MP’s UPDATE FOR BRENTFORD AND ISLEWORTH RESIDENTS July 2023

You can find previous reports of my work on my web site; www.ruthcadbury.co.uk  I also report regularly on my Facebook page and via Twitter and Instagram @RuthCadbury. 

 

If you would like to raise issues with me as your MP Please email on ruthcadburymp@parliament.uk with your address, a quick summary of the issue (and relevant reference numbers).   

 

See my Web page for information on local and national services.

The Boundary Commission issued its final report into the new Parliamentary Constituencies which will come into effect at the next general election. I will be the Labour candidate for the redrawn Brentford & Isleworth Constituency. B&I will no longer include the three Chiswick wards but will instead gain Heston East (from Seema Malhotra’s Feltham & Heston Constituency) and Whitton ward just over the borough boundary in Richmond-upon-Thames and currently in the Twickenham Parliamentary seat. It will be sad to say goodbye to Chiswick which will be incorporated into the new Hammersmith and Chiswick constituency, where Andy Slaughter MP will be the Labour candidate.

 

Until the general election, I remain the MP for, and will continue to represent all those living in, the existing B&I constituency. Also, these changes only affect the Parliamentary constituencies; borough boundaries will not be changing, so Chiswick will continue to be in the borough of Hounslow.

MY PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITY in JUNE

For full details of my questions and speeches in Parliament, get regular updates about my Parliamentary activities TheyWorkForYou (votes) or see Hansard (speeches) & on YouTube

I represented Labour’s International Trade team at the celebration of the completion of the UK/Australia trade deal at the impressive Victorian High Commission (which was used as Gringotts Bank in a Harry Potter film). It was great to meet both the chief negotiators; the UK’s  Vivian Life and Australia’s Elisabeth Bowes, now Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner as well as representatives of UK and Australian business organisations seeing the positives of the new trading relationship.

The Annual Parliamentary Bike Ride this year was a gentle circuit around Hyde Park and is an opportunity for many of those involved in Active Travel in the UK to catch up with current news and best practice. We had Dame Sarah Storey, Chris Boardman, Transport Minister Jesse Norman and a representative of the Dutch Embassy of Cycling speaking at the event.

A group of London MPs met Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley to discuss current policing and crime issues including progress on improving our constituents’ confidence in the Met.  

In the Chamber I;

• Spoke in a debate on declining pupil numbers in London schools; saying a major reason for falling rolls is the cost of housing in London. I addressed the challenges facing Hounslow schools, because fewer children, and in-year changes, pose particular problems for funding for schools.

• Asked Transport Ministers why they were not committing to their long-promised strategy on road safety. The UK’s rate of road deaths is now flatlining – every death on our roads is one too many.

• Asked the Business Secretary for a debate on the impact that the menopause has on women at work and thus on the economy. I mentioned the work done at West Middlesex hospital in supporting women staff to ensure they don’t leave or go part-time due to menopause symptoms.
• Spoke in a debate on the Government’s U-turn on rebuilding Charing Cross, Central Middlesex & St Mary's hospitals expressing my anger that the much-needed promised funding has now been put on hold.
• Asked the Home Secretary how her announcement on increasing Stop & Search would restore trust among young people who are too often stopped with no justification.
• Intervened in the debate about Boris Johnson’s lying to parliament, on the speech of one of his supporters. I said how, during lockdown, staff at West Mid weren’t able to go to the canteen, let alone have leaving parties or “wine Fridays”, and suggested her constituents in the same situation must be pretty angry about Partygate too.
• Raised (yet again) the ongoing waste of taxpayers money being given to contractors who are running poor quality asylum accommodation while skimming off vast profits.
• Asked Trade Ministers why they had not accurately assessed how UK manufacturers would benefit from the CPTPP (Pacific) trade agreement

COMMUNITY UPDATE

Crime & Anti-Social behaviour – success!   Local residents sent me a petition registering their concerne about drug-dealing, anti-social behaviour and fly tipping in their area.  I asked the Council to consider installing CCTV to monitor the vehicle-free route at the rear of the estate, which they have now done! I also contacted the local safer neighbourhood policing team to raise this matter and to see if there are any additional steps that the police can take. I’ve asked the residents to keep me informed.

I am so pleased that Ehsan Choudhry was awarded a BEM in the first Kings Birthday Honours list, “for services to the community in the London Borough of Hounslow”. Open Kitchen on the A4/Jersey Road, that he founded, serves hundreds of free meals and food parcels every week, to anyone in need without a referral being required.

West London Queer Project held a fundraising walk along the Thames to raise funds for the amazing West London & Middlesex branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association – Zoe on the left has recently been diagnosed with MND, seen here with her family, with Jeremey Vine who came along to see the walkers off.

One of my current roles is to induct Andy Slaughter into the events, people and places of Chiswick –So I took him round the community stalls at the Bedford Park Green Days festival to meet local community activists.

On International Clean Air Day London Mayor Sadiq Khan visited Green Dragon School in Brentford  He looked at the artwork the children had done and congratulated this young artist whose picture will be part of a London-wide exhibition.  Sadiq also learned of the work funded by his office that the school are doing with Hounslow Council; new scooter storage, cycling vouchers, giving the outdoor space at the school a green makeover and air quality monitoring.  

The West Thames College awards evening was inspirational - so many students have beaten difficult odds to not only survive their course but excel. So it’s no surprise that WTC is the best FE College in London - measured by students’ achievement. We also heard from former student Asim Chaudhary (aka Chabuddy G) who was nearly asked to leave until one of the tutors fought his corner as she had identified his talent.

The only bank between Hounslow and Chiswick, the NatWest in Isleworth is due to close shortly. I met angry local residents along with Cllr Tony Louki to discuss the issue.  I’ve written to NatWest expressing my concern and that of my constituents about the closure that particularly affects those unable to access on-line banking, and cash-based businesses. I fear that, given what has happened to other banks such as Barclays and NatWest in Brentford, we’re not going to get a positive response, which is of concern to those who depend on cash and on face-to-face banking services.

I met the senior leadership team of West London NHS Trust which delivers our Mental Health services as well as some community services. They gave me a tour of Lakeside in-patient unit on the grounds of West Middlesex hospital.

I also visited the West London Wellbeing & Recovery College  which is a training and resource centre providing education and tools to support people with mental health difficulties, and those who support them.  They work to an educational, not medical model for recovery, with a range of activities. Their new base is shared with Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, next to the new GTech stadium and the two organisations work extensively together.

Blake, a Year 11 student at Isleworth & Syon gave a powerful rendition of the moving poem “Land Ho” by Kwame Dawes at the finals of the national Poetry by Heart awards. His parents hail from Nigeria and Jamaica – which brought resonance to his performance, and it was a pleasure to meet them all after the programme.

With best wishes to all readers  – and do let me know what you think of these updates!