Standing up for Jewish constituents

I am proud to have grown up alongside the Jewish community in North West London, and as their MP, I feel a deep responsibility to stand up for them. In recent months, as threats against Jewish venues have escalated, particularly in North London, I have heard directly from constituents about the fear they face when attending synagogues, celebrating religious occasions, or simply taking their children to school.

My team and I have been working closely with the police to ensure that communities feel safe and supported. This includes identifying venues at heightened risk and following up on reports of antisemitic incidents to ensure appropriate action is taken.

In Parliament, I recently spoke on behalf of a constituent, Richard, who told me that “many in the Jewish community are fearful, and instead of action, all we are receiving are platitudes from those in power.” His words reflect the urgency of this moment. That is why I pressed the Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, given its role in activities that threaten the UK. I have also written to the Home Office and the Foreign Office to seek clarity on when the Government will introduce a mechanism to address state-backed threats such as those posed by the IRGC. In his response, I was pleased to hear Minister Jarvis praise the work of local community centre, JW3, for bringing the community together at this difficult time.

I will continue to work with local leaders, faith groups, and colleagues across Parliament to challenge antisemitism wherever it arises, strengthen education against hate, and ensure that the Jewish community in Hampstead and Highgate, and across the country, feel safe, supported, and valued.

Protecting Vulnerable People from Gambling Harm

Earlier this month I spoke in a debate about restricting gambling advertising, which is a crucial way to protect vulnerable people from gambling harm. Many of my constituents will have seen how many gambling shops and casinos there are on Kilburn High Road. In my intervention, I spoke about how the Gambling Commission’s self-exclusion scheme is not fit for purpose.

One of my constituents told me recently how her regular casino, which knew she had entered the self-exclusion agreement, continued to let her into the premises and let her lose thousands of pounds.

As per the terms of their license agreement, gambling venues should be held to account on their duty to help their vulnerable customers. We must ensure that reasonable steps are taken to prevent them from gambling when they have self-excluded themselves.

Casework Example – Holding Banks to Account

An important and rewarding part of my role as an MP is when I can share constituents’ personal stories directly with Government Ministers in Parliamentary debates. I very much appreciate the strong individuals who trust me in making their lived experiences heard and responded to. My team and I handled over 188 cases this month. If you require support or advice, please do contact my office by replying to this email or calling 020 8127 5525 (9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, Tuesdays and Fridays).

One of my constituents, Michael, recently told me how he was a victim of an Authorised Push Payment scam where he transferred £1.2 million to ‘invest’ in five different companies. This scam is part of an ongoing Police Criminal ‘ Operation Cassady’ Investigation, along with 1200 other scam victims. However, he tells me that the Financial Ombudsman decided that his bank has no liability in this matter, and that that the payments made are not scams.

I have made several representations on his behalf, to the City of London Police, the Financial Ombudsman, and to the Treasury, asking for assurances that this case is taken seriously by financial regulators, particularly regarding Push Payment scams. This is just some of the support that I can provide my constituents, please do reach out to me if you need help.

Parliamentary Repair Cafe

It was great to attend the Parliamentary Repair Cafe event, alongside local fixing trailblazers, the Camden Fixing Factory. I was very proud to support their work, once again.

The Fixing Factory is a project put on the by the climate action charity ‘Possible’ and works to empower people with repair skills, support others by repairing their broken appliances and raise funds through the sale of rescued and repaired items. Repair is one of the keys to managing overconsumption and its impact on the environment, that’s why I signed the Reuse and Repair Declaration while I was there. If passed, this new law will require manufacturers to make spare parts available for electrical appliances within two years of launching their products.

Located at 179 Queen’s Crescent, the Fixing Factory is an excellent community project, and I would encourage anyone with broken appliances or a desire to learn more about repair to pay them a visit. Visit Camden — Fixing Factory

Endometriosis Campaign Update

Regular readers will know how my constituent, Sanju Pal, was unlawfully sacked because of her endometriosis. Sadly, this is far too common. 69% of Endometriosis sufferers say that they face discrimination at work. That’s why Sanju has launched a petition, calling for gynaecological conditions to be added to the disability guidance of the Equality Act. Her petition has reached over 11,000 signatures already, but she needs your support. Sign her petition here: https://t.co/R8FGGwPpY3

Furthermore, the All-Party-Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Endometriosis is inviting written evidence for a new inquiry that aims to investigate endometriosis in the workplace. The APPG wants to hear from those with endometriosis, employers, occupational health, HR experts, and healthcare practitioners to understand what challenges and opportunities are faced in the workplace for supporting those with endometriosis at work.

The inquiry follows the latest data from Endometriosis UK showing it takes on average 9 years and 4 months for diagnosis of endometriosis in the UK, a statistic that hasn’t improved in over a decade.

Employees with lived experience: If you are an employee with endometriosis, you can share your experience on the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L6YRR6J

Employers: If you are responding on behalf of a company or organisation, you can share your experience and insights on the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L67CLCR

Any other stakeholder: If you are responding on behalf of any other stakeholder group, you can respond to our open call for evidence. Please email endometriosisappg@endometriosis-uk.org to receive this.

The call for evidence will close on Friday 24th July at midday.