Constituency Report (January 2019) Foreign Office Questions

At Foreign Office Questions this week I asked the Foreign Secretary whether he still believes that the British people should be the ones to decide whether or not the government’s Brexit deal is acceptable. After the referendum in 2016 Jeremy Hunt made it clear that he believed either a General Election or a referendum on the final deal should be held . This government continues to hold the threat of a No Deal Brexit hanging over the heads of MPs. When appealing to the public, the government claims that we are intent on ignoring the “will of the people” and trying to sabotage Brexit in any way possible. The reality is that the government has wasted precious months of negotiating time attempting to bypass Parliament. It is Visiting new homes on Dover Court Estate, time for the government to take No Deal off the table 21st Dec and finally engage Parliament in the process.

Tory Brexit Deal

On the 15th of January, the government’s Brexit deal was voted down by the House of Commons, after being delayed for five weeks. This was the largest defeat of a government in British history, and the result is indicative of the widespread dissatisfaction with the Tory’s handling of the Brexit process. Ahead of the vote I wrote an article laying out the historical precedent for holding a General Election when the government of the day can’t govern. We are heading towards a disastrous No-Deal Brexit, led by a zombie government which has allowed these failed negotiations to consume all of the government’s resources and bring Parliament to a standstill. Palestine Solidarity Campaign Parliamentary Event, 28th Nov BBC Question Time

On BBC Question Time I reiterated the Labour Party’s policy of fighting to stay in a customs union with the EU, and maintaining regulatory alignment on workers rights and environmental controls. I once again made clear that we would not support a deal that made British workers poorer or put them at greater risk of injury after Brexit. I was also asked about how the Labour Party would tackle the rise in violent crime in office. We know that if we support schools to keep children in the classroom instead of excluding them, and funding mental health services for young people, we can begin to tackle the root causes of youth violence in Islington. However, after 8 years of austerity and the local authority dealing with a BBC Question Time, 10th Jan 60% budget cut, we still face an uphill battle.

Standing upNazanin for my Zaghari constituent-Ratcliffe Shao Jiang In response to the news that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe plans to go on hunger strike, I urged the government to continue to put pressure on Iran to free Nazanin without any further delay. She has now been wrongfully imprisoned for three years, and has recently been denied phone calls with her family and medical treatment, and had her food rations cut. This is despite Nazanin finding lumps on her breasts.

Iran currently faces crippling sanctions from the US, and dangerous military escalation from US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. The UK has so far not followed the US in pulling out of the Iran deal and re-imposing sanctions. However, the Assembly at Hugh Myddelton Primary School, 7th continued arbitrary imprisonment of British citizens in Iran Dec has made it increasingly difficult for us to fight for the peace and progress the Iran deal represents.

Integrity Initiative

On 12th December I asked the government to make an urgent statement in response to the news that the FCO funded Integrity Initiative had been using it’s account to spread articles attacking and other political figures. The Initiative’s stated purpose of countering the spread of by the Russian state is very important, and that threat is very real. However, official resources must not be used for political purposes, and despite the FCO claiming they did not know the Integrity Initiative was using its Twitter account in this way the success of the Twitter account was highlighted in its successful application for further funding. Speaking with Stephen Mangan for , 8th Dec

Media appearances have included 7th Dec - Constituency Surgery

28th Nov - The Spectator Parliamentarian of the 7th Dec - Islington Labour Group Christmas Social Year Awards 8th Dec - Constituency Surgery 29th Nov - The Guardian ‘in conversation’ with 12th Dec - Islington Labour Christmas Party Stephen Mangan 14th Dec - Council Budget Briefing with Jeremy 29th Nov - #AskAWoman with Julie Etchingham Corbyn and Richard Watts Podcast 14th Dec - St Luke’s School Christmas Play 29th Nov - BBC Radio 5 Live – Question Time Extra Time Podcast 19th Dec - Royal Mail Christmas Visit - Holloway Delivery Office 6th Jan - Pienaar’s Politics 21st Dec - Dover Court Estate Visit with James 7th Jan - Politics Live Murray, Deputy Mayor for Housing 8th Jan - Jonathan Freedland’s The Long View – 12th Jan - Constituency Surgery BBC Radio 4 14th Jan - Open Doors' World Watch List 2019 9th Jan - Katy Searle, Head of Westminster and Launch Laura Kuenssberg 10th Jan - BBC Question Time 21st Jan - Victoria Derbyshire In the constituency and out campaigning 23rd Nov - Campaigning in Southport 23rd Nov - Bootle CLP Annual Dinner 24th Nov - PPC’s Candidate Training Residential Weekend, Nottingham 30th Nov - Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Delegation to visit Constituency 30th Nov - Ogmore CLP Centenary Fundraising Dinner 1st Dec - National Campaign Day – Small Business Saturday at Vale of Glamorgan 3rd Dec - Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School Student Conference 3rd Dec - Attended Islington Town Hall Citizenship Ceremonies Meeting with Emily Cain, Executive Director of 3rd Dec - Q&A 29th Annual a Level Politics EMILY’s List, 14th Jan Student Conference 6th Dec - Camberwell & Peckham CLP Christmas Fundraiser 7th Dec - Hugh Myddelton Primary Assembly

House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA [email protected] 020 7697 9307 (2-5pm on Mon, Tues, Thurs)

Foreign Affairs and Work in Parliament 19th Dec - Statement on Yemen 22nd Nov - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 19th Dec - Met with HE Dr Husam Zomlot, Dinner Palestinian Ambassador 26th Nov - Norwegian Refugee Council’s Director 27th Dec - Spoke at Limmud Festival for Yemen 7th Jan - Urgent Question on Nazanin Zaghari- 26th Nov - Ian Martin Ratcliffe 27th Nov - Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni Journalist 9th Jan - Chaired International Policy Commission and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Meeting 27th Nov - Labour Friends of Israel Annual Lunch 11th Jan - Brexit Debate 28th Nov - Palestine Solidarity Campaign Lobby 14th Jan - Met with Bob Carr, former Australian Day Foreign Minister, and Mike Rann, former Premier 28th Nov - Spoke at Palestine Solidarity of South Australia Campaign Reception 22nd Jan - Foreign Office Questions 3rd Dec - Adrian O’Neill, Irish Ambassador 23rd Jan - Met with Adam Coogle, Human Rights 3rd Dec - Philippa Helm, Chief Clerk of the Table Watch Senior Saudi Arabia Researcher, with Office Fabian Hamilton 4th Dec - Foreign Office Questions 23rd Jan - Andrew Little MP, NZ Minister for Justice & Intelligence 4th Dec - Her Majesty’s Evening Reception for the Diplomatic Corps 5th Dec - Jen Gavito, Minister-Counsellor for Political Affairs, US Embassy 5th Dec - Thousand Club Christmas Reception 5th Dec - Closed Brexit Debate on ‘Security and Immigration’ 6th Dec - Spoke at Anjou Lunch Club 12th Dec - Urgent Question on FCO Funding for the Institute for Statecraft’s Integrity Initiative 13th Dec - US Ambassador’s Christmas Reception 17th Dec - Met with US Congressional Delegation Portrait for the 209 Women Exhibition 17th Dec - Shadow FCO Team Christmas Party 18th Dec - Met with Jeremy Hunt, Foreign Secretary 18th Dec - Leader of the Opposition’s Office End of Year Reception 18th Dec - Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East Christmas Celebration - Celebration 10 Years of LFPME

House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA [email protected] 020 7697 9307 (2-5pm on Mon, Tues, Thurs)