Dear constituents,  

Please see above my Christmas card, kindly designed by James from New End Primary School – the winner of my Christmas card competition! I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.   

This festive season, whether you are celebrating Christmas, Chanukah, or any other occasion, I hope you have an opportunity to rest and spend time with loved ones. I want to pass on my thanks from the whole community to those who will be working in the NHS, social care, hospitality and other crucial sectors over the holidays. I will be visiting the Royal Free Hospital over the Christmas break to meet the dedicated NHS staff, to thank them personally for their service.  

Thank you for reading my final newsletter of the year. And what a year it has been! A general election, the first Labour Budget in 14 years and the opportunity to serve in Government as City Minister. I have loved collaborating with businesses, regulators and MPs to push for growth in the financial services sector.  

I have spent lots of time this month in the Commons, answering questions from MPs and debating legislation announced in the October Budget. Alongside that, I have been meeting senior business leaders at the POLITICO Financial Services Summit, UK Finance Parliamentary Reception and at the Treasury. In these conversions, I am working with the sector to develop a strategy to drive innovation and growth in our economy, so that we can create good jobs and prosperity across our country.    

I have also been busy working on the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy and opening banking hubs. A large part of my role is focused on the task of raising living standards through improved access to financial services.   

It has also been an exciting month of meeting constituents to celebrate the season and the new opportunities in the constituency. As I will discuss shortly, I hosted families in Parliament for a Christmas card competition event, and I attended the opening of the London AI Campus. To find out more about what I have been doing to raise the concerns of constituents about crime, and other issues too, do read on.  

Best wishes,  

Tulip Siddiq MP 

Member of Parliament for Hampstead and Highgate 

My Christmas Card Competition Event

I had the pleasure of hosting thirty local primary school children and their families in Parliament for my Christmas Card Competition awards ceremony. I was so impressed with the quality of all the designs that were submitted, and I hope this event inspired some local budding artists. Picking runners up and a winner was a real challenge and I want to thank everyone who entered the competition and all the schools which participated.  

The families were given a tour of Parliament, I presented the children with certificates, and we were treated to a magic show by the Headteacher of Fitzjohn’s Primary School, Rob Earrey.   

The Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle MP, was very impressed with the winning card designed by James. I will be sending a copy to the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer MP, and King Charles! 

Working With Residents and the Police to Tackle Crime

appreciate how important it is to feel safe on your street and in the community. However, several constituents and groups of residents have contacted me in recent months about the rise in criminal incidents like phone snatching, retail theft and burglary in our area. I am aware of the impact this is having on residents. I want to assure you that I am doing all I can to raise this with the police and with my colleagues in Government to ensure crime is tackled and victims are supported.

I am in constant contact with the local police to raise residents’ concerns about ongoing safety issues, including neighbourhood policing and the prevention of burglaries and break-ins. I have written to the Borough Commanders in Camden and Barnet to ask for an update about cross-borough collaboration in investigation and prevention of crime. I also raised these issues at a recent meeting with the police and my team are meeting with them regularly to follow up, discuss further steps, and identify what can be done to prevent and tackle the problem.

With respect to the Government, I have written to the Policing and Crime Prevention Minister in the Home Office to raise residents’ concerns. I know that the Government is taking this issue very seriously and the Prime Minister has this month announced funding for 13,000 new police officers in community-based roles in England and Wales to help tackle crime at all levels. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will mean every neighbourhood will have a named, contactable police officer in their community, dealing with local issues. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Government to ensure the police in our local area get the resources they need to tackle crime.

Speaking in the House of Commons

has been a busy month for me in the House of Commons as a Treasury Minister, as Parliament has been debating the measures of the October Budget. 

Firstly, my Ministerial colleagues and I faced our final Treasury Oral Questions of the year, where I outlined the steps the Government is taking to ensure financial regulators deliver on their objective of protecting consumers.  

Secondly, I closed the Parliamentary debate of the National Insurance Contributions Bill. I outlined how these measures will enable the Government to fix and fund our public services, to improve living standards and promote growth. 

Finally, I also spent two days in the Commons debating the Finance Bill. To restore our public services and unlock long-term economic growth, we are putting stability, fairness and sustainability at the heart of everything we do. It was great to outline in Parliament how our plans will do just that. 

Opening the London AI Campus

I had the privilege of attending the launch of the London AI Campus in Camden, in partnership with Google. It was great to join the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer MP, and many students and friends from the constituency for this occasion. The new campus will provide vital training and opportunities for young people in Hampstead and Highgate.

It is vital that the economic opportunities of AI are accessible to everyone, regardless of your background. I am proud that this AI Campus will give students from under-resourced backgrounds the chance to be involved in an industry of the future, spanning health, social sciences and the arts. I will continue to work with the Campus and other stakeholders to ensure all students can have these opportunities. 

Opening the UK’s 100th Banking Hub

This month, I opened the UK’s 100th banking hub in Darwen, Lancashire as City Minister responsible for rolling these hubs out. The growth of banking hubs is playing a key role in revitalising our high streets, bringing footfall back to town centres and repurposing unused buildings for community benefit. These are being set up in response to bank branch closures, ensuring that people and businesses have access to vital banking services. 

Alongside the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, we were pleased to see the positive impact this hub will bring to the local economy in Darwen, and across the country. The opening of this banking hub will protect access to banking services for 10,000 local residents and 150 shops. The Chancellor and I are committed to opening 350 hubs by the end of this Parliament, and it is a privilege to be spearheading this initiative. 

Championing Financial Inclusion

As you may know, I am passionate about people having fair access to financial products and services. I was therefore delighted to host the first meeting of the Financial Inclusion Committee this month. Together, we are developing a strategy to ensure no one is excluded from the banking services that they need to thrive.  

I also recently spoke at The Investing and Saving Alliance’s conference. Their mission is to improve the financial wellbeing of consumers, and this could not be more important at a time when a quarter of UK adults have less than £100 in a savings account. 

Mental health can also be a barrier to accessing financial services, especially insurance. It was great to meet with Helen Undy, CEO of Money and Mental Health, to discuss this issue. I thanked her for her charity’s work to break the link between financial difficulties and mental health problems. 

Supporting Residents in South End Green

At the end of last month, I met with local councillors and residents from Gospel Oak ward to hear their concerns about proposed changes to the public realm at South End Green, which will require reconfiguring bus stops on Pond Street, South End Close, and Fleet Road. Residents are concerned about the impact on air quality, traffic, and ambulance access to the Royal Free. I am organising a meeting with Camden Council and stakeholders in the new year to ensure residents’ concerns are considered as these plans progress.