A Year in Government: Celebrating Progress
As we mark one year since taking office, it’s worth reflecting on the transformative changes we’ve delivered for Lewisham and communities across London. From ending disruptive strikes to launching ambitious long-term reforms, this government has worked tirelessly to rebuild public services and restore economic stability after 14 years of Tory rule.
Strengthening Our NHS
Perhaps nowhere has progress been more vital than in healthcare. We’ve ended the junior doctor strikes that plagued London’s hospitals, helping to cut NHS waiting lists and restore confidence in our health service. The £400 million investment secured for clinical trials will not only improve NHS services but drive economic growth across London. With over 1,000 additional GPs being recruited this year, we’re ensuring working people have better access to primary care whilst implementing our comprehensive 10-year plan to rebuild the NHS for good.
Transforming Transport and Infrastructure
London’s transport network has seen remarkable improvements. We’ve ended the train strikes that caused misery for passengers and launched groundbreaking legislation to bring railways back into public ownership. This will deliver better, more reliable services whilst giving TfL communities greater control over their local bus services. These changes represent a fundamental shift towards public service delivery that puts passengers first.
Tackling the Housing Crisis
Housing remains a priority, and we’ve delivered concrete changes for London’s renters. The ban on no-fault evictions provides security for thousands of families, whilst planning reforms are accelerating the delivery of homes London desperately needs. Our ‘Homes for Heroes’ programme ensures that Armed Forces veterans, domestic abuse survivors, and care leavers have guaranteed accommodation—a moral duty we’re proud to fulfil.
Investing in Education and Skills
London’s schools are benefiting from landmark reforms. We’ve scrapped the reductive single headline Ofsted grades, launched a comprehensive curriculum review, and begun recruiting 6,500 teachers nationally. The creation of Skills England is transforming opportunities across London, whilst our Growth and Skills Levy is revolutionising apprenticeships. Free breakfast clubs for primary school children are rolling out, and 3,000 school-based nurseries will support working families.
Economic Growth and Security
Our economic agenda has delivered tangible results. Over £100 million investment in five new research hubs, including one in London, will drive breakthroughs in healthcare, cybersecurity, and transport. We’ve ended the ban on onshore wind and unblocked solar schemes, creating good jobs whilst delivering lower energy bills. The National Wealth Fund is unlocking private investment, whilst our employment rights package—including ending exploitative zero-hour contracts and providing statutory sick pay from day one—ensures work pays for London’s workforce.
Building a Safer, Fairer Society
We’ve kickstarted neighbourhood policing restoration, scrapped the wasteful Rwanda scheme, and launched Border Security Command to tackle criminal smuggling gangs. Our Armed Forces Commissioner champions service personnel, backed by the largest military pay increase in decades.
This year has laid the foundation for lasting change. From the Warm Homes Plan lifting over one million households out of fuel poverty to the Child Poverty Taskforce tackling inequality, we’re building a Britain that works for everyone. London leads the way in this transformation, demonstrating what’s possible when government delivers on its promises.
And this is only the beginning!
Welfare Reforms
Thank you to all the members and constituents who contacted me regarding the proposed welfare reforms. I appreciate that the proposals have been a source of uncertainty and anxiety.
The development that all those currently receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP) will remain within the current system was welcome, as it further protects current PIP claimants from facing a reduction in their entitlement. Any new eligibility requirements will be implemented only after a comprehensive review of the PIP system is conducted in collaboration with people with disabilities and the organisations that represent them.
Those who can work should, and those who cannot, should be protected. That is why I back the Government’s record £1 billion investment in tailored employment support for disabled people. This comes alongside efforts to break down barriers to work and create healthier, more inclusive workplaces. Disabled people deserve the same opportunities as anybody else, and the Government recognises that a lot of work is needed to deliver an inclusive employment system.
The upcoming Bill will tackle the perverse incentives of our welfare system and prevent claimants from being punished for trying to work. It will benefit millions of households by increasing the standard allowance of Universal Credit above inflation for the first time ever, with a forecasted cash increase of £725 per year for a single household aged over 25 by 2030.
This government was elected on a pledge to put the voices of disabled people at the heart of policy, and I am glad that the broken Work Capability Assessment, which many constituents have said they dislike, will be scrapped. This will simplify the process for accessing health-related benefits into one single assessment, created in concert with disability organisations, and end the binary can-or-cannot work divide, helping those who can work to access support to do so. The Government has also launched a review of the PIP assessment to ensure the benefit is fair and fit for the future. This must be co-produced with disabled people and the organisations that represent them, placing their needs and views at the heart of future proposals.
