This has been a busy month in January. This month saw the publication of the first Road Safety Strategy in over 10 years. This is an ambitious strategy to reduce deaths and injuries by 65% by 2035 and crack down on drink and drug driving.
The government is also cracking down on non-consensual sexual deepfakes on social media. No one should live in fear of new technology being used to spread intimate images on social media. The government has designated this crime as a ‘priority offence’, and I fully support Ofcom’s investigation into X and other platforms that allow this content. The government is also banning nudification apps in the Crime and Policing Bill.
The government also published its Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill in January. This legislation will protect over 5 million leaseholders by giving them stronger control, powers, and protections. Ground rents will be capped at £250 a year, new leasehold flats will be banned, and forfeiture, whereby leaseholders can lose their home and the equity they have built up by defaulting on a debt as low as £350, will also be abolished. A new process to make it easier for existing leaseholders to convert to commonhold will be introduced.
The Department for Education also announced its plans to rebuild the broken SEND system. The new foundations of the new system include restructuring the Department for Education to put SEND at its heart, Billions invested into high needs SEND support, Billions invested to create more specialist places, Billions invested into council budgets across England and launching and expanding inclusive programmes – PINS, Inclusion 2028, ELSEC, Music Opportunities, assistive tech. This month, the government introduced plans to invest £ 200 million to upskill every staff member in every school, college, and nursery, ensuring they can recognise and cater to SEND needs.
Windrush Rally
In January, I was proud to host the Windrush Rally in Parliament. This is an annual event created by Justice for Windrush Generations, which aims to raise awareness of the Windrush Scandal, celebrate the contributions of the Windrush generation, and campaign to reduce barriers to accessing the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
This year, the theme was ‘Equal Justice for the Windrush Generations and their Descendants. Whilst there, I heard from campaigners fighting to ensure that victims of the Windrush Scandal are treated the same as those in other scandals, such as the Infected Blood Scandal and the Horizon Post Office Scandal. This includes ensuring victims have full access to their pensions, that those accessing the compensation scheme have free legal advice, and that there is a statutory inquiry into the scandal
International Development Committee
At the start of February, the Committee released its interim report on the Future of UK aid and development assistance. In the report, we call for the FCDO cuts to be paused and for poverty reduction plans to be set out.
When Baroness Chapman, the Minister for International Development, appeared in front of the committee in January, she told us that she still sees the core aim of UK overseas aid as “alleviating poverty and stabilising countries to enable them to go on that journey themselves”.
This is something I agree wholeheartedly with the minister, but my and the committee’s concerns are that the current pace of cuts and restructuring at the FCDO imperils the UK’s aid mission, forcing more people into poverty and damaging the UK’s position in the world.
You can read the Committee report here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmintdev/1330/report.html
Paxton Court in Grove Park is campaigning for improved transport links and road safety in its local community.
Paxton Court is a vibrant retirement community in Grove Park, whose residents exemplify the strong community spirit we have here in Lewisham East. In January, I visited to hear their concerns and support the wider community for improvements to the local area.
Residents are calling for a direct bus route between Paxton Court and the Lidl in Mottingham, a practical solution that would make a real difference to their daily lives. I’m pleased to support this important campaign. Good transport links enable older people to live independently, which is vital for both their physical and mental wellbeing.
Local School Visit
At the end of January, I visited a local school to address the school assembly and speak to student representatives.
I was struck by how well-behaved the students were and by the quality of their questions. During the visit, I also heard about the lengths the school and its teachers go to in supporting their students, including buying necessities such as lunch and sanitary products. I am working hard to ensure that teachers and students no longer have to do this, but I thank and applaud teachers who act so selflessly for the young people in their care.
The government is also making changes to better support students from the poorest families. This has included widening the eligibility criteria for free school meals and ensuring that school uniforms are cheaper. The government is also making sure that young people have a voice by lowering the age of voting to 16.
January marks Thai Pongal, the Tamil Harvest Festival. I want to take this opportunity to recognise the Tamil Community in Lewisham East and the contributions they make to Lewisham and the UK.
Every year, I am amazed by the celebrations, and this was no exception. This year enjoyed the incredible performances by Lydian on the pianos and his sister, flautist Amirtha Varshini, as well as the amazing rapping by Vaakeesan, Thison and Advik.