Budget

By the time we reached this week’s Budget, it felt like everyone knew as much as the Chancellor about what would be in it. That meant few surprises: some measures that will bring real relief, and some that I know will be of concern.

On the plus side, several announcements stand out. The two-child benefit cap has been abolished, a move that, alongside other measures like free breakfast clubs, school meals and childcare will take 560,000 children out of poverty, including over 1700 in Hammersmith and Chiswick. The National Living Wage goes up to £12.71 an hour and the minimum wage for 18- to 20-year-olds to £10.85 an hour. The state pension will increase by 4.8% in April. Prescription charges and rail fares are frozen – for the first time in 30 years in the case of train fares. Energy bills will be cut by an average of £150 from next year and poorer families will receive an extra £150 through the Warm Homes Discount.

Some gloomy predictions proved to be untrue: income tax will not rise though personal allowances will be frozen beyond the 2028 date set by the previous government.  There was much speculation about new property taxes or a wholesale revaluation of council tax that would have hit London hard. I, along with fellow west London MPs, lobbied hard on this issue, including raising it directly with the Prime Minister, arguing that residents who bought property decades ago and may now be living on a modest retirement income would struggle to afford an extra levy.

The additional charge will be lower than predicted and only affect properties worth over £2 million, and is currently slated to come into effect in 2028. The annual surcharge will follow a tiered structure, with the most expensive properties paying more. This will be based on 2026 valuations provided by the Valuations Office.

A consultation will be launched next year on potential reliefs and exemptions that could be put in place for those who may struggle to pay.

From my inbox and talking to people on the doorstep, I know that there is an understanding of the need to invest more in public services and a welcome for measures that reverse the increase in child poverty. Adequate funding for the NHS, education and indeed the justice system are not luxuries but part of a properly functioning society. But equally people want to be sure that any money raised from taxation will be well spent. That is the task for the Government going forward.

Migration

The Government’s new proposals on immigration and asylum contain welcome steps forward, but also some proposals that have a lot of my constituents understandably worried.

One of the biggest problems with the current system is the length of time people spend waiting for a decision. Some families are left in limbo for years, unable to build a stable life or contribute fully. Quicker decisions will mean that those who qualify for refugee status can begin rebuilding their lives sooner, and those who do not can be removed without being stuck in limbo. This alone could save billions currently spent on hotel accommodation, while giving refugees the certainty they need to start working, supporting themselves and contributing to the country.

There are some troubling elements about those trying to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) being forced to wait up to 10 years. I know that many feel this change is unfair given that it will impact those who had been following the rules as they currently stand and had hoped to be granted ILR on this basis. However, allowing people who work, pay tax and learn English to earn citizenship sooner is a sensible reform.

The focus on expanding safe routes is also essential. Without legal pathways, desperate people will continue to risk their lives in the Channel. Creating safe, properly managed alternatives is the only effective way to stop dangerous crossings and undermine the criminal gangs who profit from them.

I’m also concerned that changes to the tribunal system do not interfere with the legal rights of asylum seekers and as Chair of the Justice Select Committee I have written to the Home Secretary with a number of questions.

Palestine

While lots of attention on has rightfully been on Gaza because of the ongoing famine and continued attacks on civilians, there is increasing concern about situation in the West Bank in response to the unrestrained settler violence and de facto annexation of significant parts of the state of Palestine.

I have added my name to a joint letter, along with more than 80 of my parliamentary colleagues, which calls on the UK Government to act in response to the escalating violence and forced dispossession faced by the Palestinian community of Umm al‑Khair in Masafer Yatta, and other similarly threatened communities in the occupied West Bank, which I have previously visited.

The letter highlights alarming reports: families at risk of mass demolitions, homes built with UK-backed humanitarian aid under threat, repeated attacks by settlers, and a pattern of systemic dispossession that bears the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing.

As parliamentarians, we are urging the Government to use every available diplomatic, economic and legal instrument including sanctions against those responsible, halting trade linked to illegal settlements, and coordinating with international partners to defend the rights of Palestinian communities and uphold international law.

Chiswick Post Office

The reopening of Chiswick Post Office is very welcome, and from the contact I’ve had from constituents it’s clear how valued these services are locally. But the current setup is only temporary, with an interim postmaster and a building that Post Office Ltd plans to dispose of under its national policy.

The encouraging news is that the Post Office remains committed to a permanent branch in Chiswick and believes it can be commercially successful. They are now recruiting for a full-time postmaster or postmistress. If you know someone who might be interested, please encourage them to apply before 9 December via the Run a Post Office website.

Longer term, the Post Office is looking to co-locate the branch within an existing Chiswick High Road business. If you know a venue that might be suitable, I’d welcome your suggestions.

Reopening the branch is a good step, but securing its future is the priority. I’ll continue working to ensure Chiswick has a permanent Post Office service.

In similar news, I was pleased to receive confirmation this week that Nationwide will be keeping their branches open in Chiswick, Hammersmith, and Shepherd’s Bush.

