitator for the Common Earth group.

The group formed out of a collaboration between the Gaia Therapy Collective, a newly formed collective of politically engaged eco-therapists located at Hackney City Farm, and the farm itself.

It has been running for the past year and is for people of colour who are feeling lonely or isolated to develop healthy relationships with themselves, each other, and the wider natural world.

I recently met with the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Helen Whately MP, to raise concerns about the impact of these proposals on small brewers. Please click the pdf link below for a government briefing on the issue, which may be of interest. 

There is a clear need to strengthen protections and legislate to tackle violence against women. I wrote to the Government and urged it to step up its actions in tackling violence against women and girls. Click the pdf link below to read the response I received.