Dear Constituents,

Thank you for taking the time to read this month’s newsletter. April has been full of religious celebration, and it has been wonderful to see people come together across Hampstead and Highgate to celebrate freedom, hope and community. I hope my Christian constituents had a Happy Easter with their family and friends over the bank holiday weekend. Thank you all for your wonderful contribution our community!

Thanks to Government funding, Camden Council has plans to upgrade the energy efficiency of these estates. However, I asked the Minister for Energy Consumers to ensure that local authorities are given enough funding to deliver energy upgrades to the highest possible standard.

Calling for International Aid to be let into Gaza

Gaza is facing a humanitarian crisis, and the blockade of aid must end. Women are giving birth on hospital floors and undergoing C-sections without anaesthesia. Last year, I spoke on behalf of a Palestinian constituent whose family member had no access to food or water. I am devastated that the humanitarian situation has only become worse.

The combination of rising violence and over 50 days of an international aid blockade is putting the Palestinian people at a severe risk of starvation, epidemic disease and death. In Parliament, I asked the Minister for the Middle East to urgently engage with the Israeli Government on this matter.

Tackling Misogyny on Social Media 

How can we expect young people to have healthy relationships if their social media feeds are littered with misogyny? I spoke in a Westminster Hall debate about children’s access to social media and how we must support headteachers as they tackle the use of phones.

Eid at Number 10 and the Foreign Office

Earlier this month, I was delighted to attend the Eid celebrations at the Foreign Office and at Number 10, alongside fellow MPs, dignitaries and community leaders. At Downing Street, The Prime Minister gave a very moving speech about how grateful he is to Muslim communities across the UK for their contribution to business, education, the NHS and civil society.

At the Foreign Office, I also had a wonderful opportunity to catch up with Husam Zumlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, to reassure him of our support for a desperately needed ceasefire and an end to the blockade of international aid.

Anniversary of the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen

On the 15 April 1945, the concentration camp Bergen Belson was liberated. A few days before this momentous anniversary, I met with Susan Pollack OBE who was rescued from the camp as a child. Susan told me her story about how she was surrounded by thousands of unburied bodies and tens of thousands of mortally ill men, women and children. More than 50 members of her family were murdered during the holocaust. Murdered simply because they were Jewish. We must never forget the depravity of what happened.

April also marked Yom HaShoah, where we remember the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. I am committed to stamping out antisemitism in all its forms and stand shoulder to shoulder with my Jewish constituents.

Interviewing Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Three years ago, we managed to bring Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe home to West Hampstead after six years in prison in Iran. Earlier this month, she joined us at our local Labour Party meeting to discuss what life is like for her now and her reflections on the campaign that so many of my constituents helped me with.

Nazanin’s resilience and optimism still astonishes me every time I see her. We are lucky in Hampstead and Highgate to have such a strong role model for our young people.

Meeting with Highgate GPs

I was also pleased to meet with GPs from Highgate Group Practice to discuss what local authorities can do to ensure the practice can treat as many patients as possible and maximise capacity. We also had a productive conversation about the health issues facing our community, notably care for older people and mental health services.

The team serve many my constituents in Highgate, and I am grateful to represent such hardworking and diligent primary care providers. If you work in a GP surgery and there is anything you need support with, please reach out to my office.

Climate Relay

I am very proud of my constituent Dan Thomson who organised the ‘Running Out of Time’ climate relay. This was an extraordinary 2,463km relay from Ben Nevis to Big Ben, involving over 20,000 people, to raise climate awareness and inspire action. I was very pleased take part in this relay in Parliament and meet Dan. Click here to find out more about this inspirational initiative.