Tulip Siddiq MP

TULIP SIDDIQ MP MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR AND KILBURN

MP Contact Details Phone: 0208 127 5525 ANNUAL Post: House of Commons

Westminster SW1A0AA REPORT Email: [email protected] Twitter: @tulipsiddiq Newsletter: For updates from Westminster, 2018 - please email me to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Appointments: I hold regular surgeries in our 2019 area to help with your issues. Please arrange appointments using the details above. Tulip Siddiq MP Annual Report 2018-2019

Dear Constituent,

It is a privilege to serve as the Member of Parliament for Hampstead and Kilburn. To represent the community that I have called home for over two decades continues to be an incredible honour.

This year has been dominated by increased urgency in the debate, which has toppled yet another Conservative Prime Minister. I have remained consistent and unambiguous in my position— voting against the damaging Withdrawal Agreement and fighting for a second referendum—which is now Labour policy.

More on Brexit can be found within this report, which also covers my campaigns over the past year. My priorities have included confronting moped crime, calling out underfunding in our education system and introducing a Bill to end indefinite detention for refugees and asylum seekers.

I have now spoken 273 times in Parliament, tabled over 1270 written questions to the Government and written over 600 letters to Ministers in order to act upon the more than 20,000 policy emails and letters sent to me by constituents.

Whether through questions and speeches in Parliament, or through regular advice surgeries across the constituency, I have helped thousands of residents with pressing personal cases, such as housing and asylum issues.

I hope you find this Annual Report useful. If you have any questions or feedback then please feel free to get in touch by email, phone or post.

Best wishes,

Fighting Brexit

I campaigned for Remain in 2016, joining the overwhelming majority of Hampstead and Kilburn residents who voted to stay in the EU. In 2017, I resigned as a Shadow Minister to vote against triggering Article 50, as I believed Brexit would be damaging to the economic prospects of every household in the country. I am delighted that the Labour Party has now chosen to support a second referendum. In 2018-2019, I have:

→ Voted three times against Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement. → Fought for a second referendum, through my votes, speeches and marches. → Voted to revoke Article 50 in its entirety. → Supported continued membership of the Customs Union and Single Market. → Fought for the rights of the 22,000 EU Nationals living in Hampstead and Kilburn.

My votes are always guided by the views of my constituents. When more than 30,000 in Hampstead and Kilburn signed a petition to revoke Article 50, I voted to do the same in Parliament. I have striven to make your voice heard in the debates that matter, even pushing back a surgical operation to ensure I could vote against the Prime Minister’s dreadful Brexit deal.

With Cabinet Ministers actively supporting ‘No Deal’, pro-European efforts will have to be redoubled in the weeks and months ahead. As your MP, it is my absolute promise to continue to rally against Brexit at every opportunity.

Crime and Home Affairs

Tougher Sentences for Moped Criminals

Camden has suffered from more moped- related crime than any other London borough. Many residents who have been victims of moped crimes have turned to my office for support.

This year, I sought to amend the law to address these crimes.

My new clause tried to introduce tougher sentences for those who throw acid or use dangerous knives whilst driving a moped. MPs from a range of different parties voted in support, but it was ultimately voted down because the majority of Conservatives failed to support it.

I have also been active in supporting residents against the rising levels of knife crime. In the summer, I organised a meeting at Kingsgate Community Centre, where over 200 residents were able to discuss the issue with local police forces. I will continue to work with residents, the police, Camden and Brent Councils, and the Mayor of London on this issue. Knife Crime: Demanding Greater Funds for the Met The rise in violent crime has devastated families across the capital, with over a dozen murders this year alone.

I have called for the Government to give police the resources they need to do their jobs properly, and the investment in youth facilities that would give London’s most vulnerable a better future.

As a result, the Chancellor offered £100m for a national fund to tackle knife crime – which does not come close to addressing the effects of a decade of austerity on our local police forces.

I have been particularly concerned about a rise in violent incidents around Kilburn and Queen’s Park. In response to concerns raised personally with me, I made representations to both Brent Council and Metropolitan Police to help. In turn, the Police have added 120 extra officers across Brent this summer. Knife crime has a range of causes and no simple solutions, but it is clear that years of under-investment and cuts to youth services have made the situation worse. Immigration and Asylum

End Indefinite Detention for Asylum Seekers Each year, over 20,000 migrants and refugees are held by our . The lack of time limit on detention means that individuals can be held for months, even years. Indefinite detention has been shown to have profound effects on detainees’ mental and physical health. One detainee, interviewed by the Red Cross, described it as a form of ‘mental torture’. Others have said it led to a ‘life of uncertainty’.

