My monthly newsletter: August 2022

23rd August, 2022

Congratulations to everyone who received their A-level and BTEC results last week and good luck to everyone waiting in anticipation for their GCSEs! I It was wonderful to celebrate with the students at Greig City Academy and to thank all the brilliant teachers, support staff and families who’ve seen our young people through such a tough few years.

My latest monthly e-newsletter has just gone out to thousands of homes across Hornsey & Wood Green. You can read a copy below, or online with all the pictures here. If you’d like to receive my e-newsletters, and you don’t already, you can sign up here.

Welcome to my August e-newsletter

I hope you’re having an enjoyable summer.

Many of you will already have had my Annual Report through your door over recent weeks. Thanks to all the kind volunteers helping to deliver it to every home across the constituency. If you haven’t received yours yet, you can also read it online here.

Work doesn’t stop when Parliament is on recess. Here are some of the things I’ve been doing this summer. If you know anyone who would like to receive these updates, please share this link .

Labour’s Energy Price Freeze
Whilst it’s hard to imagine after such a scorcher of a month, it won’t be long before people across Hornsey & Wood Green will be turning on their heating. This year, too many people won’t be able to afford to. I’ve heard so many heart-breaking stories from constituents at my advice surgeries and in my inbox. People working full time who’re cutting back on food to save money. A teacher of 25 years, who resigned due to ill health and told me she didn’t know how she’d survive this winter on benefits.And that was before prices go up again. Labour wouldn’t sit back and wait to act. We wanted Parliament recalled this week, so we could start legislating to freeze the energy price cap, saving the average household around £1,000. We’d pay for this by taxing oil and gas producers properly, getting rid of the loopholes the Tories were happy to wave through.But we also need to solve the energy crisis for good. We’d insulate every home that needs it to get bills down with our Warm Homes Plan. And we’d get Britain off expensive foreign gas – by investing much, much more in home grown, cleaner greener energy.

It isn’t only millions of households worried sick. It’s seven months since I first urged Ministers to help schools crippled by soaring energy bills . As businesses collapse and schools talk of needing to drop to a 3 or 4 day week, what is this missing in action Government doing? Boris Johnson didn’t even bother to respond to Labour’s request to recall Parliament, and Truss and Sunak are too busy fighting each other. Britain deserves better.

Swimming in sewage
Like everyone, I’ve been appalled by the stream of disgusting pictures of the sewage being pumped into our rivers and polluting our seas this summer. This is a disaster for our natural environment and a public health emergency. There’s been a 2,553% increase in the amount of raw sewage released into UK waterways and the sea since 2016 and the Tories are letting water bosses get away with it. They even voted against attempts to tighten the duty on water companies when the Environment Bill went through Parliament. Labour would clean up the Tories mess, toughen up laws on polluting, increase fines for water companies alongside a proper plan to stop raw sewage discharges and clean up our waterways.

Industrial relations update
Royal Mail profits are soaring enough to hand £400 million to shareholders but its workers are facing a cost-of-living crisis. This summer I’ve met with Communication Workers Union branch officers to listen to their concerns and assure them of my support. I have been campaigning for jobs, pay and conditions and better customer services at Royal Mail for years. The CWU branch officers have agreed to keep me updated throughout the industrial action and I will use the platform which Parliament provides me to make the case for fairer workplace practices for postal workers. I’m also writing to the Royal Mail CEO to urge him to get round the table and talk to the CWU.

This summer, I’ve also visited Unite members at the bus garage in Wood Green. The bus garage is the second largest employer in the constituency, and I make regular workplace visits to members to understand the issues of the day and support workers in what is a difficult but crucial public service. The day I visited the ballot was taking place for the proposals for improved pay and working hours and on returning to Parliament I will have an opportunity to raise the importance of decent work conditions and pay for transport workers.I have also met with UNISON in the last month, specifically regarding the ongoing disgraceful cuts to public services, criminal barristers regarding their concerns, and I’ve offered to meet Unite members at the North Middlesex Hospital. When Parliament returns, I’ll attend the very useful parliamentary briefings from the teaching unions regarding issues affecting teachers and children in our schools.

We live in tough times and the government cracking down on workers is making life worse. Facing such an attack, it’s no surprise that workers are going on strike to secure better pay and conditions on such a large scale this summer. I fully support their right to do so, but they shouldn’t have to.

Making Work Pay
Two-thirds of adults in poverty are in work. This figure is higher than it’s ever been and it’s a scandal that should put the Tories to shame. For many people, the post Covid workplace is even less secure and less dignified than before.

Labour’s newly announced Genuine Living Wage Plan would, for the first time, make sure the minimum wage is a real living wage that people can live on. We’d do this by changing the Low Pay Commission’s remit, so it also takes the cost-of-living into account as well as the link to median earnings. We’d also make sure it’s properly enforced and that it includes all adult workers – not just those over 25. Their bills aren’t any cheaper, why should they have to make ends meet with less?

The Jet Zero Strategy – reckless and out of touch
The Government’s recently announced Jet Zero strategy is meant to tackle the ever-rising emissions of the UK’s aviation industry. However, it will allow airport expansions and airlines will be able to increase passenger numbers. Instead of putting its foot down and creating solutions, the Government is relying on “new technologies” to clean up the greenhouse gases that come from planes. But this technology doesn’t exist, so why are they talking about imaginary solutions? Read my thoughts on this Government’s failed response on my website.

