Month after month this Conservative Government shows that it is incapable of governing. After fourteen years the country needs change. Nothing sums this up better than how the economy has recently entered into recession. Our economy is now smaller than when Rishi Sunak entered 10 Downing Street in 2022 whilst GDP per capita fell in every quarter of the last year.
Simply put the Tories have failed on the economy, failed on public services and failed on living standards. At Prime Minister’s Questions I put this to the Prime Minister, who as usual failed to answer the substance of what I asked him. You can see my question here.
Last week’s Budget offers little to stem the Government’s continued failures. You can see my speech on the Budget here.
Yet instead of trying to address the key challenges facing the UK such as the fact that there are 700,000 less people in the workforce compared to the start of the pandemic, the Conservatives are engaging in a so-called “culture war.”
For instance, Lee Anderson’s Islamophobic comments were racist and his failure to apologise has made the situation. Despite myself and my colleagues calling these comments out, the Prime Minster was slow to act and remove the whip from Lee Anderson. This shows how little the Government cares about the inflammatory remarks some of their MPs make and just how far the Conservative Party has fallen. The fact that he has now defected to Reform UK speaks volumes.
The Tories have also now retreated to the “better the devil you know” strategy claiming that the economy is getting better and that this cannot risked with Labour. This is a poor and unimaginative argument.
In contrast, Labour has made commitments that will make a difference to people’s lives. This includes Labour’s missions to get Britain building again, create Great British Energy, a new publicly-owned clean energy company, get the NHS back on its feet, take back our streets from gangs, drug dealers, and fly-tippers and break down the barriers to opportunity.
With a Government suffering from burnout and constant infighting, I am doing all I can to get Labour elected to improve people’s lives. Two fantastic by-election results, one involving our former Lewisham Mayor, show what Labour has to offer and that the Conservatives are not liked even in their heartlands.
Therefore, please see my newsletter that details my work as a Member of Parliament for Lewisham East and as the Shadow Minister for Youth Justice.
I am always available, so if you would like to bring something to my attention then please email me via janet.daby.mp@parliament.uk
International Instability
We have seen an intolerable loss of life and growing humanitarian disaster in Gaza as well as an unacceptable wait for the release of hostages. We need an immediate stop to the fighting and a ceasefire that lasts and is observed by all sides.
Despite the undignified scenes during the SNP opposition day debate on the Israel / Gaza conflict, I am glad that it was Labour’s amendment that passed. This is because it went further than the SNP in demanding rapid and unimpeded humanitarian relief be provided in Gaza as well as calls for all international partners to work together towards peace of a two-state solution.
Please note I will soon be uploading to my website an updated version of my views on this awful conflict, that has claimed the lives of so many.
It is also important that we also take the time acknowledge that we recently had the second anniversary of Russia’s illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine. Since the war began, over 11,000 Ukrainian civilians have been verified as killed and a further 11,000 are missing. However this figure is likely to be significantly higher.
On the second anniversary of this war it is important to remember the sacrifices that Ukrainians have been forced to make and to thank those in Lewisham East and across the UK who have worked to support those displaced by the war.
Labour is clear that if elected there will be no change in Britain’s resolve to stand with Ukraine, confront Russian aggression and pursue Putin for his war crimes.
Shadow Minister for Youth Justice Responsibilities
Since the start of the year I have been working to ensure that Labour’s Manifesto includes policies related to those under 18 who enter the criminal justice system. This is because these are some of the most vulnerable people who have very complex needs. They must get fair justice and treatment.
I have therefore been looking at how to make youth courts more efficient to reduce court delays and backlogs as well as reforming remand provision for children to tackle reoffending and deliver fairer funding for Youth Justice Services.
Additionally, I have devoted time meet with as many stakeholders as I can, as well as visit as much of the secure youth estate as possible. Therefore, I recently visited Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution (YOI) which was given an urgent notification after shocking levels of violence alongside “a complete breakdown of behaviour management” were found at this YOI.
I used this opportunity to talk with staff and senior leadership and engage with young offenders serving their sentences. This has allowed me to better understand the serious challenges facing our prisons.
I then used this experience to press the Government on rising violence in the Youth Estate which has been made worse by staffing issues. You can watch my question here. In his response, I was disappointed that the Justice Secretary chose to use statistics from the prison estate as a whole and not from the Youth Estate which demonstrates that attrition rates are going up not down in Young Offender Institutions.
How prisons are managed are vital to ensure these vulnerable young people are safeguarded from harm. I was therefore appalled to hear of the HM Prisons Inspectorate report on a deeply disturbing case where a girl held in at Wetherby YOI was pinned down and forcibly stripped by a group of male prison guards. Other concerning findings were also reported which you can read here.
Under the Tories, there is no plan for managing girls in youth custody. They are failing in their duty of care. I have raised this previously with Government Ministers and I will continue to do this as a result of these shocking incidents.
Housing Issues
It is important that everyone, in Lewisham East and across the country have safe and secure housing. Yet there are far too many examples of this not happening. For instance, in Lee Court, Leaseholders and renters were left without central heating from October 2023 to January 2024.
As a result, in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill, I tabled an amendment to ask the Government to commission an independent evaluation on holding freeholders financially liable for long-lasting central communal heating failures where the freeholder has a responsibility for upkeep. You can read my speech here.
Additionally, I was appalled to discovered that residents of Deslandes Place were evacuated from their homes at 3.00am and were asked to check into hotels, due to a water leak making the building unsafe. Consequently, I made representations on their behalf so that residents could be heard and for swift compensation to be given. However, this should have never happened in the first place.
To help solve these problems, unlike the Government, Labour is committed to fundamentally and comprehensively reforming the leasehold system and ensure that renters are treated fairly.
Apprenticeship Week
Last month we marked Apprenticeship Week. Our apprentices should be celebrated for their impact on our communities and economy. That is why I was pleased to meet local people apprentices at the Hospitality Apprenticeship Showcase which was hosted in Parliament.
I am pleased that in a future Government, Labour will give businesses the flexibility they need to deliver high quality apprenticeships and wider training courses to transform the failed apprenticeships levy into a ‘Growth and Skills Levy’.
I Have a Voice
Last month I hosted an event for the organisation I Have A Voice, in Parliament, and helped them launch their reports on racial discrimination in schools and political education and engagement from young people. This organisation plays a crucial role in promoting young people’s engagement in politics and to conduct research on important issues which matter to young people. They also encourage these young people to enter careers in politics and policy making that they can thrive.
It was a pleasure to have them in Parliament and I looked forward to reading their report.
Thank you for reading this newsletter.
Janet