Dear Constituents,

Thank you for taking the time to read my July newsletter.

Watching our Lionesses lift the trophy at the Euro’s final last Sunday lifted so many of our spirits. I could not be prouder of our back-to-back champions, given everything they’ve been through this tournament. The Lionesses have inspired a generation of girls to take-up football, and I cannot wait to see the impact this will have at schools across Hampstead and Highgate.

Back in Parliament, at the forefront of my mind and my work has been the situation in Gaza. With hundreds of emails from my constituents in recent weeks, I know how desperately concerned you are too. For several months, the UK and the international community has desperately called upon Israel to end its military escalation allow the immediate distribution of aid, to no avail.

While long overdue, I welcome the announcement by the UK Government that it will recognise the state of Palestine at the UN Conference in September, unless the Israeli Government abides by a ceasefire and commits to a two-state solution by that point. Recognising a Palestinian state is the only way forward. This is something I have been raising with my colleagues in the Foreign Office for some time now, including with the Minister for the Middle East in Parliament, earlier this month. I am pleased to have played my part in getting this done. The Government’s plan is aimed to place pressure on the Israeli Government to withdraw from Gaza and commit to a peace plan where the Palestinian people have the inalienable right to self-determination.

Earlier in July, I wrote to the Foreign Secretary, calling on the UK Government to pull every diplomatic lever it can to pressure all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire, allow the UN to deliver humanitarian aid and secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. This comes alongside me raising the humanitarian crisis three times in Parliament and having regular conversations with Foreign Office ministers.

July also marked a year since the 2024 election and winning another term in Hampstead and Highgate, which has been the privilege of my life. Since last July, we have seen the biggest improvement to workers and renters’ rights in a generation, record-breaking investment in the NHS and an unprecedented rollout of wind and solar energy projects. My team and I will continue to fight day-in and day-out to get the help you need from Government, local authorities and other public services. Never hesitate to email me if I can be of any assistance.

Calling for UK Leadership on Climate Change

Climate change is an issue that is very close to my heart, and I believe strongly in the need for urgent action. It is an existential threat to our lives and future generations. I met with over 20 constituents from the Climate Coalition, the Mothers’ Climate Action Network, Our Grandchildren’s Climate, the Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum and the Camden Fixing Factory, to discuss this issue.

In the week following our meeting, I called on Ed Miliband MP to show international leadership on climate change at COP 30 later this year, particularly with allies who do not share our Government’s ambition to tackle the crisis. This is an issue that was raised with me by my constituents, and I was pleased to raise it directly in Parliament.

The extreme storms brought by climate change, combined with the unique topography of Hampstead has left our constituency particularly vulnerable to surface water flooding. Over the years, homes in South Hampstead and Belsize Road have been flooded with water and raw sewage, devastating homes and livelihoods. I am therefore in no doubt that climate change is already happening. I have been raising the issue of surface water flooding in Parliament for years and I spoke to BBC London news about it.

We must tackle the climate crisis on both a local and national level, and this is something I am already committed to doing. Just last month, I brought local campaign organisations like London Clean Air and Green School Runs to make a submission to the London Plan consultation, to push for stronger measures for clean air in the city, especially congested areas in the constituency like West Hampstead, Finchley Road, and Hampstead village. I will keep working hard to push this agenda forward with my colleagues in Government, with the concerns of Hampstead and Highgate as its centre.

Standing Up For Constituents in Social Housing 

Too many of my constituents are living in housing association properties who are struggling with damp and mould and associated health issues. Some of these cases have been going on for years and repairs have been slow or have not dealt with the underlying problem.

Awaab’s Law could therefore not come sooner for my most vulnerable constituents. This will legally require social landlords, including housing associations, to investigate and fix dangerous damp and mould in a short time frame. However, I have not seen evidence that housing associations have made themselves ready to deal with the level of disrepair and the severity of complaints that will arise in once Awaab’s Law is implemented in the autumn.

Last month, I convened a meeting with the Chief Executive of National Housing Federation to discuss what the sector is doing to prepare for these changes. They told me that the sector is spending record sums on repairs, improvements and maintenance to drive up standards. While this was good to hear, I believe more needs to be done. That is why, in Parliament, I outlined my concerns to the Minister for Building Safety directly, calling for an assessment of the sector’s readiness for Awaab’s Law. I will continue to do all I can to support constituents who are living in unacceptable accommodation, and push for more action from the Government to support my constituents.

Standing up for Refugees

Hampstead and Highgate has a remarkable history of supporting refugees, going back centuries. However, it hasn’t always been possible for those people to travel here safely, but they have made the constituency the place it is today. In a Westminster Hall debate, I gave a speech about the remarkable contribution refugees have made to our constituency, to public life and to our culture. You can watch my speech here.

In my speech, I stressed that we must not lose the compassion that our country prides itself on. Over recent months, I have written to the Immigration Minister to raise the concerns of my constituents about the reforms to good character assessments for citizenship applications. I was assured that, when assessing good character, immigration breaches are likely to be disregarded if the journey was outside the applicant’s control. However, I believe that a person’s access to safe and legal rules is also out of the applicant’s control. That is why I called on the Government to consider this matter in their reforms.

Standing up for BAME Victims of the Horizon Scandal

The Post Office Horizon scandal is a sorry chapter in our country’s history, one which disproportionately affected black, Asian, and minority ethnic Postmasters. Of those who were prosecuted, 40% were from BAME backgrounds, but I have not felt that the first report of the inquiry recognises the sensitivity. Earlier this month in Parliament, I called on the Government to ensure the inquiry addresses this disparity and that justice is served.

Celebrating Jackson’s Lane and Visiting the Jester Festival

It was also a privilege to be at Jackson’s Lane on its 50th Birthday! It was lovely to join their celebrations and to see the important work they do engaging our local communities. I am excited to see what the next 50 years of creative and cultural leadership looks like from this gem in my constituency.

I also had a great time at the Jester Festival alongside local councillors and assembly members. We had lots of great conversations with residents and useful post-it note contributions on how to improve local streets.

Community Bulletin

Post Office Consultation

Firstly, you may find reading the latest letter from Hampstead Post Office regarding their opening times useful.

Secondly, the Department for Business and Trade has recently published its Green Paper on the future of the Post Office. This is the first time that the Government’s policy purpose and objectives for Post Office will have been reviewed comprehensively since 2010, making this Green Paper an important opportunity to shape the future of the business across important issues, including:

• The size and shape of the Post Office network;
• The future of the products and services offered at post offices;
• And how Post Office should be operated and run as a business, including whether it should be mutualised.

This consultation complements the Post Office’s five-year strategy, which will deliver a “New Deal for Postmasters” by resetting the business model, boosting postmaster income and strengthening the service and support they receive to run their branches.

Anyone can respond to the Green Paper during the consultation period, which will run until the 6th October. The Green Paper can be accessed here. Post Office will be submitting its response to the Government’s consultation later in the summer and we will be supporting postmasters, customers and partners to share their views as well.

Thames Water Works on West Heath Road

To reduce leakage and lessen the likelihood of burst pipes, Thames Water is investing in a programme of work to upgrade more than 80 km of ageing Victorian pipes.

One of the projects in this programme will take place on West Heath Road. The project is expected to have a duration of approximately 30 weeks and will be completed in 9 phases from the junction with Platts Lane to the junction with Heath Street.

Standard working hours will be Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 8am to 1pm. There will be multiway traffic lights in operation for the duration of the works, commencing near the junction with Platts Lane.