This year, I spear-headed a cross-party campaign to end this cruel and inefficient system, by introducing a Bill that proposed a maximum 28 day time-limit on detention. At a time of historic division in Parliament, my Bill gained support from MPs from all parties, including three former Conservative Ministers.

I also held a rally in Parliament Square with human rights campaigners and former detainees to raise public awareness. The Bill is awaiting its Second Reading in the Commons and I will continue to lobby the Government on this vital reform.

The Fight to Free Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a resident who is illegally imprisoned in , and I have campaigned tirelessly for her release. This year, I used parliamentary procedure called an ‘Urgent Question’ to trigger a debate to call on the Government to take greater action.

A key focus of our campaign has been to obtain ‘Diplomatic Protection’ for Nazanin, thereby making it easier for the UK to escalate the country’s response and improve the protections available for Nazanin. I was delighted that the Government granted this request in February. I will continue to work closely with Nazanin’s husband, Richard, to see her brought safely home to West Hampstead. Equalities and Education

Women + Equalities Select Committee As a member of the Women and Equalities Committee, I scrutinise those responsible for upholding Equality Legislation.

This year, I secured an evidence session into the lack of prosecutions of antisemitic hate crimes, inviting experts from the Met Police and the APPG on Antisemitism to share their insight. Through this role, I have continued my position as a Trustee of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, taking part in the 80th commemorations of the Kindertransport programme at Speakers House.

I am proud that the committee has also turned its focus towards improving the lives of LGBT+ people. This year we have looked at health provision for LGBT communities and the discrimination faced by the trans community. I continue to support steps to ensure that pupils learn about LGBT relationships at school.

I have also confronted other prejudices, such as sexism and Islamophobia. It was a particular honour to participate in the ‘Women MPs of the World’ conference. The event was attended by 120 women MPs from 86 countries, who will now coordinate campaigns to achieve gender equal parliaments around the world. I will continue to use my voice on the committee to fight for the rights of marginalised groups and to level the playing field for all those trying to achieve their potential. Cost of Childcare Inquiry Across the country, nurseries are closing in their hundreds. Families are struggling to access the affordable child care they need. As the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Early Education, I am leading an inquiry into the financial sustainability of the Early Years Sector.

We have received evidence from parents, providers, local Government representatives and a former Conservative Minister, whoI question on the reality of policies such as the ‘30 hours free’ childcare. I look forward to using this evidence to push the Government to provide better support for this sector and families across the country. Casework: Supporting Thousands of Residents

One of the key responsibilities of an MP is to support the welfare of all those they serve. Since April 2018, I’ve taken on more than 1,600 individual cases brought to me by residents. I am frequently in touch with Government Departments, the Brent and Camden local authorities and other organisations on behalf of constituents.

The breakdown of these cases shows the specific challenges people face in our constituency under this Government. And as you can see, housing remains the number one issue in our area. More than 550 of the cases I’ve worked on this year have been in relation to housing.

All too often, people contact me because they face eviction or because they are already homeless. The human cost is stark, and I am determined to represent the needs of the thousands of residents in our constituency who are struggling to make ends meet in a deeply unfair housing market. I have written to Housing Ministers numerous times, on issues from fire safety to calling for the abolition of Section 21 notices.

Since 2015, my team and I have worked on more than 6,500 cases and I am always happy to help constituents. Casework informs my parliamentary work and makes me a more effective and responsive MP. I urge any resident experiencing problems to contact my office as soon as possible to see how I can help. Tulip Siddiq MP ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019 Claim Your Free Tour of Parliament! As your MP, I am able to arrange free tours of Parliament for my constituents. An expert guide will accompany you on an award-winning tour that recounts the history of British democracy.

You will hear how the traditions of both Houses contribute to the day-to-day workings of the UK Parliament. If you would like free tickets to tour Parliament then simply email [email protected] and I will send you more information.

Bringing Parliament to Your School

I am always keen to visit local teachers and pupils, whether that means speaking in assemblies, facing tough question + answer sessions, or simply undertaking site visits.

Similarly, my office regularly welcomes local schools to Parliament, in order to take advantage of the brilliant educational programme on offer.

Visits includes a full tour and lessons from the great team at the Parliamentary Education Centre. If you are a local teacher, please email me at [email protected] and I can put you in touch with the Education Centre to plan your tour, or can arrange a visit to your school.