Constituency Report (June 2018) Visit to

At the end of May I visited South Africa with Shadow Africa Minister Liz McInnes to renew Labour’s relationship with our sister party the African National Congress. This was the first senior visit to South Africa since 2008, and it came at a very pivotal time as the leaders of both South Africa and neighbouring Zimbabwe have recently been replaced.

At the South African Parliament in I had the pleasure of meeting the Speaker Baleka Mbete, Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu and other leading figures in our the ruling Albi Sachs, 27th May ANC. We discussed their optimistic visions of South Africa under the new President Ramaphosa. Our ANC colleagues made it clear that they want South Africa to return to the world stage, by pursuing a temporary seat on the UN Security Council, and using the country’s position on the UN Human Rights Council to promote a vision of international human rights inherited from .

In addition to political meetings, I visited charity workers who gave me an insight into the challenges South African society is facing. In Cape Town I visited projects run by Masicorp, an NGO which provides early years support, Baleka Mbete and Jackson Mthembu, education programmes, and vocational courses in the 28th May Masiphumelele Township. In I took part in a discussion on urban design and social justice with the Nelson Mandela Foundation. The campaigners gave me an insight into the stark realities of segregation, political disenfranchisement, and lack of basic utilities which many poor South Africans face, particularly those who live in urban informal settlements. I came away from my trip feeling that while there are many challenges still facing South Africa, the change in leadership has given the country a renewed determination to bring about social and political progress. Meeting ANC Parliamentarians, 28th We have offered the ANC the Labour Party’s assistance. May South Africa Meetings

27th May Professors Toni Griffin, David Harvey, Edgar Pieterse, Nelson Mandela Foundation Albi Sachs, anti-apartheid activist and former Constitutional Court judge Mandisa Dyanti, Deputy General Secretary of the Social Justice Coalition 28th May 1st June Richard Calland, political analyst Sir Nigel Casey, British High Commissioner to Chris Nissen, Commissioner, South African Human South Africa Rights Commission Sacred Heart College Students, with Liliesleaf Lawson Naidoo, constitutional rights campaigner Trust and a leader of the Save South Africa campaign Trevor Manuel, Former Finance Minister Beatie Hofmeyr, National Manager of the Education and Training Unit for Development and Maria Ramos, CEO Absa Group Democracy 29th May Carol Hanks, Milli Firth, and Fiona Maitland, Directors of Masicorp ANC Parliamentarians Hon Masango, Hon Boroto, Hon Maloyi, Hon Carrim, Hon Fubbs, and Hon Makue Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, South African Ambassador to the United States 2010-2015 30th May Ben Llewellyn-Jones, British Deputy High Commissioner to South Africa Sinead Delany-Moretlwe, Associate Professor and Visiting a Masicorp project,29th May Director of Research at the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute 31st May Professor William Gumede – Associate Professor, School of Governance at Wits University, Executive Chairperson of Democracy Works Foundation Febe Potgieter-Gqubule, ANC elections general manager Donovan Cloete, ANC Head of Communications Dr Showers Mawowa, from the South Africa Liaison Office Students from Sacred Heart College, Gabriel Shumba, Advocate of the High Court of with Liz McInnes MP, 1st Jun South Africa Dr Clever Chikwanda, former Southern African Development Community Secretariat Yemen APPG Report Launch On the 22nd of May I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Yemen’s report launch. The war in Yemen has had a devastating impact on the local population, with the air and naval blockade resulting in severe food shortages and rampant cholera amongst the civilian population. I was pleased to see that this report has echoed so much of what I have been saying in the chamber over the past few years. The recommendations of this report highlight the steps our government must take to help alleviate the suffering of Yemeni civilians. In particular, the Tory government Yemen APPG Report Launch, 22nd May must urgently support a ceasefire in the port city of Hodeidah, where almost 600,000 civilians still live. Standing up for my constituent Shao Jiang Urgent Question on Gaza

In May I lead for Labour in a debate about the British government’s decision to abstain from a UN vote on whether to conduct an independent investigation into the horrendous violence in Gaza.

This government’s dereliction of duty on the world stage is part of a worrying trend of letting those countries it considers allies get away with rampant breaches of international law. From Saudi war crimes in Yemen to allegations of torture in Bahraini prisons, this government continually allows allies to act with impunity.

Calling for Israel to investigate itself in this matter, as the government has done, makes a mockery of international Urgent Question on Gaza, 22nd May law and the international community more widely.

Women on Air Conference

On the 14th of June I spoke at City University’s Women on Air conference. This conference celebrates women in broadcasting and acts as a forum to discuss how best to increase women’s voices in the media. I noted in my speech that in broadcasting, like in Parliament, progress in gender equality is measured in decades rather than years. One survey found that for every woman interviewed on a broadcast UK news programme, ten men were interviewed. Despite this gross imbalance in coverage my female Labour colleagues and I continue to argue our case in print, on the Cally Festival, 17th Jun radio, and on television, and we will not be shouted down.

Foreign affairs meetings and work in parliament In the constituency and out campaigning 16th May: Toni Pearce, Oxfam Head of 18th May: Islington Square site visit Government Relations 23rd May: East Worthing and Shoreham CLP 17th May: Dr Waqar Azmi, Chair of Remembering Fundraiser Srebrenica 6th Jun: Trade Unions Congress 150th 17th May: Working Lunch hosted by Italian Anniversary Reception Ambassador 13th Jun: Safe Passage Parliamentary lobby 18th May: Lord Paul Boateng 15th Jun: Islington Housing Strategy meeting 18th May: Ms Nomatemba Tambo, South African with Cllr Richard Watts and Jeremy Corbyn High Commissioner 15th Jun: Farringdon Station Crossrail Open 21st May: Brownen Maddox, Director of Institute Day for Government 17th Jun: Cally Festival 21st May: Urgent Question on Gaza UN Vote Abstention 17th Jun: North London Prabhati Sangha (NLPS) Boishakhi 22nd May: Yemen APPG Report Launch 19th Jun: Commemoration of Finsbury Park 23rd May: Julian Weinberg, Thinking Mosque Attack at Islington Town Hall 23rd May: John Battersby, Director of South Africa Chamber of Commerce UK 24th May: Visit to US Embassy Media appearances have included… 24th May: Lee Cheuk Yan, Vice Chairman Hong 13th Jun: Newsnight Kong Labour Party 14th Jun: City University Women on Air conference 24th May: Mrs. Jutta Urpilainen, ’s Foreign Minister’s Special Representative on Mediation 17th Jun: Andrew Marr Show 24th May—3rd Jun: South Africa Visit 6th Jun: Cycling APPG MPs Bike Ride 6th Jun: Jamie Angus, Director of BBC World Service 6th Jun: Nuclear Test Veterans campaign event 7th Jun: Roundtable with Cyprus High Commissioner 12th Jun: Shadow Foreign Office team meeting with Jeremy Corbyn 18th Jun: Iranian Ambassador, with Jeremy Corbyn 19th Jun: Jamie McGoldrick, oPt Humanitarian Coordinator for the UN 19th Jun: Reprieve with Shami Chakrabarti

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