Our broken justice system – and ideas on how to mend it 

Much of my time in Parliament is being spent getting my feet under the table as the new Chair of the Justice Select Committee. Committee members have been elected and I am pleased to have a talented and able group of MPs working with me who have vast range of knowledge about the justice system. I’ve also been getting to know the committee staff who will be supporting the committee in its work.

One of the hardest tasks is deciding what the committee should focus on, and there are no shortage of issues to discuss given how the justice system has been systematically run down by the Tories.

In the past, select committees had the luxury to be able to focus on important, but often niche subjects. Now, though, the committee will have to focus on how the new government can get the core of the justice system back up and running, with the focus being on the crisis in prisons, the court backlogs and legal aid.

At the committee’s first public meeting we interviewed the new Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Lord Timpson. It was both a chance for the committee to learn about the severe pressure facing prisons and prison staff, but also to get a feel for how we will work together as a committee.

This week we questioned Baroness Carr, England’s first lady Chief Justice, on the state of the courts.

I am continuing to receive a lot of correspondence on assisted dying as we approach the second reading debate of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which is taking place this Friday.

I shall be voting in favour. The law is really bad at the moment, has created an intolerable situation for those with terminal illnesses who are in extreme pain, and needs to change. Allowing this bill a second reading doesn’t mean that it will immediately pass into law, but simply allows the bill to progress, leading to around nine months of further debate and amendment as the bill passes through both the Commons and the Lords.

I am continuing to challenge the Government on the ongoing disaster in Gaza and the wider Middle East. On October 10 I spoke in a debate on Gaza and Humanitarian aid, asking the government to clarify what more it can do to secure a ceasefire in the region. In a debate on Gaza and Lebanon, I raised the issue of International Law and the actions of the Israeli military.

Following the issuing of arrest warrants for Mohammed Deif, Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant by the International Criminal Court, I asked the government what action would be taken by the UK in light of this. The UK must respect the Court and commit to actioning these warrants should those named enter the UK.

Back to justice, and on 5 November I asked the Justice Secretary about legal aid and reversing the devastating cuts made by the Tories. During the budget debate I asked about the financial settlement for the Ministry of Justice and highlighted the impact that Tory budget cuts have had on access to justice. Lastly, I spoke on the debate on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, and the chilling effect they have had on freedom of speech.

Constituency news

Hounslow Council has committed to funding the repair of the river wall at Strand on the Green. The Council will initially spend £400,000 to commission surveys and inspections to determine what work needs to be done to restore the wall.

Thanks to Cllr Amy Croft and Bridget Osborne of Chiswick Calendar for really pushing this issue forward.

Some progress on Hammersmith Bridge as the Hammersmith Bridge taskforce is reconvened after being left idle by the previous government. This news followed meetings between local MPs (including myself and Ben Coleman) and government Ministers to try to discuss how we can push things forward. The full taskforce will meet in January.

As always, the issue is funding and finding the £250 million needed to restore the bridge. However, after years of being shut out of discussions, it is good to be able to actually meet with Ministers and begin to get some movement on this.

It has been a busy few weeks in Hammersmith and Chiswick, and I am lucky to be an MP for a constituency with so much going on.

After 40 years attending Remembrance services at Fulham and Shepherds Bush, it was an honour to lay a wreath at Chiswick War Memorial for the first time. I joined hundreds local residents and representatives from the Armed Forces and the Police in what was a very moving and poignant service.

Last week was UK Parliament Week, an annual event to help people learn about the work of Parliament.

As part of this I visited several schools including Wendell Park Primary where they’d set up a mini polling station so that pupils could learn about the voting process and take part in their own polling day.

I also attended a play about democracy at St Stephen’s Church of England primary where I was given a brief walk on part – luckily the pupils were on hand to help me remember my lines.

I joined the Chiswick Repair Cafe for their second birthday celebrations, where I learnt about their work to repair and restore older or damaged items that people bring to them.

The initiative was set up to help reduce waste, share skills and strengthen the local community, and the volunteers will try to repair anything that is brought to them. Repairs are carried out for free, with the volunteers asking only for a discretionary donation. Even better, cake and coffee is on offer while you wait.

Last week I attended the re-opening of the refurbished Nationwide Building Society’s Shepherds Bush Green branch.

With so many banks and building societies closing their local branches, it is very positive to see that Nationwide is still committed to having that important local presence. They have promised that every existing branch of Nationwide will remain open until at least the start of 2028, and include Shepherds Bush, Chiswick and Hammersmith branches as part of this promise.

After 35 years at the helm of the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre, Sister Mary Joy is stepping down as CEO. Last week I joined volunteers and supporters for a celebration of her work and her leadership and everything she has done to promote riding for disabled and excluded children.

Mary Joy has a life time of experience with horses & children and she has built the Pony Centre into one of H&F’s best loved institutions.

In Memoriam

Very sad news for the Labour Party as we learnt last week of the passing of John Prescott. He was one of the most important figures in the Labour movement who dedicated himself to fighting for social justice. He was one of the driving forces behind Labour’s victory in ’97 and he will be very sadly missed. I’m glad he got to see Labour regaining power in another landslide.

In 2010 he visited Hammersmith to help with my campaign to be elected for the then newly created seat of Hammersmith. A video of his visit can be found here.

In early October we also lost former Councillor Gerald Wombwell. Gerald served as Leader of the Tory opposition on Hammersmith Council and he was both a formidable opponent and someone of great integrity. He was always robust in debate, but in private he was always easy to get on with and was always willing to work collegiately on issues that were in the public interest. He will be missed by all who knew him.