See my monthly report for November 2023 here.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt MP, unveiled his Autumn Statement. Unfortunately, there was very little in there to help people in Hackney. Thanks to the thirteen years of failed Conservative government, households are paying more tax than they have for decades. And although the Chancellor made a great deal of cutting National Insurance by two per cent, this will do little to help the one in two Hackney children growing up in poverty. There was also little support for local government, which has had its budgets squeezed both by inflation and cuts.
The Government unveiled its forthcoming legislative agenda this week in a ceremony called the King's Speech. This lays out the laws the Government want to pass in the next session of Parliament, which is likely to be the last one before the next General Election. Unfortunately, this Government has run out of steam, and its plan for the next year is very thin. There are some welcome changes - on renters' rights and leasehold reform - but the proposals aren't enough to satisfy the problems so many renters and leaseholders are facing.
Read my monthly report for October 2023 here.
I was really pleased this week to welcome a number of students and young people from Hackney to my Westminster Experience Day. They got the chance to talk to me and another MP, as well as senior members of staff at the House of Commons, about career opportunities in Parliament. Seeing such bright and politically engaged young people is always reassuring – they asked focused, sharp, and pertinent questions about the issues of the day. It is good to know the future of Hackney and the UK is in safe hands.
Parliament returned in a sombre mood after the atrocities and suffering in Israel and Gaza.
This article was first published in the Hackney Gazette. To read the latest edition, see here.
The Prime Minister’s announced he is axing the rail line from Birmingham to Manchester. This may seem like a long way from Hackney but it’s a symptom of a bigger problem.
Over the last 13 years we’ve seen a lack of investment in the fabric of our public services - schools, hospitals and housing alone have been neglected.
Read my monthly report for August and September 2023 here.
The Public Accounts Committee took evidence from the most senior civil servant at the Department for Education on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, also known as RAAC. The Government promised swift action for the children left out of classrooms and the schools with reduced facilities, but from the answers we heard this is likely to go on for some time. See here for the full hearing.
This article was first published in the Hackney Gazette. To read the latest edition, see here.
Nearly a quarter of Hackney’s children live in poverty. When housing costs are taken into account, this figure rises to almost half. These figures are appalling, and pressure continues to mount on families with the cost of living crisis. I regularly speak to parents who are worried about their children’s futures, and how they can support them to get on in life in the current climate.