Get vaccinated today
With schools due to return and autumn approaching, it’s more important than ever that everyone who can be vaccinated against COVID is. If you still still haven’t had yours yet, it’s safe, effective, free and protects you and your loved ones. Click here for details of all the scheduled vaccine clinics in Haringey – for both walk-in and pre-bookable appointments.

All children in London between the ages of 1-9 are also being contacted to have their Polio vaccine or booster. The NHS will contact parents directly when it’s time for your kids to have their jabs, but if your child is not up to date with their regular vaccines, please contact your GP to get them protected ASAP.

I’ve received a briefing from NHS England about the monkeypox vaccination rollout and understand that 150,000 more doses have been procured and will be released nationally in batches during the next few weeks and carefully targeted to reach those individuals at higher risk of coming into contact with monkeypox to protect them and to help contain the current outbreak. Find out more here.

Summer NHS and dentistry crisis
6.73 million people are now waiting for hospital appointments – the highest on record – and demand for GP appointments and waiting times at A&E are soaring. Summer is supposed to be the quietest time for our precious NHS but after a decade of Tory mismanagement it’s anything but. If the Government doesn’t act now to provide the NHS with the staff, equipment and modern technology required and to tackle the crisis in social care the problems are only going to get worse. I’ll continue to raise questions when Parliament returns, particularly around access to GP appointments and dentistry where I’m receiving growing reports of serious problems. I welcome the opening this month of the new state of the art Muswell Hill GP Practice and am pleased to have worked with the practice to help support them to open their doors on time. It’s vital everyone in Hornsey & Wood Green has access to high quality, vital primary care.

I’ve been visiting prisons since I was first elected. Over the summer recess, I went to HMP YOI Bronzefield to learn more about the way the state treats women in prison – especially mothers with babies – and on my website I’ve written about what I found. I’ll continue working with colleagues in Parliament, local authorities, trade unions and wider communities for urgently needed prison reform and other improvements to the criminal justice system.

Save our buses
I responded to Transport for London’s consultation on changes to bus services across London. This is only happening because of the Government’s failure to agree a long term sustainable funding deal to keep TfL running, and in my response I expressed my opposition to bus cuts in general and raised my specific concerns about the impact for Highgate residents. You can read my response here.

Defending access to cash on our high streets
I’ve long campaigned against the relentless programme of bank closures and the impact this has on customers, small businesses and on our high streets. The Financial Conduct Authority consulted over the summer on the guidance they provide to banks and building societies when they propose to close or when ATMs are closing or being converted from free to pay-to-use. You can read my full response on my website.

Townsend Yard
Earlier this month I met with a constituent to discuss local concerns about a private housing development in Townsend Yard, Highgate. As well as fire safety and environmental concerns, local residents have highlighted the potential damage the development will cause to the setting of a 17^th century former shepherd’s cottage, a rare surviving back-land building which is a part of Highgate’s rich history. I have encouraged the Council to work with the community and the developer to find a solution to these concerns before the works commence.

Spurs Foundation & National Citizens Service
I enjoyed a great morning at the Spurs Foundation and National Citizen Service, meeting young people taking part in the NCS youth programme over the summer holidays and hearing their ideas for our community. I left feeling inspired at the enthusiasm and passion of our next generation, who’ve had such a tough time over the past few years.

One year on: Afghanistan
This month marks one year since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. It was clear then that, despite the incredible efforts of so many involved in the biggest British evacuation since the Second World War, the failure of political leadership cost lives. In the year since Kabul fell, it has been heart-breaking to watch the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the tragic rollback of rights for women and girls. Back here in the UK, in my meetings with Afghan people and human rights charities, it has been shameful to see the Government’s failings continue. Some 10,000 Afghans resettled here in the UK are still living in temporary accommodation, unable to rebuild their lives. My office continues to receive desperate emails from people in Afghanistan who feel abandoned by the British Government’s inaction and are living in fear of their lives. They deserve better than this. It is vital that the world’s focus remains on the plight of Afghanistan and those Afghans still seeking sanctuary.Taiwan
In recent weeks there has been a significant and marked uptick in Chinese military activity and threats against Taiwan, following the decision by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit the island. Ms Pelosi has been a long-standing supporter of Taiwan and Chinese democracy, and she is not the first US Speaker to visit. As Labour’s shadow Asia Minister I was clear that there needs to be a significant de-escalation of tensions and a cessation of Chinese military threats against the island. While Taiwan’s long-term future should be decided peacefully, it is clear that Ms Pelosi – and any elected official – should be able to visit Taiwan on behalf of those that they represent. With a planned visit to Taiwan by Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee later in the year the need to emphasise this is ever present, and I will continue raising this with the Government.

Myanmar
In a further demonstration of their disregard to the wishes of the people the authorities in Myanmar sentenced the former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to a further prison sentence. We must redouble our efforts to condemn the illegal actions of the authorities in Myanmar and stand with the people in their desire to choose their own leaders. Labour has consistently called for the British Government to do more to bring pressure on the authorities and we will continue doing so until the Government acts.

Remember, these e-newsletters are only a snapshot of the things I’m doing each month. If there’s an issue that concerns you which I haven’t covered here, please drop me a line.

If you’d like to speak to me at one of my regular advice surgeries, held by telephone and in-person, find out here how to book an appointment.

My website also has lots of information on where you can find help with the cost-of-living crisis.

You can also keep up-to-date on my work in Parliament and in the community on Twitter , Facebook or through my website at www.catherinewest.org.uk .

Best wishes,

Catherine

Catherine West
Labour Member of Parliament for Hornsey & Wood Green
Shadow Foreign Minister – Asia and the Pacific