Taken together, this approach will produce a fair package of PIP reforms that will preserve the social security system for those who need it and ensure that future reforms are made alongside those reliant on PIP. It will support people back into work, protect those who cannot work and reduce anxiety for those currently in the system.
In addition to celebrating one year of a Labour government, I will also celebrate one year as Minister for Children and Families in July.
Last year, I was delighted to be appointed Minister. Being able to utilise my professional background and management in fostering to help our most vulnerable children was one of the core reasons why I entered politics.
In the last year, I have travelled up and down the country, visiting local authorities, speaking with front-line staff, and listening to the children and young people who have experienced the care sector.
This experience has only deepened my belief and resolve that the sector is in dire need of reform. Luckily, the government agrees, and in our Plan to Change, my department has been allocated £2bn to transform the Children and Families sector, with additional funds to rebuild children’s care homes across the country.
If the past year was an exercise in listening, the next year will be creating and implementing this transformation, so that all children and young people, regardless of background, can have the best start in life.
Best Start Family Services
Sure Start was one of the highlights of the previous Labour government, and its abolition by the Tories was a significant setback for children across the country. I am therefore delighted to be part of the DfE team, which is bringing them back. Earlier this month, Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, announced Best Start Family Services. This is Labour at its best, bringing vital children’s and family services together in one place. All families are welcome, and the service will be provided where families need it most.
This will be accompanied by an expansion of government-funded childcare. Families with children older than 9 months will be able to access up to 30 hours of funded childcare a week until their child starts school. This will save working families £7,500 a year, with additional funded care for working and low-income families.
FCDO update
Israel – Iran Crisis
As you may know, on Friday 21 June, Israel launched extensive strikes across Iran. Targets include military sites, including the Iranian enrichment facility at Natanz, and key commanders and nuclear scientists. The following 72 hours saw Iranian ballistic missile and drone strikes across Israel, killing at least 21 Israelis and injuring hundreds more. These were followed by additional air and missile strikes by both sides over the next week.
The government’s first priority was to ensure the safety of British nationals in the region. On the same Friday, a crisis team in London and the region was stood up, and a Rapid Deployment Team was sent to Egypt and Jordan to bolster our consular presence near the border with Israel, which had already been supporting British nationals on the ground.
On Saturday 21 June, the US struck Iranian nuclear sites at Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow, aimed at destroying Iran’s ability to build a nuclear bomb. Whilst assessments are still ongoing, it is reported that Iran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon has been put back by ‘1 – 2 years’.
The United Kingdom was not involved in the strikes against Iran, and I join the government in its calls for a lasting peace, and for Iran to re-join negotiations with international partners to end its nuclear programme, peacefully, once and for all.
On 21 June, I spoke at the Windrush Foundation’s 30th year celebrations, which also marked the 77th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush in Tilbury.
The event was a celebration of the Windrush generation, who came to the UK to rebuild Britain after World War II and to establish new communities across the country.
The Windrush Foundation does excellent work in creating educational resources to ensure that future generations are aware of the Windrush story, as well as to encourage good community relations and the end of racial discrimination. They are a fantastic resource for those who want to learn about the contributions of Caribbean settlers in the UK, and I encourage you to check out their website: https://windrushfoundation.com/
Catford House
In June, I got a lucky sneak peek of the £4.2m refurbishment of Catford House, the oldest building in Catford. There, I heard the newly announced operator, the Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency (GCDA), plans for the building.
The GCDA plans for a mixed-use building, with a pub at its core, as well as a community kitchen and spaces for community groups to use. Their plans put the community at the heart of the venue, and will be a space for everyone in the constituency to use and enjoy.
GCDA is a not-for-profit organisation with over four decades of experience in developing community hubs across southeast London. After operating in the borough for the past fifteen years, GCDA will have a permanent base in the heart of Catford.
The building itself is a beautiful combination of classic Georgian architecture and modern sensibilities, with exposed brick and treated wood.
Thank you to everyone involved in making this project a success, including the Mayor of London, Lewisham Council, and Hayatsu Architects. I look forward to having a pint with Cllr Walsh, Cllr Erheriene and everyone involved when Catford House opens.
Summertime means summer fetes! In the last couple of weeks, I have been all over the constituency enjoying the sun, meeting local residents and seeing the constituency in all of its wonder.
It has been fantastic mingling with residents, speaking with stall owners, and enjoying the food and wares that people make. Summer events are a great reminder of the creativity and entrepreneurship of the community we have in Lewisham East. Highlights include the knitwear created by ‘Two Crafty Ladies’ in Downham, and the hot sauces from Auntie Sarah in Culvery Green.