Many residents have been rightly concerned about the decline of high street banking, and a local branch remains an important service. It’s encouraging that Nationwide has continued to honour their commitment, ensuring that their banking services remain accessible to local people.

Talking to residents

Most weekends I am out talking to residents in Hammersmith and Chiswick. Last week I was in Chiswick Riverside with Councillor Amy Croft and Labour’s other candidates for the ward in the borough elections next May, Trevor MacFarlane and Gurminder Randhawa.

While national and international affairs came up, residents mainly wanted to discuss local issues.

Justice

The Justice Committee has been focusing on the state of the UK’s court system, and what can be done to speed up justice and ensure access for all.

Earlier this month the committee had the opportunity to question Sir Brian Leveson on his proposals to limit jury trials for many cases in order to help reduce the growing backlog in the Crown Courts. While the need to speed up justice is undeniable, these proposals raise serious questions about fairness and public confidence in the system.

We are expecting a statement from the government very shortly responding to Sir Brian, particularly after a draft of that response was leaked to the BBC. I raised this in the Commons today.

This week it was the turn of the Lady Chief Justice to appear before the committee, to discuss her work and the state of the court system. She spoke about the lack of resources in the court system meaning many trials remain delayed and the backlog keeps rising. This backlog, now at a record high of nearly 80,000 open Crown Court cases, is not just an abstract number, it means victims can wait years before their cases ever come before a court.

Following the committee’s inquiries into rehabilitation and drug use in prisons we have now launched a new inquiry into legal aid and access to justice, aiming to ensure that everyone, regardless of means, can secure fair representation.

I’ve written in more depth about the recent work of the Justice Committee in an article in the Chiswick Calendar, which you can read here.

Outside of the committee, last week I spoke at a conference on knife crime organised by the Safer Knives Group, of which I am a member. The group is leading the campaign to replace pointed kitchen knives (responsible for the majority of serious knife crime injuries) with rounded tip knives.  Over a hundred people were in attendance where they had a chance to listen to a speech by Sarah Jones, the policing minister.

Out and about

I recently visited the Polish Centre in Hammersmith for the unveiling of a reconstructed Enigma machine, an event marking Polish Independence Day. It was a fitting tribute to the extraordinary contribution of Polish mathematicians whose early code-breaking work proved crucial in defeating German encryption, saving countless lives and helping to shorten the Second World War.

On Remembrance Sunday I was honoured to attend the Chiswick Remembrance Service and lay a wreath at the war memorial. There was also a service in Shepherd’s Bush, where I was grateful to my colleague, Cllr Wesley Harcourt, for laying a wreath on my behalf.

This week is UK Parliament week, an annual event that provides an opportunity for schools, youth groups, and community organizations to learn more about parliament the work it does. It’s always a very busy week, with lots of local schools participating.

This year I am visting schools across the constituency as well as hosting schools for visits to Parliament. Last week pupils from Heathfield House School visited parliament and I had a Q&A session with the pupils. On Monday I visited West London College to meet with their ESOL students. This Friday will be particularly busy with visits to Wendell Park Primary, St Paul’s CE Primary and then meeting with the Hammersmith Cubs and Scouts.

Last week the Horticultural Trades Association came to Parliament to host their ‘Plants in Parliament’ event, designed to remind MPs about the value  of the horticulture industry.  I don’t think we need to be reminded of that in Chiswick with so many wonderful parks, gardens and the Flower Market, but I was very pleased to be gifted one of their ferns which is now the centrepiece of my office in the Commons and which I will try my hardest not to kill.

I recently visited a major exhibition of prisoner art at the Royal Festival Hall, and was struck by the talent on display. The show, titled Koestler Arts – Night Owls and Abstractions, features outstanding work by people in prison, and will be on until 14 December with free admission. I would highly recommend a visit.

At the start of the month, I attended the Friends of Margravine Cemetery AGM, where I learnt about the recovery of local celebrity, Tom the peregrine.

In late August, during a period of stormy weather, Tom was found by a member of the public in Margravine Cemetery, waterlogged and unable to fly. He was admitted to the South Essex Wildlife Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a coracoid injury, likely caused by a collision.

After three weeks of rest and careful treatment, Tom was returned home to Hammersmith in mid‑September. I’m happy to report that he has been doing well since.

Coming up to Christmas

It’s now the season for carol concerts, outdoor festive markets and all the other events leading up to Christmas.

AgeUK in H&F are holding their annual Carol Concert on Wednesday 10 December at 7pm at Holy Trinity Church, Brook Green. With music from a choir and string quartet, plus a reading by Adam Hills MBE, it promises to be a warm and festive evening, with a reception afterwards. It’s also an important fundraiser for their work supporting older residents, so do consider coming along.

The wonderful Barons Court Project is raising funds to convert the loft of their Day Centre in Hammersmith, creating space for an art studio that can also be used for their wellbeing classes. It will also allow for an expansion of their laundry facilities for rough sleepers.

If you can, please consider donating to help them expand the work they do to support homeless people in the Borough.